Okay.
This entry was not really going to about anything in particular. It was simply going to entail something about our (official) last football game Friday night (which we lost) and how we had our first parade yesterday morning and blah blah blah.
Not anymore.
So I was watching a recent video from Mike Lombardo, a well-known YouTube musician/vlogger, and he talked about this new bill that was passed in Michigan that pretty much allowed kids to be bullied by anyone, including teachers, school administrators, volunteers, parents, and their peers, if they just happened to be gay, if the offender could provide ample "religious" or "moral" reasons for their actions.
Um. What.
The bill is called the Matt's Safe School Law. Oh, the irony. The bill was named after a boy, Matt Epling, who committed suicide after being victimized by his peers because he was gay. In a society that is pushing so hard for equal rights with regards to sexual orientation, in which New York just legalized gay marriage, how is it possible for something like this to pass? I don't care what party the state is affiliated with. This just isn't right.
This hits hard, considering a few of my really close friends just happen to be gay. I feel fortunate enough to go to a school where people don't get ostracized for being gay, at least not in a particularly noticeable or significant fashion. But still...School should be one of the safest environments for kids, especially if their home life is less than stellar. Unfortunately, sometimes, school is one of the places kids avoid the most because they receive just as much ridicule as they do at home.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent". This bill is literally handing the consent to the haters on a silver platter. I don't care about your religious views. That doesn't give you the right to personally attack a child for being themselves. In fact, that's almost the direct opposite of many religious standings: treat others the way in which you would like to be treated. And this bill doesn't specify the age of the children this bill affects, either, meaning that students as young as first-graders all the way up to seniors in high school could potentially be victimized for their sexual orientation. As American citizens, people have the freedom to express what they believe, whether or not they argue that being gay is "moral" or "immoral" (not that people really have a choice in the matter). But those beliefs and opinions should not play into the well-being of others. Bullying in any way, shape, or form is not okay. Faulting someone for their individuality is not okay.
This post is dedicated to Matt Epling and all others whose lives have been negatively affected by bullying.
Link to the article: http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/michigan-gop-pass-bullying-bill-giving-license-to-bully/politics/2011/11/03/29580
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