Inspired by High School Students

If you knew me, you would know that when I was younger, I was bullied because I was the fat kid. This took place in middle school - or the equivalent of it since I went to a private school that went from kindergarten to eighth grade. I am sure that it made me stronger. I also remember how miserable it was. How I hated being called moose or cow or any myriad of the names my classmates would come up with.

When I was a child, the word bullying did not really hold any weight. Kids called one another names and no one did anything about it. Certainly no other kids would have called out the bully for picking on another child. Today, kids have a lot more to handle. They have Facebook and Twitter and other social media where they can hide behind a screen and bully. They also have instances in which bullying has gone far beyond the abuse of words. Children have killed one another.

On the upside, though, kids are standing up. They are forming Students Taking a New Direction (STAND) and, in the case of students, are presenting what bullying looks like to the community and encouraging others to make a difference.

I teared up during the presentation Wednesday, which touched on bullying for religion, sexual orientation, body or physical features, to name a few. It also went into bullying through social media and gave audience members a real feel for the fact that the name calling alone is enough to make a child want to end his or her life. Near the end, each member of the group took the microphone and in small groups told those in attendance that "if you knew me, you would know that..."

I applaud the school for forming such a group. But, more than that, I applaud the students for standing up for what is right. For saying, sometimes about a kid that they may not even know, it is not okay to make someone else feel bad. It is not okay to spread rumors or call people names or make assumptions based on how someone looks or acts or talks.

These are the leaders of our tomorrow. They will make the world a better place. And I for one say thank you.