I just read a news article posted onto my schools Pride Alliance (a safe place for students of any sexual orientation and an active advocacy group for student equality) facebook page. The story in LGBTQ Nation was about a freshman in High School named Brandon Bitner. The story was called Brandon Bitner: Anti-gay Bullying Leads to Another Tragic Teen Suicide.
As I read that Brandon was Bullied at his school for being homosexual, I began to cry. My heat breaks every time I read stories about people who are treated with hatred and who struggle every day of their lives just to live. Most of us do not have to deal with such terrible treatment and we cannot imagine what it is like to be hurt and taunted, to be called names and ostracized. If you are one of the people who have been lucky enough not to experience these hardships, I feel confident in assuming that you have at least seen someone else being bullied. You may have seen violent, physical bullying, but more often you see people being called names (homo, gay, fag, dumbass, idiot, geek, fat-ass, whore, bitch, slut...just a few of the bad ones). What do You do when you see kids being pushed around and verbally abused? What do You think about doing..and then decide not to? Have you ever stepped in and defended the victim? ...Have you ever joined in on the bullying? Some may say yes to the last question, and to that I ask another question. How did that make you feel? Powerful? Did you feel Regret, Remorse, Weakness?
-If you have a story Please post it below my Blog. I would really appreciate it if you shared.- Most of us go through our lives and get through school without a second thought about another person other than ourselves or the people who we directly get involved with. But how many suicides could we have prevented..How many broken hearts and hurt feelings could we have spared...Would there be kids and adults that would be happy today if they weren't forced into self-hatred and loathing, wishing they were different so that they wouldn't be so hated? Brandon may have been an amazing friend, honest, selfless, strong, and confident, but after being humiliated and hurt anyone would lose themselves and become a feeble victim. Can we be satisfied with letting a person lose and be lost? I don't even think, I SAY NO,
NO,
NO a million times. No, for every suicide caused by bullying and by someone choosing not to step in. No, for every night cryed to sleep and every day wishing you could be gone just so that you wouldn't be hurt anymore...
We..We the readers of Amplify Your Voice..We the victims and the Bystanders..We the people of a Loving and Beautiful world that is polluted with Hate and Violence......We are responsible, We have a responsibility to raise our voice, and our pen, and our keyboard, and our fists to the world and say NO MORE!!! We can stop it. If we just make the effort we will succeed. Change Hearts and Save Lives.
My prayers go out for Brandon's family. God only intends Love for all of us and when a person, a child, is wrongly treated, We are responsible to send our love to those who morn for the lost life but to also spread the word that we are all equal and we must seen as such. It is the duty of all of us that see this page and respond with regret to fight against the aggressors and STOP these Tragedies from taking place. Join me on amplifyyourvoice.org and Blog about your fight. Then, Go Out and talk to people about the injustices that are taking place beneath their noses and in front of their eyes!
-Markette

Also See:
Kennesaw Pride Alliance Facebook page
Advocates for Youth
Youth Pride
to see what you can be involved in.