Stop Bullying

"I am a dreamer, who has many dreams for our society and our world. One of my dreams is that someday, bullying will be a thing of the past! I have a dream that one day anyone will be able to walk around safely without worrying about being bullied. When we think about bullying, we typically think about one child bullying another on the playground, but bullying is far more pervasive. People get bullied in school, at their work place, and sometimes even at home! If I were to define bullying, I would say that bullying is hurting another human, physically or verbally by insults. Either way bullying translates to a lack of support. People get bullied because of the clothes they wear, car they drive, music they listen to, or their profession. I have a dream that one day all of this will be gone. That no one will be insulted because of his or her ideas, their race, their gender, or their residence! The question that comes to my mind when I think of bullying: what does it achieve? Does bullying bring inner happiness? No. Does it result in lasting power? No. Does it really build self-confidence? No. On the contrary, it is simply a reflection of the bullyʼs own lack of self worth, dissatisfaction, and fear! Supporting others is a major part of stopping bullying. If everyone were supportive, it would help others be strong and proud of whom they are. They would do what they enjoy in life instead of letting others govern their decisions. They would have the freedom to find their own way! I dream of a world where anyone can get the support they need to thrive, where they are not put down by others, where they can be proud of who they are and who they want to be! Over the years, bullying seems to have become a natural part of American life. And the truth is we are all probably guilty of doing it. I got some interesting responses from classmates when during a class discussion on bullying when I asked, “Why do you bully one another.” The most common responses were,” “It makes us closer friends.” “It feels good.” “Why not? It’s something to do with friends,” and “I know it is not hurting the other person.” Well the truth is, you don’t know if it is hurting the other person, since you are not the other person. And they probably wouldn’t tell the truth if asked out of fear of being called a coward, weak, or chicken! Many great ideas have been lost, and many people have become depressed, because of bullying. Some have inflicted pain on themselves, committed suicide, or turned their hurt and anger on others because of one thing: bullying. They have been permanently scarred and hurt because of the words and actions of others. They question their existence, their self- worth-- All because of bullying. The amount of evidence about the prevalence of bullying is alarming. I have a dream that all of this will be gone. No more ideas lost. No more people physically and psychically bruised and damaged. No more suicides because of the thoughtless actions of others. No more! Let it be gone forever! We can do it if we take stopping bullying seriously and make it a first priority in our nation—just like we took drunk driving seriously years ago. A first step is to start properly educating children now about the issue, for they are the hope of the future. Will the journey be easy? No! But we must and can overcome any challenges that stand in our way. We can do it! We are Americans. We have overcome many challenges and problems in the past. The movement against bullying has already begun, and you can help by starting to spread the word. The next time you witness someone put someone else down, don’t remain silent. Speak up. Take action. Give support. If we come together we can stop bullying in America, That is my dream!"

-Sean