Last week a 16-year-old girl went to school in the morning and left a few hours later on a stretcher. Her life cut short. Amy Inita Joyner-Francis, the young girl who lost her life, fell victim to bullying.
Bullying has become an evil demon that has pushed its way in to the lives of so many children, teenagers, and even adults. When is it going to stop? Is the death of a teenager enough to wake everyone up to the bigger problems? Or have we put on blindfolds to pretend we do not see what is happening around us?
Growing up in a small town, life seemed pleasant. There was never violence, danger, or crime. I was lucky enough to wake up and feel safe in the town that I lived in. As a kid, I would go to school, where everyone knows everything about everyone (and their moms, and their siblings, and their great aunts from Iowa), and I would come home to my neighborhood every afternoon feeling comfortable and loved. I lived a normal life. Until I got to high school and was bullied.
I spent hours crying in the school bathroom, I spent days home from school hiding, and I spent weeks wishing that it would all stop. I was a sophomore in high school, a year that is already filled with enough stress and emotional changes. But the girls that bullied me did not seem to care. They spent their days snickering in the hall as I walked by and sending dirty looks across the cafeteria to my table. By the grace of God, I survived. I pushed through, found my saving grace, and became stronger. Strong enough to stand up for myself and put an end to the bullying.
Unfortunately, not everyone is able to do that. Not everyone is able to push through the pain and wait until it gets better. So, what is being done? The answer: not enough.
It is not enough to talk about bullying and explain that it is bad. It is not enough to say "stop" and believe that they will. It is not enough to turn your back on the situation and pretend it is not happening. None of it is enough.
Something needs to be done. Someone needs to make a difference. Let it be you.
