As a child, I was never bullied. I had a dynamic circle of friends from when I was very young until the present day. I was not a victim of bullying, nor was I ever one to bully someone else. This letter is not designed to bully another bully because that would make me just as guilty. The ironic nature of that situation is what I actually do want to talk about. The following letter is my take on what bullies need to hear before they go and ruin the life of another person for the way they look, how they talk, or for getting good grades in school.
To those whom it may concern (bullies),
I am sick and tired of seeing stories on the news or on social media about young children being driven to commit heinous acts because they have no other way of channeling their rage. This often stems from them being made fun of for something they cannot help, or something that you are jealous of. How can you judge someone for something that is out of their control? How can you make someone feel horrible for doing well in school? I never understood why it made sense to call someone a "nerd" or a "geek". All that means is that you are making fun of someone for being smart; making fun of them for attempting to do something with their lives at a young age. You think that these are the people that deserved to be pushed to their limits and come back seeking revenge? That they deserve to ruin everything they have because they cannot take it anymore? Well, they certainly do not do that. Next time you feel the need to push someone down for getting an A on their exam, you ask them if they can help you study for the next one instead. You deserve to be just as successful as the people you bully, but instead, you think that it holds some kind of weight to symbolically stomp your way through school.
I still see bullying in college. I fear that I will witness bullying for the rest of my life because there will always be people, young and old, that get their highs from watching other people at their lowest. It makes me sick to my stomach. People like you make me sick to my stomach. Does it bother you that I tell you that? How do you think I feel when I see wonderful people having the worst days of their lives because they have been bullied for more than a decade. That is ten years of torture in their eyes. I am not afraid to say that people who bully others for things that they cannot change make me sick. That still does not mean that I wish you the worst. In fact, I think you are the ones who need more help than those you are bullying. You see, there are those that emerge from being bullied and use that as a drive when they find the right path to success. For bullies, it is often a sad path of bad karma and poor decisions. Who is going to have your back when YOU are at your lowest point? I would venture to say that it will not be those who you felt the need to traumatize. What happens then? What happens when they are in a power position and you are the farthest thing from it? You might think it is "cool" to be a bully, but I can assure you that it is one of the worst life choices you can make. Think twice before you push someone around just so you can feel better about yourself.
Sincerely,
Those Who Care
