MIDTERM: Monday in class. Be on time! This is 25% of the marking period's grade.
We are finishing up this unit on blogging. Please respond to your classmate's today. As usual, make sure I have your classmate responses by 9 am Saturday, when our grades will close for the marking period.
Response to “ Greece”
ReplyDelete-JaQuana Watkins
I agree that suicide is a coward’s way out. Everyone has problems nobody’s life is perfect. However I think that people in school should teach children how to love themselves, and value life. Most people who commit suicide is in a very bad mental state to the point where they don’t value their own life. They don’t think about people who are being sold as slaves, or starving children in Africa. All they see is their problems. I want people to learn how to look at the good. My former strings teacher here at SOTA committed suicide. Now I will be the first to admit the hell us strings students put her through, myself included. I mean people will talk about her clothes, ability to teach, how she had no life etc. I mean yeah she went through a bit much, but nothing will justify her suicide. Like I stated everyone has problems. Now that u tried to commit suicide and survived you are an example of bullies affects. I think you judge the kids who went through with it very very harshly. If the pilss would have been to much for your system you wouldn’t have a statement on this blog because you would be where they are. ( No offense.) But I applaud your ability to overcome being bullied. I also note that sometimes when you smile and say something bck it can still hurt you inside your just not letting it show. I believe the cures to bullying are self-love, appreciation of life, speaking up, and sticking together.
Response to Amanda
-JaQuana Watkins
I agree with Amanda. A lot of people children and adults don’t enforce the anti-bullying rule. They mostly turn a blind eye and act like they didn’t see anything. That’s what keeps bullying alive. If people can get others to do what they want through force with no consequences a lot of people would. I think that the people who bull should feel ashamed of their actions. Especially if the person you bully end up committing suicide. The people who turn a blind eye should be ashamed of their actions also. I will admit that I have turned a blind eye and sometimes I just want to mind mine own business, but if me speaking up will help save someone’s life. You are correct that people should take a stand against bullies and if no one else does, I will.
Newton Watson
ReplyDeleteIn Response to Nell
I think the punishment for bullying should go beyond losing privledges in sports in some cases. Even though it is a form of discipline, I don't think it will always be enough to detour an opportunity to bully someone. Sometimes even long term suspensions should be issued to enforce anti-bullying. Some people may find that extreme but the current level of anti bullying enforcement isn't working. I do agree that we should definately work harder to get bullying out of our schools. There are too many disruptions in school as it is. I remember watching that story you mentioned about the gay boy being bullied in health class. It's terrible how the school blamed the victim. No school should ever do that in a bullying situation.
Shaundrana says in response to Leon.....
ReplyDeleteExactly what I was saying. If you can't deal with any forms of bullying how do you expect to get far in life? Bullying helps you stand up for yourself because eventually your going to get tired of being pushed around. If you dont know how to deal with conflict then your just going to cry about everything. Bullying will never go away so people need to understand how to deal with things of this nature.
In response to Nautica....
LMAO!! you said your a bully and you are cause you bullied me in 8th grade remember? I kind of agree with you to a certain extent "People get bullied by people who allow them to bully them" exactly. If you sit around and let someone keep mistreating you then their going to continue to do it. Like in the movie "Enough" Jennifer Lopez was being bullied and mistreated but in the end she finally beat him up and stood up for herself.
Tatiana Williams
ReplyDeleteResponse to Willis…
If there was ever a time to use a cliché acronym it’s now, so here it goes, OMG Willis, I am completely on the same page with you regarding suicide as a response to being bullied. It truly is a sign of weakness and is a total contradiction to trying to help these “victims”. Indeed I can sympathize (feel sad for) someone in this situation where they think that death is their only solution, but I will never be able to empathize for them because they are simply submitting themselves to the standard that the bully’s imply. And for these last lines I believe that Willis should be declared a true philosopher; “Rise up; redirect your angst and sadness somewhere else, exact revenge. Make an effort to live, and I’ll make an effort to help you do so. Personally in my situation I take it as insult, I struggle, I cry, I hurt, and yet I have to get up and continuing living why shouldn't you. You’re only the victim if you let yourself be one.” And with that OMG.
Response to Jessica…
Jessica has the right idea and we agree on the idea that if we are going to try to do “something” about bullying then we need to focus on everybody and every type of bullying and not just extend resources, information, or endorsements to a certain outcome like suicide, group of people like homosexuals, and define bullying on these terms. Jessica also agrees that bullying is inevitable and because of that it is quite difficult to counteract, however I do disagree with the effectiveness of laws to help prevent or stop bullying.
Jessica Minllety
ReplyDeleteRoberto brought up some very controversial thoughts, but I have to say that I agree with most of it. Life is precious and to take it away yourself is a waste. Letting the bully win is not the answer, almost everyone has been called names and hurt before even me. Taking my life away will solve nothing; all it brings is sorrow to your loved ones. Sometimes you have to suck it up and move on, you can’t let everything get to you, that’s how life is. I do disagree a little bit with the fact that he says people that commit suicide are cowards, many are but some people suffer from depression and are bipolar and have too much going on in their lives and just end it all. I only know of one person that committed suicide, and it seemed as if her life was put together and she could deal with it, but obviously she couldn’t. There are other alternatives to just hanging yourself, taking pills or resorting to violence. You just have to find the alternative.
In response to justice, I agree with her quote ” It really is something terrible when a kid thinks that the best thing to do is to end their life because some butt wipe decides to bully them”. Some people really are that low that go and make someone’s life that miserable. Just because they were bullied does not mean they can go and get revenge, it is not solving anything at all. Before bullying someone just think about how you would feel if someone did the same to you. Have little conscience and think about their problems. How would you feel if that person killed themself because of you?
Idalis responding to Marissa and Dasia:
ReplyDeleteI so agree with the bullies having troubles within themselves taken it out on other people. I also agree that bullying now-a-days is a part of life. If the world did get worse from back then just imagine the future. These are not the only four people that have gotten bullied and have committed suicide there are many others that have done the same thing because of being exposed. There are a lot of people who support these anti-bullying programs and there a good idea but there not that much help. I think authority needs to take charge and enforce some type of punishment for bullying. Not just stand around and watch. Everybody is so into themselves now-a-days that their blind to see reality of what's really going on and stop it. “LETS BE THE SOLUTION NOT THE PROBLEM!!!!”
Latriece Respond to Amanda- I disagree for the simple fact that, bullying starts at the roots. If children are taught at home good morals and talking about self esteem then bullying can be prevented.
ReplyDeleteRespond to JaQuana- Simply no one has the right to say whether or not taking your life is a cowardly action. Everyone has their own right to do what they wish with their life. Seeing that it was caused by bullying only makes it a tragic and preventable situation.
Newton Watson
ReplyDeleteIn response to Roberto Rivera
I see where you are coming from when you say that people should stick up for themselves instead of commiting suicide. At the same time though people aren't the same as animals. People are more psychologically deep and hold mixed emotions. While animals are adapted to the wild and are hardwired for survival. Everyone has a different backstory that makes them as sensitive as they are. So in situations people are bound to react differently. The human mind being so complex is also much more delicate than animals in nature.
I agree with latriece's response to Amanda, "Bullying comes from the roots". Personally I feel as if bullying comes from people who were lacking something in their childhood, and if they are children already, it comes from a problem at home. Kids all together are the target of parents that are bullies. Parents are natural bullies, because they can do things to you, and you can't do anything about it. A child who is abused, physically, mentally, emotionally, or verbally may have an amplified sense to bully others. This is understandable, but it isn't right. No one should get bullied, but on the other hand, no one should allow themselves to be bullied either. Speak up or die in the shadows.
ReplyDeleteHelene says…
ReplyDeleteIn response to LeeAna, I completely agree with what you are saying. “What is the difference between bullying and just playing around? There is a fine line of what are just fun and games and something that would really hurt a person. When do people draw the line? The question is more when should people draw the line”. Some people have no tact and don’t care how far they go. People need to chill out and look at themselves. In response to Leah… your response is too damn long for me to read. But from what I did read I would have to agree with most of the stuff you say.
Marissa Santana
ReplyDeleteIn response to Keiosha, I completely agree with her. To think that people bully others just about how they look or what they wear is just completely ignorant and rude. I don’t think that people should bully others because they don’t know exactly what is going on in their life at the time or they don’t know what they have gone through. To hear that you have been bullied for stupid reasons is crazy, and to hear that the people don’t have anything nice to say. People are just so insecure that they have to look at other people so that they don’t focus on their own flaws.
In response to Sheala that bullying is a waste of time, what is the point of doing it. No one is gaining anything by someone else bullying him or her. This to me is a lose, lose situation and no one is happy in the end. The person that is being bullied is hurting and the person who is bulling still has their very own insecurities. If you have nothing nice to say then don’t say anything at all is the golden rule and I think that others should live up to that. Like I said in my blog post people need to be the solution and not the problem.
In response to Shymel:
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Shymel. I agree when he says that the internet and social networking make bullying worse than previous decades. Back in the day bullies had to actually come up to you and physically confront. Now people can hide behind the computer screen and be especially mean to people. I also agree when he says that bullying is a very hard thing to prevent and even harder to stop.
In response to Marissa:
I agree with Marissa. I like how she notes how sad it is that bullying causes people to commit suicide. I agree when she says that "I believe that a person is only a bully so that they can make their self look better around others." I agree when she says that people need to stand up and help people who victimized in order to stop bullying.
In response to Darnell and Leon: I agree with Darnell. Bullying has become a very HUGE problem lately. And so has suicide. Suicide really shouldn’t be taken lightly. Kids being bullied can’t just shut out the bully. I think that’s what Leon doesn’t realize. It just builds up so much that the bullied just wants to end it all. Sure the bully wins. But they really don’t. Because of their actions, the bully will have a life over their head. Some people can’t take the fact that they killed someone, or their actions have killed someone. Many soldiers face this everyday. They can’t sustain that they took a life. So in my opinion, bullies are like soldiers. Their actions end up taking lives. It’s just something that many people fail to grasp.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Leon:
ReplyDeleteLike my mama always told me "If someone hits you, you betta hit them back!" People will only take being abused for so long before they have to take matters into their own hands. So I totally agree with you. Eventually, you're either going to learn how to man up or stay a punk for the rest of your life. But being in America (or anywhere else) being passive doesn't get you anywhere... BUT LAST PLACE.
In response to Shaundrana:
YES MA'AM!!!! When you get tired of someone pushing you around all the time, in may culture, you have no other choice but to rebel back. I mean isn't that what America was founded on in the first place? Britain bullied the colonists so we stood up for ourselves, if we hadn't we still would've been pushed over by a little island of a country.
YO KENNETHEA I AGREE WITH YOU DOE.
DeleteAnyway, yeah, agreed. People eventually have to take matters into their own hands at some point and seek professional help. You can only ask your friends for help so many times before your problems end up being the same problem over and over again. I am willing to help people that need it, but when it gets to the point you are going on for hours about how so and so treated you for MONTHS, at that point I have my own problems to deal with, and I cannot put you above myself in that sense.
Also want to note that while unfortunately being passive is a crime to America I guess, being an overly ridiculous person that takes everything aggressively should be in last place to. Because it is those people who have the craziest beliefs, and we can see how that has worked out for people in government positions lately. :v
In response to Amanda: I agree that no one deserves to be bullied. These kids need to realize that what they are doing and saying is affecting another kids life. I think that kids need to be aware of the fact that they are making someone feel so low that they would rather be dead than alive. And most teachers are doing nothing about bullying in school which doesn’t make the problem any better. If the people who are supposed to help prevent bullying are not fully onboard the anti bullying then maybe we should try a different approach.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Aireanna:
ReplyDeleteI agree with your outlook on instances where bullying is not taking place and kids are just playing around. In this effort to stop bullying that should be kept in mind, people in places of authority who are going to be the ones to call out students who are bullying others should make sure that they’re not picking on the wrong students or making a big deal out of every little situation but are instead using discernment to comment and take action in the situations where action is needed. That way more problems won’t be created through trying to solve one.
In response to Tatiana:
I agree with you sometimes we as humans get clouded with one thing, jump on that bandwagon and shut ourselves out to what else is going on around us. I recently watched a lifetime movie about a girl who committed suicide after an incident where a nude picture that she sent to her boyfriend was forwarded to kids her age throughout her whole community, and got into the hands of adults that she looked up to. She was bullied mercilessly for one simple mistake and took her life because of it. People can be cruel and tend not to show forgiveness to people’s actions in a host of situations, so everyone needs to be thought of when it comes to bullying.
Brianna Corbitt
ReplyDeleteIn response to Maggie, I can relate to what she said. Bullying is becoming a growing epidemic with no cure. For some of these people, coming out with their sexuality was a task and obviously something that they didn't want broadcasted. It's sad to know that people can't even be themselves publicly out of fear of being judged by peers. Maggie said people should know that there is always somewhere to go. I completely agree with this because of regardless of how hard seems to be, taking their lives won't help the sitaution. The only thing suicide is doing is causing grief for their parents and their entire family. Of course the family will blame themselves for not 'doing enough.' No one should have to go through something like that.
In response to Monica, I agree and disagree. I agree with the fact that bullying has definitely changed over the years. When I was in elementary and middle school, bullying never escalated to where it does now. I don't think children back then would ever consider suicide for one reason. The bullying was never as serious as it is now. Bullying to us back then was taking lunch money or lunch. Today, bullying means posting personal videos all over social networks. Then again, technology wasn't as big of a deal like it is today. Instead of seeing each other in person, it's always "fackbook me" or 'find me on twitter." I do disagree however with the idea of kids talking about their bullying problems with their parents. Although parents would love to hear that their children are comfortable telling them everything, that usually isn't the case. I know I wouldn't want my mom coming up to school for any issues that I'm having with my peers (especially bullying.) The bullying would just get worst before it gets better after a parent is involved. Really...what could a parent do that would be different than anyone else? EXCEPT get the kid transferred to a different school?
Response to Lee: I get what you're saying throughout this response, but I would like to address/analyze/talk about/question the last few sentences that you wrote. Specifically: “In short, I disagree with the general consensus, and believe that if we encourage the weak, they can overcome the strong, as opposed to encouraging the strong to stfu..... Also, I'd like to establish and bring attention to the parallel between war on bullying and war on terrorism. Largely futile. Statement.” Before I get into this, I want to make sure you understand that just because I'm questioning the way you worded this or whatever, doesn't mean I don't like or respect what you're saying, 'cause definitely do... I'm mostly questioning you so I can understand what you're saying a little more in depth, does that make sense? So first of all, I thought you were saying “we should encourage weakness” instead of “encouraging the people who are weak” which I thought was kindof funny because that's the opposite of what you were trying to say. Anyway I think that it's not just encouraging the weak like you think we should be doing, and not just encouraging the “strong” to stfu like the “general consensus” says... But maybe there is a happy medium. I think that there is a certain way of living, a certain way of treating people, a certain state of mind, that if applied to, and in situations both involving, weak and strong people, the effect would be the disappearance of these levels of “strength”. My next question is how and why you define the “bullies” as “strong”. In some cases they are, some cases not so much, but I was curious what you were thinking in this regard. To your last statement, I just LOVE a good analogy/comparison. That was brilliant. These wars on bullying and terrorism are so similar in so many ways, and I give you a lot of credit/respect/props/whatever for thinking of this. I think these are wars against intangible things that lay deep within the somewhat unexplored areas of the brain/subconscious. These are wars against ideas, against concepts, against misunderstandings, against ignorance/lack of well rounded education on certain subjects, against state's of mind, against ways of life... and those things are all very intangible; something that humans are not very good at addressing. A war against a dictator: find the necessary person/persons responsible for the conflict and deal with them. But a war against an idea? How do you locate an idea? How do you really understand the idea? What else must be done to efficiently get everyone to that place/state of mind where there don't have to be any levels of “strength and weakness”, where everybody and everything just... is. Sorry I'm sure half of that didn't make a BIT of sense, but I hope you get what I'm saying and that I'm really questioning you so I can understand more in depth of what you were saying.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Leah: I put my response to Leah on the previous blog
Olivia and Maegan: In response to Nautica, Kennethea, Leon, Shaundrana, Roberto, and Jessica. We completely disagree with what you guys are saying. That boy Seth was bullied for FOUR YEARS STRAIGHT, form 4th grade to 7th grade, and it never stopped. Absolutely none of us know what that feels like. To actually feel in your mind that being dead is better than being alive? To be afraid to walk home? It doesn't just take one bully to make someone that afraid, it takes many. Seth was past the point of standing up for himself. Imagine standing up to a large group of people that hated you for nothing. Imagine the things they would say, because they obviously didn't care how they made you feel. They were intending to hurt you. Most of us have been bullied at some point in our life, but obviously not to the extent that Seth had been. I read an article about him online, and I wanted to cry for this boy. Before he even came out about being gay, he was harassed for it. The way he dressed, the way he acted, everything about him he was bullied for. It states in this article that as he was simply walking by a classroom, not even his own, some kid yelled out the door 'Queer'. Unless that severe level of bullying happened to you, I don't get how people can say 'stand up for yourself' and blah blah blah, because when your put through that kind of torture everyday, you have a breaking point. And this boy clearly reached his.
ReplyDeleteASIA VANDERVEEN
ReplyDeleteIn Response to Elexus . It is super sad to hear that these boys took their own life due to bullying . People fail to realize that just because your are not putting your hands on them,causing physical harm to them makes everything thing. Words do hurt, and they can change the whole mindset of people, causing them to well. . . Kill themselves. Its terrible that people have to downgrade another to make their own selves feel better . Little comments can hurt, especially if the person is insecure already .
In response to Chelse, I agree with you 100% . Those little things do add up. I enjoyed the cancer simile you used, things get bigger, bigger and bigger. Bullying is any form of act or saying that hurts someone. The bully victim is a ticking time bomb waiting to happen, and unfortnately when they kill themselves is the boom. Its sad that others can't cheer one another on, instead we get hatred, and people belittling other people for being different. I absolutly agree with your statement that bullies feel so low about themselves they have to bring them down with them.
Matt Sieber-Ford's response to the article made me think. The middle school and high school years of someones life are very formative stages of life, it is essentially the transfer from child to adult and what occurs during those years can influence a person's development greatly. I agree with his point that bullying can be vary from person to person depending on their past experiences or mental state. I myself have, at times, inadvertently bullied people because what I thought was simply a joke that neither they nor I took seriously, they thought of as a personal insult. Since I am fairly thick skinned when it comes to teasing I generally shrug or laugh off remarks but I falsely assume that all others are like myself but that is not the case at all. In this regard it seems very difficult to pinpoint bullying. Like Matt I think the only way to try and prevent bullying is spreading awareness because it seems that much of bullying comes from a lack of understanding between the perpetrator and the victim.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Alex Brumfield's statement for the most part, although I don't really think there is such a thing as mental bullying I can see the point your trying to make. Everyone has opinions about everyone around them whether they know the other person or not. usually if we don't know a person its much easier to find reasons to hate them. Think about it, when during any given day, are you standing behind someone in line or walking by someone and mentally compliment them? Probably never, we usually focus on hating someone we don't know. So, like Matt stated it requires awareness and understanding to actually do something significant about bullying.