Words Hurt

Over the past month, there have been 2 suicides where I live, both stemming from bullying. One was someone I had actually gone to middle school with, and another would have been a senior this year at my old high school. And while I may not have been close to either of them, it’s still shocking to hear these things, and my heart goes out to the family and friends of both of them.

This of course leads me to a topic that I’m very passionate about: bullying. I think everyone has at least witnessed the bullying of someone else if not actually involved in the bullying. The victim could be picked on for a variety of reasons, such as homosexuality or maybe some sort of disability, or there could be absolutely no reason at all. I’ve seen people get picked on for being “odd” or “weird,” but I can guarantee you that the people who picked on them never took the chance to actually know them, never took a chance to find out how great these people can be.

Bullying isn’t just pushing people into lockers or beating the crap out of them. Bullying includes hateful things being said to the person, to their face, behind their backs, online. Bullying nowadays is more painful emotionally than it is physically. Don’t tell yourself otherwise, and don’t tell yourself that emotional pain isn’t nearly as bad as physical pain.

Words hurt, guys. People may brush things off in front of other people, act like it doesn’t bother them, but you know what? It does, but you’ll never know that if the person doesn’t let you see that. Don’t ever just assume that a victim of bullying is okay and not hurt by the nasty, cruel things that are said to and about them. You never know when someone you may have gone to school with will decide to end their own lives because they can’t take the pain anymore.

So I just want to ask you to help stop bullying. Stand up for someone that’s getting picked on. Try to be friends with the victim and find out just how amazing a person they really are. Don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t let people tell you not to talk to someone. Think about how your actions, however “funny” or “cool” they might seem during that moment, will affect someone down the road. Try to save a life please. That’s all I’m asking for.