How To Recognize A Bullying Apologist

With my recent Amanda Todd posts, I have had a lot of experience in this area. Some of these poor and misguided comments don't ever have a clue of what they are talking about and fail to realize that they are the problem. Not the solution. Their very words show that not much has changed in this world and that is what makes them sad.

Bullying apologists make the follow statements or feel this way:

1. They deserved to get bullied! Because of the way they dressed/acted/talked/looked/things they said/pictures/behavior/attention "whoring"

So someone deserves to be harassed because they smoked cigarettes, slept with more people than YOU  think is appropriate (slut shaming), looked different, held a different opinion, or made a bad decision one time. The question is, who are YOU to stand in judge of such behavior? Many of these pathetic attempts of apology make sure that the person who is being bullied welcomed it because of the things that they did and said.

Even if you believe in your heart that a person needs to be "put in their place" or "put in line" for the things that they have done, who determines what is a good punishment? Society? The persons that were offended? In Amanda Todd's case, many said that she acted in promiscuous ways. So what is the proper "punishment" for that? Who determines how LONG a person should have to deal with these consequences set up by people? How long was Amanda Todd bullied? Why did it continue even after her parents decided to move? What makes people think that they should stand in judgment of others? What in the world makes you think that you have that right to decide just when and where the bullying should stop?

If someone is the biggest attention whore in the world, who cares? Let them be. If someone has slept with 5, 10, 20, 100 guys/girls...it's only the business of those people. Who are you to legislate just who she is and what she does? How would you like it if I took certain things you aren't proud of in your life and tormented you day and night for it? You would hate it!

When those children sat there and filmed themselves bullying an old lady that was simply a monitor on the school bus, they thought that they were pretty funny. They thought that they were on top of the world denigrating another human being like that. But when the news story leaked and somehow people learned where these children lived, the bullying wasn't so fun when they began receiving death threats. In fact these children and their families were down right scared. Rightfully so.

The shoe isn't so great on the other foot after all, is it? That's why I say for those of you that continue this Amanda Todd tormenting, you're going to get what you deserve...and I would hate to be you....

Many of the people that complained didn't know her personally and decided to bully her from afar. So who gets to determine when she's had enough? Some of you in the comments section I guess have become the right hand of God. You are still debating about her life, even when she is now long gone. You better hope that one day you are not tormented in the same way. Or your own children. Wow. I would really hate to be some of you.


2. Targets or Victims of bullying deserve it because they didn't stand up for themselves so they must be guilty.

This is also a common excuse. The guilty use this as an excuse to try to cover their tracks and deflect responsibility. You can put a stop to bullying by just not doing it. Worry about yourself and what you're doing.

3. Everyone gets bullied.

This is the problem right here. Sure everyone gets teased for something here and there but some children/people are singled out for exceptionally cruel behavior. Some are subjected to physical violence. I used to be teased for having a big nose but I was never punched in the face for it, called out of my name because of it, or any other dangerous behavior that could cause someone to want to take their lives.

4. People who commit suicide are just weak anyway. It was going to happen either way. 

No people who commit suicide aren't weak. They don't have the right coping skills. That can run the gamut from people. Some people find themselves in incredibly desperate situations at times and people whose judgement is cloudy can turn to suicide because they see no way out at the time. It takes a lot of courage to end your own life when everything the body does is try to support life in any way that it can.  Many people think about killing themselves but only a percentage succeed.

5. It's a part of life. Just deal with it. 

So is racism, sexism, homophobia, religious intolerance, classism, ableism, and all the other -isms in the world. Does it make it right? OF COURSE IT DOESN'T! That's the problem. These people/children do not know how to deal with it. That's why many of them decide to end their lives. This isn't an argument. None of these examples are.

I hope those of you that just love to bully others don't live in glass houses as you throw stones. When you find someone else outside your house throwing those stones, my advice is to....DUCK and get really really good insurance.

Comments