Fight the Bullying Problem with Lady Gaga and Me

After reading this story about a rock group intimidating and using scare tactics on high school students in Iowa, I decided to put this post together. It's time for us all to speak up.

Bullying and discriminating are unacceptable. Always have been, always will be.

It doesn't matter why the bully is bullying, be it race or religion or sexuality or a speech impediment or above-average IQ or socio-economic status or that the kid just looks funny or any other reason.

Bullying is wrong.

Props to Lady Gaga for speaking up and denouncing bullying. I may not consider myself one of her "monsters", but I fully support her message of tolerance and acceptance and self-worth.

Celebrities shouldn't and can't be the only ones fighting social issues.

Especially since it's the day-to-day people around us that are the victims of bullying.
And often those being bullied can't stand up for themselves.

When bullying isn't stopped, the consequences can be tragic.

The documentary film Bully comes out at the end of this month (March 30, 2012) and offers a glimpse into the heartbreak of those being bullied, as well as just how terribly things can turn out when bullying goes unchecked for too long.

Speaking of Bully, my friend Damian said, "I believe this will be a movie worth watching. Sometimes it's important to watch something even if it has an R rating." I completely agree.

This film needs to be seen and talked about. I especially hope schools show it to their students, because they are often the ones who need it the most.

But I hope that everyone sees Bully, even if we're out of school and past our awkward teen years and college. Whether we already have kids or maybe someday will, this viewpoint is important to be mindful of in their lives, so that hopefully they are never on either the bullied or bullying side of the equation.

Let's all think about how our actions can affect others for better or for worse.

And let's fight the bullying problem by educating and speaking up.