And just as we’re saying goodbye to eighth-grader Asher Brown, who shot himself in the head after enduring anti-gay bullying at school, comes word fellow 13-year-old Seth Walsh died after 10 days on life support following a hanging attempt.
The Tehachapi, California teen spent the last few years being tormented by classmates at Jacobsen Middle School. He made it only two weeks into the current school year before being transferred to an independent study program.
Last Sunday, Sept. 19, he was found unconscious and not breathing after apparently trying to hang himself from a tree branch. He was airlifted to a local hospital, where he remained on life support until this afternoon, where he died surrounded by family. He leaves behind his grandmother Judy Walsh, mother Wendy Walsh, and three siblings, ages 11, 17, and 18. Police, meanwhile, say they cannot prosecute any of the kids responsible for his torment, since school bullying is not a crime. (“Several of the kids that we talked to broke down into tears,” says Tehachapi Police Chief Jeff Kermode. “They had never expected an outcome such as this.”)
His death follows Brown’s suicide in Texas, and 15-year-old Billy Lucas in Indiana. Like Walsh, Lucas hanged himself after enduring relentless teasing and torment inside the walls of his school.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
There will be a memorial service on Friday at 3:30pm at the Tehachapi First Baptist Church.
Go tell your sons and daughters, your brothers and sisters, your friends … that you love them. And then tell Kevin Jennings, President’s Obama always-silent safe school czar and the founder of GLSEN, to start speaking the fuck up.
[Above, a YouTube tribute to Seth from what appears to be his sister. It includes the caption, “He wonderful this picture is because he’s so happy 🙂 I am too because I know he will be back. … He will wake up we all know it.”]
Mike
That was weird.
nelson
My condolences to the family, and congratulations to Focus on the Family: you have murdered another innocent child. Jesus would be so proud.
Ian
Where are this generations leaders to loudly and publicly decry these vile crimes against these children? After mourning we should be taking to the streets in fury that schools STILL choose to ignore harrassment of gay teens just because they are gay.
unclemike
This makes me equal parts furious and heartbroken.
This bullshit has got to stop.
kenny
This is ridiculous when are these stupid fucks gonna wake up? By these stupid fucks I am referring to these schools the teachers the idiots who could easily create an LGBT protection clause in all the schools across this nation .*sighs* RIP Seth yet ANOTHER senseless loss to this world may you Asher and every other kid teenager even young adults who has been tormented and put through so much suffering and grief finally find the peace that you all deserve 🙁
If these cowardly bullies continue to get off scotfree without any repercussions for their actions they are never gonna learn or wake the hell up.I grieve for both Asher and Seths family enough is enough America the time for change is NOW.Should have happened a long ass time ago .
Diana
I am thankful to God that my son made it through middle school and high school and being gay. I feel so sad for these families and for the people that let these children down. May these children rest in peace in a better place.
papparon
This is the second tragedy of this type that I have seen today – first Asher Brown and now Seth Walsh. It is beyond a tragedy! It is shameful.
Even worse, though is knowing that there may be many more unnamed and innocent children are out there who are suffering just as badly as these kids have – what will we do for THEM?
Sadly, if we continue to do as a society what we have done so far, then they are all doomed. As gays, we should be even more ashamed and stop worrying so much about our mascara and start taking responsibility for our own fate!
McMike
Is there nothing we can do to stop this? NOM and others have declared war and it appears they’ll stop at nothing to murder our children.
If I could pick up a gun and fight this war I would easily give my life for it. LGBT youth are dying at an alarming rate and we have these “good Christians” wanting to make sure it stays this way.
Ian
@McMike: There is an organization that is the antithesis of the current HRC, which protests in some ways in the old ACT-UP style. They were interviewed on Rachel Maddow a month back discussing HRC’s distancing from DADT protests, but frustratingly I can’t remember the name of the group.
Colly1
I haven’t heard anything about Seth or Asher is Australia. How very sad. Why does this happen? Because people of low moral character enforce their judgements on others to try to make themselves look better. How weak is that? And even more tragic is that they teach their children to be that weak too.
At least there is some peace for Seth & Asher, sitting at the right hand of God in truth and love.
My love to their families.
missanthrope
“There is an organization that is the antithesis of the current HRC, which protests in some ways in the old ACT-UP style.”
They’re called GetEqual.
Chuck
Poor little angel. This needs to get more media attention. Let’s replace some of the fat ass, old Tea Partiers constantly on television with some of our own who are dying because of mean people. Words do matter.
Ian
@McMike: I had to do some serious internet digging & memory jogging to come up w/ the organization I was thinking of before. It’s GetEQUAL. They are a pro-active group for gay rights and more info can be found at http://getequal.org/
Ian
@missanthrope: Oops, saw your post after I already posted #13. Thanks for the info though. If they have a march in my area around this horrible issue as to what keeps being allowed to happen to these gay kids I will definitely join in.
papparon
Guys, this isn’t going to go away by itself. Please get active! It is not enough to wait until some “opportunity” of a march or rally to present itself. Do something TODAY – post your feelings about Asher and Seth on your Facebook, MySpace (or whatever) page to tell the world that you are fed up with it.
Then TOMORROW call your Senators and Representatives and tell THEM you are fed up with it – but most of all, if you believe in what organizations like Get Equal or HRC are doing, then send them MONEY and as much as you can afford – they really need financing to fight the battle ahead, and if that is the best you can do, then do it well and with PRIDE for those who have given their lives in the process.
Steve
What happened to the idea that the internet has saved gay kids from isolation? Obviously this kid, Billy Lucas, and Asher Brown found no solace online.
When I was growing up, there was a “gay hotline” that anyone could call for any reason to get referrals, information about the gay community, or just to talk. The hotline was staffed by volunteers and they tried to keep it open 7 days a week. Why can’t we set up a website with real live people ready to talk and help? Something like that might have made a difference in these cases. Can’t we take just a little of the money that we waste on HRC and set up a gay youth support site?
Casper_O
There is such a hotline.
It is called the Trevor Project, and it is a good cause.
Keep donating and keep spreading, and all of you who do not actively support an organization are actively passive.
Steve
Casper-O:
You are right. There is the Trevor Project. So what could have been done to get these 3 kids to reach out rather than harm themselves? All three of them were online. All three of them were self-aware and savvy enough to be out at 13. A google search and a phone call could have brought them some help and support. Telephone and online help is not a substitute for the real thing, but it would have been a start.
CONVERSATION CHAMBER
So much for this supposedly “gay accepting” youth movement that so many like to perpetuate. From the sounds of it, not a whole lot has changed in schools (in terms of gay bullying and anti-gay sentiment) since I was their age 15-20 yrs. ago.
ewe
It just dawned on me that perhaps there are many many young people who come to this website and read our comments. If so i would like to say that we are the same as them and also ask them to not give too much credence to my nasty comments. I say rotten things out of anger sometimes. More importantly is how all of these teenagers are accepting who they are. I hope Queerty promotes them sharing their feelings on any personal topic they need to discuss. I am not sure if things are even worse then when i grew up or just more reported.
drums
Yet another tragic story in a long string of tragic stories.
The part that really struck me was the quote from the police chief, who said “Several of the kids that we talked to broke down into tears. They had never expected an outcome such as this.” It’s such an obviousred flag for the way the education system has completely failed Seth Walsh and all the other kids in the school. The kids are obviously ignorant about bullying, haven’t been taught the least thing about empathy or acceptance of difference, and live in a culture that fosters hate. The only permanent way to fix this terrfying problem is to change the system itself. Sure, we could punish bullies on a case-by-case basis, but there’s a way to make it so that people don’t become bullies in the first place. Too bad the legislaters in charge don’t seem to care at all. Until they make the necessary systemic changes, LGBTQ kids (and fat kids and skinny kids and visible minority kids and nerdy kids and dumb kids and kids with disabilities and and and) will continue to die.
Fitz
It’s just so awful because almost every happy, loved, successful, sexy gay man that I know remembers being unloved and untouchable and hopeless as a teen.. I wish that there was some magic way to assure these kids that it really does get better. And I wish that there was way for us to ‘mentor’ or reach out in a way that didn’t seem predatory. I honestly don’t want to screw a teen, but I would love to take one to lunch and give him or her a boost in the arm.
Hypocrites (John from England)
@drums:
Your first taste of indoctrination is at home, which is where the concept of empathy can be built or developed or stopped.
And then it’s off to school where you are armed with so much baggage god knows what the road will be…
I’m not saying the system can’t change because it can and should do but having worked in a school as a mentor, there is nothing worse then when all your hard work is undone by crazy parents.
Dan
http://www.thetrevorproject.org
866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7683)
Ellen
Rest in Peace Seth. You are in a much better world than us now.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
When the fuck do we reach the tipping point where we say enough is fucking enough???
If those little scumbags taunted a Black kid, a Hispanic kid, an Asian kid or any other minority you can be damm sure this matter would have been resolved before this little guy got so dispondent that he felt no alternative but to end his life.
Take some fucking action. Send a donation to Tom Emmer’s opponent and then send a notice to Emmer and explain that you will continue work as hard as possible to make sure politicians who refuse to back measures to include Gay kids in protection acts will be defeated. If there are groups or individuals lobbying against protections for Gay kids in your area get involved and do something……….
If you have any kind of contact with a kid you think may be Gay, your own, family members, friends etc. make sure they are enrolled in self defense classes. I have posted numerous times about my friend Kyle who was a tiny queenly little boy who was a fourth degree black belt. Many times we watched with both glee and pride as he slammed bullies twice his size on their vile fat asses………..
Seth, rest in peace…..Am sure Matthew Sheppard was there to welcome you into heaven………..
Cam
So the kids who bullied him to death cried and said that they didn’t think this would happen. how dissappointing for those little bastards, that they didn’t have their punching bag anymore.
So the police say that bullying isn’t a crime? What a load…assault is a crime, stalking is a crime, harrassment is a crime, but then again I wouldn’t expect anything better out of Tehatchepi.
gina
School districts and administrators must be held accountable for tolerance of bullying. Too much lip service given to these issues (there is a lot of talk about ‘zero tolerance’ but little thought as to why the bullying continues) and not enough consequences. The children who do bullying should be the ones who have to go into independent study, not the victims. They are the ones with the severe emotional issues (even if they get good grades and come from “good” homes) but that’s not how schools deal with it. The bullied student is the one with the problem.
Elaine
How is this hatred going to stop? It has to start with the government. There is too much hate crime in the US. The laws have to change for gays lesbians period. We are people too! Get the old white farts out of the government. And its not just hatred towards gay teens in the US its every gay/lesbian person in the US. Something has to change in the US towards all gays lesbians. We pay taxes and we have the same colour money is everyone else! Its a little better in Canada. Thank god I dont live in the US.
hannah
Its very sad that gays cannot be treated as equals. And for a boy this young to be literally harrassed to death is even sadder. Also, its not just gays that endure school harrassment, you could be a geek or just not fit in at all. Something needs to be done.
abby
The thing that gets me is that 99% of kids who get bullied for being gay aren’t even gay. It’s just become so socially acceptable to bully using the “gay” card because there are so many homophobes in this world. And I bet that schools don’t want to address the problem because the gay issue is so tied up with the religion issue that schools don’t want to appear to “sympathize” with gay people. It’s sick and disturbing. Most people would rather sit back and watch someone get bullied and commit suicide becuase they think being gay is worse that being a bully. Bullying needs to stop and if a kid bullies they should be suspended or expelled from school and sent to a child therapist. If bullying isn’t stopped early, it will just continue on into their adult life. We all know it’s true. I can also guarantee you that those kids who cried for Seth will go right on bullying once it becomes history to them – say, in about two weeks.
abby
The thing that gets me is that 99% of kids who get bullied for being gay aren’t even gay. It’s just become so socially acceptable to bully using the “gay” card because there are so many homophobes in this world. And I bet that schools don’t want to address the problem because the gay issue is so tied up with the religion issue that schools don’t want to appear to “sympathize” with gay people. It’s sick and disturbing. Most people would rather sit back and watch someone get bullied and commit suicide becuase they think being gay is worse than being a bully. Bullying needs to stop and if a kid bullies they should be suspended or expelled from school and sent to a child therapist. If bullying isn’t stopped early, it will just continue on into their adult life. We all know it’s true. I can also guarantee you that those kids who cried for Seth will go right on bullying once it becomes history to them – say, in about two weeks.
cwlangleyNYC
I have personally saved 3 young people, 2-13 yr olds and 1-15 yr old who were sitting at their computer making one final attempt to reach out for help, and they IM’d me. In all 3 cases, which were a few years apart, all 3 of them started out by saying, “I think I’m gay but I’m only 13 (15), will you talk to me?” They were amazed when I said “YES, I WILL.” and then I made it clear, “I won’t talk about sex with you. I won’t send you naked pictures and don’t want any from you. I won’t have cybersex with you, but if you’re looking for someone to discuss your feelings about being gay, I WILL TALK TO YOU.” They had tried to talk to numerous other people previously, but had been turned away for fear of being entrapped by police pretending to be teens. One had already begun cutting his arm with a razor blade, another had 3 bottles of pills and a glass of water, and the third had a knife but hadn’t started using it yet. I didn’t know about their intentions to kill themselves until several months later in each case, when each of them thanked me for not turning them away and just talking to them and caring enough to listen. Their parents or ministers or teachers were all telling them how bad being homosexual was, and how they were going to burn in hell if they were gay. They just wanted to be reassured that they weren’t alone in this big world, and that there would be happier times ahead if they prevailed, and someone to talk to about their feelings. But NO ONE WOULD TALK TO THEM… and they felt alone and isolated!
One mother reached out to me on the internet and needed someone to talk to because she was pretty sure her son was gay and needed someone to discuss it with. Another 16 year old had been put into the hospital by his father when he told his parents he was gay, and found me on a website when he got home, and needed someone to talk to about where he could turn for help. I looked up the PFLAG phone number in his area and he contacted them along with his mother, as well as the Trevor Project.
I know there are predators out there, who take advantage of young people, but when these kids reach out to us, be prepared to know what to do. Know where to direct them for help. Don’t just turn them away or you are just as guilty as the bullies of contributing to the problem!
cwlangleyNYC
This just in…. Gay Freshman college student in New Jersey secretly taped and broadcast having sex by his roommate kills himself by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. http://bit.ly/apiA3V Another form of bullying…..
Kelly
This is a huge tragedy and it will continue until we as a society stop it.
My son is now in fifth grade and has been bullied since second grade for being “gay” because he is interested in activities socially stero-typed as female. His school despite numerous complaints refuses to admit there is a problem. At home we love him and encourage him to continue to express himself as he is.
My point is that a second grader does not learn that kind of hatred for “gay” people on their own. Society teaches our children to hate. Parents pass on their fears and hatred to their children. We need to teach our children love and tolerance and stop teaching hate.
Doc
Give these kids a chance! The Trevor Project can help.
http://www.thetrevorproject.org/investors/ways-give
Save a life today…..
John Collier
There seem to have been an unusual number of cases of this sort recently, but perhaps it is just the reporting. I wrote an article some time ago based on my experiences in Canada and Australia (also Indiana, but I don’t have the statistics to back it up) as a counselor on LGBT help lines and related research that argued that the rights of LGBT students in the classroom trumped the rights of parents to not have the issues raised in public education. Back then (mid 90s) 30% of teen suicides with cause identified involved issues over LGBT identity. Also, something that I worked with especially in Australia through teenage volunteers, 30% of street kids left or were thrown out of their homes over sexual identity issues. I leave readers to do the numbers.
I am now in South Africa, and though there are different issues, and (poverty, residual racism) I do not think things are different here.
It seems that things have not improved in the US as much as I had hoped, and resistance to broad sex education an anti-bullying initiatives are still widely opposed by parents.
I say to parents — get a life of your own — the rights of your children supersede your rights to control them.
Educators — you have no right to let your personal beliefs interfere with your obligations to provide an environment that allows ALL of your students to flourish.
I guess it is time to start writing again on this issue.
John from Durban
Stuart Van Dyke
This absolutely BREAKS MY HEART! This kind of BS has GOT TO STOP!!! Rest in peace Seth… Love, -me
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
To those scumbags who felt the need to give a thumbsdown to my post up there urging action to help prevent absolute horrors like Seth’s death from happening again: Fuck off you vile assholes……..
Mysanthropic Destiny
This isn’t wright. Since when is just being who you are and not harming anyone out of it justification for social rejection? All those kids who teased him won’t even give a crap, but instead find it as a justification for their taunting.
This is what most religions and right wing conservatism try to preserve.
There’s a hole in the world.
WickedGlitter
So on top of having to bury their children these families are being lied to by the very people who are paid to protect us. What a fucking outrage! Anyone who takes it upon themselves to work with children in any capacity is legally responsible for their safety. Anyone who worked at that school and allowed this child to be viciously attacked verbally or physically and did nothing to stop it needs to be prosecuted. There are laws here that are being broken, and if the prosecuting attorneys in these cases refuse to press charges then they can be fired or prosecuted as well. Those people are getting way with these crimes because they know that these families do not know the law. This is especially true in your smaller towns where everyone knows one another. They stick together, and are literally murdering children who are not part of their clique. It’s not just children who are percieved as gay either. It can be any child. My son has a mild form of autism, and he was bullied to the point where I had to quit my job, and volunteer at the school to ensure his safety. During those years I saw horrific acts of bullying. What I saw was a pattern of the popular kids tormenting the children who were different in anyway. The teachers, and administraters knew, but didn’t care because they liked these children. So these children learned very quickly from the adults in charge that they could get away with murder if they knew how to play the game.
bullyalarmgirl
The weirdest thing is that a Dutch study says these bullies really want friends, but are too socially inept to know how to get them. Additionally, they say a large number of bullies are sociopaths, destined for prison in the future. Sadly, schools have no ability to handle these guys any better than their parents. Parents are in denial, hoping the bully/child will somehow get better. Unfortunately, they get worse.
Billy Lucas, Asher Brown, Seth Walsh and others are bullied and called Gay whether their sexual orientation is even yet known. They are so young; so gone. One of the best reasons against starting your child in school early, is that he/she is already going to be a year smaller and a year less in social development, and therefore even less likely to be able to defend against bullying.
http://BullyAlarm.us is the best place to put schools on official alert that bullying is occurring, by whom and to whom. This way the school officials can’t claim they had no knowledge, as they did in the case of Billy Lucas. Schools are really letting these kids down.
cwlangleyNYC
I subscribe to the daily emails from the OneNewsNow division of the American Family Association. (keep your friends close, and your enemies closer!) This morning’s email infuriated me because they viciously attacked the Maine Human Rights Commission for forcing 2 schools in Maine to recognize a child’s desire to identify as transgendered and her parents for defending her. On a daily basis, they spew forth hate-filled messages to their millions of religious subscribers encouraging them to spread it to their churches and communities. This organization along with the “Focus on the Family” organization have done more than any other groups over the years to instill hatred and intolerance across America, and it’s time we stood up and said, “Enough is enough!”
This morning, I sent the following email to their editor in chief:
********************************
Oct. 4, 2010
Don’t you religious, self righteous bigots realize that the blood of all 6 of the youth who ended their own lives in the past few weeks falls directly and squarely on YOUR SHOULDERS? You sit in your ivory towers, with divorce, adultery, male on female violence and rape, going on all around you, most of it in your ultra religious congregations, and you don’t have anything better to do than to target gay people?
If only you knew the Bible as well as you think you do. God and Jesus was much more concerned about being judgmental of your fellow man, and failing to love one another, which was actually the sins of Sodom & Gomorrha, not that they were homosexual.
STOP KILLING CHILDREN WITH YOUR HATEFUL RHETORIC!You know you’re just doing it for the money it sucks into your coffers from the misguided sheeple who believe your crap. People who can think for themselves ignored you long ago, which is why you are so dangerous. You need to be stopped, before one more innocent child blows his brains out because his misguided religious parents love you more than they love him.
STOP
***********************************
We can no longer afford to stand idly by as these hate mongers continue to attack us from all sides. It’s time for us to become vocal and put the blame for this senseless bullying and anti-gay hysteria squarely on the shoulders of organizations such as these and hold them accountable for these deaths and suicides. GET MAD PEOPLE! We have to be as invested in our causes as they are!
Seths older sister
My little brother didnt deserve to die, I know exactly what he went trough because im going through it still im 16 and have been bullyed for my sexsuality for years but I had someone there to help me seth didnt he was along and I blame myself for not being there to help him and now hes gone and ill never get to meet the little brother I never had so whatch what you say because you could be holding someones life in your hands…. I love u little brother.
Aussie Col
The passing of Seth was a very sad tragedy that diminished the light of the world, and diminished each and every human being.
The sadness felt by you and your family must be unsurmountable, as would be the anger at the woeful comments left here.
I marvel at your personal strength to inject some authentic truths into the ‘discussions’ and to share your love for your brother. Thank you.
I hope you have also been able to see the wonderful comments from decent people, that also expressed sadness, and anger about the situation; as well as love and compassion for Seth.
I’d like to help you dispel any doubts that the poisonous comments may have raised;
As for the religious arguments; these people do not know the Bible, or if they do they choose to ignore the words of Jesus and should read the Parable of the weeds & the Parable of the last judgement. They ignore the ‘Golden rule’ which directs that you should do nothing to another that you which you would hate done to you.
The people that bullied your brother were mainly weak minded peer followers who were thoughtless and did a very bad thing. That’s sad truth; good people sometimes do bad things and in this case they did the worst; they didn’t care for Seth as a person and as one of God’s beautiful creations; they abandoned him.
People do care, some people are decent, they want to share your pain – but can’t. I’ve been very moved by this and hope that I can keep Seth’s life alive in people’s memory, by sharing the story with as many people I can and keeping him, you and your family in my heart and prayers.
I want you to keep strong to remain courageous and know that many people care and one very ordinary guy in Australia cares very much.
mikey
anti bullying campaigns shouldnt just be partial to anti-gay bullying but to bullying as a whole.
bullyalarmgirl
Truth is, Aussie Col and Mikey are both right. Bullying is bullying, regardless of the victim’s predisposition or preference. Plays well With Others mentioned a “queenly little boy” who was a 4th Degree blackbelt, kicking the crap out of Bullies. I like this idea, or at least the education side of it.
If my son was genetically small, I would enroll him in self defense/Karate/Jiu Jitsu classes from a young age. It keeps him off video-games, he gets good exercise, gains confidence and thereby, self esteem. Dr. Ted Gambordella developed “TIME OUT FOR BULLIES” and it is a short self-defense course to teach your kid at home. His methods are endorsed by many schools and universities. This book can be quickly learned and practiced at home, so that when your kid gets bullied or attacked, he will immediately react. Bullies immediately get the idea it is time to move on to an easier target. Best book ever for a child’s confidence and self-esteem.
Go to http://BullyGo.com and it will direct you where to get it. I know http://ebookbinders.com carries it, along with his other books. We MUST protect our kids, and I thankfully see others agree. Pray for the families. Our greatest inventors, designers, artists and creators were all mostly misfits. It does not make them bad people…
Peggie Baron
First and foremost my sincere and heartfelt sympathy to the Walsh family.
Our children have the right to feel safe and obviously this situation is NOT getting any better!
What disgusts me, is that this type of abuse is going on and on and young people are being abused to horrific degrees, and the ABUSERS get by with their “crimes” because they break down in tears to the officials with a pitiful excuse they “didn’t REALIZE” what they were doing?!?
Tougher laws HAVE to be established and followed through with within the communities!
Our children have the right to feel safe and obviously this situation is NOT getting any better!
I can speak first hand what it’s like to go to school everyday and be the object of ridicule ~ I was bullied, in High School, back in 1969-73″… not because I was gay, but because I “looked different”… As a young teenager I fell victim to a drunk drivers inability to control her automobile one Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, I had to wait to correct the puzzle of scars I wore on my face and body, due to her decision to get behind the wheel of the car returning home from her office Christmas party. Legally, surgical repair of these injuries could not begin until I was 16.
I left a small private elementary school to enter a large public suburban high school and that’s when my hell began. It was NOT just “usual” teasing, a group of popular (jock) home room punks made it their “mission” to consistantly bully me throughout the day. Tripping, books being knocked out of my hand, the name calling, signs on my locker, hate note, things being thrown at me in study halls ALL were ignored as “teasing” … trips to the office to complain were FRUITLESS … my grades dropped, and my parents found me a wonderful therapist. Upon my parents going to the school authorities they were told I was “too sensitive” and had “difficulties with the transition of transferring from a private school to a public school”… (how easy it was for the officials to sweep things under the proverbial rug), But even today, I can still remember the pain of hating to leave my home and walk into that nightmare.
THIS BEHAVIOR HAS TO STOP BEFORE WE LOSE MORE YOUNG PEOPLE!!!
A river of tears from the ABUSERS isn’t going to bring this wonderful young man back to his family … and the “tearful pathetic individuals who were responsible for this got BY with a simple “They had never expected an outcome such as this.”?
As an adult I was reacquainted several times with those who bullied me when I was younger … and upon THEIR verbal approach, I made mention of how well I remembered them … ALL reacted with a “Geezzz… that happened years ago in high school… we were only fooling around”, as if it made it OK in their minds! NOT!
Perhaps this country needs to unite together and elect officials that will protect our children by creating laws and ENFORCING those responsible to take responsibility for their actions! If the “abusers” are minors, let’s make the parents responsible for the ignorance and abuse of there offsprings!
cwlangleyNYC
@Peggie Baron: Peggie, the saddest and most infuriating fact is that the bullies are, for the most part, simply parroting the bias, bigotry and hatred that they are hearing from their own families AND the preachers at their churches who keep telling them that if you’re not Christian, then you deserve to be treated as less. George Bush started this by trying to write discrimination and division into our constitution when he tried to push through the anti-gay “Marriage Amendment” to our national constitution. That laid the groundwork nationwide that justifies making gay people targets, which sadly our young children are now paying the price for with their lives. They learn the hate at home. That’s why they don’t see anything wrong with what they are doing, because they’ve been taught that it’s OK. The most blatant example of it is now before the Supreme Court where the Westboro Baptist Church is being held accountable for the hatred they espouse across the nation. IF they win their appeal, it will once again paint targets on the foreheads of every gay person in America, because the Supreme Court will have said “It’s OK to hate gays!”
Jordan Bully Alarm guy
@Peggie Baron: @Peggie Baron: @Peggie Baron: Peggy, you are right on point. http://BullyAlarm.us is getting lots of hits and schools are being reported. In fact, in one town, the entire school board has been put on notice, but not one of the 7 or 8 people, including the principal, vice principal and associate principal have even responded to claim they are in receipt of the notice that a kid in their school is being victimized and bullied. You would think they’d immediately respond and say, “we are ON it!” Rocky Point will probably have a suicide soon, but will not be able to say they had “no idea”.
http://bullygo.com has advice for kids and parents and Dr. Ted Gambordella has joined the group. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I pray people begin to realize that bullying is at epidemic levels.
anne
I don’t understend what is in the heads the people who are saying all those nasty thing to the boys like Ashley. they are like what: hey, he is a gay I’ll tell him “you deserve to die” oh, how look how funny I’ll be” ? stupid people
Derek Williams
The kids who bullied Seth Walsh wanted him to die, and now they got what they wanted. No doubt they are all absolutely satisfied with the result and given the success of their enterprise thus far, they will now be emboldened to try it again on other gay kids, or straight kids who seem gay to them in some way.
Incitement to kill is a crime, but is this a crime to incite murder if the murder you wish to take place is of someone else by themself? As a priority, measures should be being taken to find out how many other gay kids these children told to kill themselves. If incitement to suicide is a crime, then without question, those responsible should be charged with the offence.
A lot of people posting on hate sites like YouTube are saying that all gay people should kill themselves and this no doubt impacts on gay teenagers using YouTube and other bully sites.
It is reassuring to note however that while YouTube and its ilk are swamped by hate and violence, the thumbs ups and thumbs downs indicate that the majority are not in support of all gay teens taking their own lives as you might otherwise believe from reading the reams of anti-homosexual rhetoric, most of it coming from self-proclaimed Christians.
While I am sure that Christians as a rule deplore bullying, violence and suicide, sadly the message given out at some of the more evangelical sects run by profiteering hucksters is at the very root cause of holier-than-thou grandstanding ultimately leading to youth gangs feeling justified in attacking defenceless kids half their size.
Gay kids can only take so much before they come to the conclusion that they have no future, if all it holds for them is universal hate and violence from their home, their peers, their school and their church. To such children, death is a merciful release.
May they rest in peace.
Sarah
I am so sorry to read about Seth. At our school every year we have a anti-bullying seminar thingy every year to try to not let this type of thing happen. I just can’t believe what his family is going through. I am so sorry about what those kids did to you Seth. And I am sorry that this is what it came to. You didn’t have to take your life. But because of this you will have saved hundreds of kids! People will think of you as the boy who was bullied to death but to me your just a life lost the wrong way.
desiree brown
this is very wrong law and schools should take this very sires how many more kids have to die for them to get it sorry that you had to lose some to
Lars Strand
Rise Against – Make it Stop!
Just saying!
Destinee Scarpa
Seth Walsh was my best friend. He was myy baby boy. I loved him so much. Everyone did. And he will be missed dearly. Seth was the best thing that happen to this world. And Seth will always be the best thing that happen to everyone. And everyone agrees to it. Whoever bullied him enough to go as far as death should burn in hell for the crime they caused, they should be ashamed.
nautykka
that is fucking sad how pppeople can bully someone nd not care that is why i am writting a book about alll the deaths it just a fucking shame for them to not care that is why bullying needs to stop right the fuck nowww itss making me cry just thinking about it wow i am sry for everybodys lost whos ever son or daughter died get justice make it right nd pray evbery day for them this should be know princeables need to do something about instand of sitting back and watching i would sue who ever is in charge of the school because they are letting it happen on there watch now seth walsh was being bullied the princeable said he didnt hear such thing but he knew it was happpping in the school he just didnt want to do anything about it and it a shamesssssss im going to miss sethwalsh,raymondchase,codybarker,asherbrown,billylucas even though i didnt know them oh just watching the video just made me know what they was going though nd its sad nd thats why i am taking a stand for all those kids outhtere we willl misss yalll very much
nautykka
@Sarah: love it we will alll miss seth asher justin raymond R.I.PPPPP god will take care of you
Em
this is the world we live in. where people feel like they need to bully someone to death just cause they don’t fit in. or they do fit in but there different in some way that others aren’t.isn’t that how people are supposed to be? we’re all different in some way some just show it more. And just fyi bullying is a crime.Especially when people die from it…
Evenie
F**k everyone who isn’t doing shit about this. By everyone im talking about the teachers, schools,presidents, and people like them! I feel bad for those families out there that have/are going through these situations. And if you think you don’t belong or that no one cares about you. People do care about you and WILL miss you. I’ve learned this from friends and by almost making the same choices/mistake. It does get better! A thing that kinda helps those almost making this BIG mistake is by just thinking of you’re futur,what you want to be….and just keep trying your best to avoid the poeple that bully you and ignore what they say no matter how mean or awfull you think it is.You could also try to write out what you feel,exactly what happens that you dont like,and write out what you want to tell them off for,or say it into a mirror and cry and cry because when you cry everything out it helps and makes you feel alot better.After all the things people say or do….there just words and actions that go away when you put them a side from the good things in life. LOVE YA PEOPLE OF EARTH! 😛 🙂
Evenie
F**k everyone who isn’t doing shit about this. By everyone im talking about the teachers, schools,presidents, and people like them! I feel bad for those families out there that have/are going through these situations. And if you think you don’t belong or that no one cares about you. People do care about you and WILL miss you. I’ve learned this from friends and by almost making the same choices/mistake. It does get better! A thing that kinda helps those almost making this BIG mistake is by just thinking of you’re future,what you want to be….and just keep trying your best to avoid the poeple that bully you and ignore what they say no matter how mean or awfull you think it is.You could also try to write out what you feel,exactly what happens that you dont like,and write out what you want to tell them off for,or say it into a mirror and cry and cry because when you cry everything out it helps and makes you feel alot better.After all the things people say or do….there just words and actions that go away when you put them a side from the good things in life. LOVE YA PEOPLE OF EARTH! 😛 🙂
Alex
Its sad because this isn’t the only one there are more happening every day these people are strong i feel really bad that they had to end that way… people should be ashamed because you have a right to your own life no one should be able to take that from you. Its Your life don’t LET anyone take it no one else deserves more than the people who truly love who they are and not afraid to speak out loud! Its one thing to say your sorry its another to do something about it everyone NEEDS to take a stand and not back down they can push you all they want but NEVER EVER give up its sad to see nice people go like this i wish that people would get that THEY ARE HURTING PEOPLE AND LEADING TO THIS its one more step to the edge but once your at that step surround what else can they do……. STAND UP TO THEM PEOPLE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER THEN THEY ARE ALONE PEOPLE NEED TO STAND UP and i know we hear it all the time…. BUT NOW WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING!!!!! STAND A LITTLE TALLER AND DONT FORGET YOUR PERFECT JUST THE WAY YOU ARE NEVER LET OTHERS CHANGE YOUR OPINON ON THAT THEY DONT KNOW YOU AS WELL AS YOU KNOW YOURSELF! STAND UP AND TAKE THE CHANCE TO HELP EVERY GAY OUT THERE THAT WORD GAY IS NOTHING BAD IT EXPRESSES WHO YOU ARE ITS NO DIFFERENT GET UP AND STAND UP FOR THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR PEOPLE TO FINNALLY LEARN THE LESSON THAT EVERYONE IS THE SAME!! thanks for reading love everybody!
Alex
Its sad because this isn’t the only one there are more happening every day these people are strong i feel really bad that they had to end that way… people should be ashamed because you have a right to your own life no one should be able to take that from you. Its Your life don’t LET anyone take it no one else deserves more than the people who truly love who they are and not afraid to speak out loud! Its one thing to say your sorry its another to do something about it everyone NEEDS to take a stand and not back down they can push you all they want but NEVER EVER give up its sad to see nice people go like this i wish that people would get that THEY ARE HURTING PEOPLE AND LEADING TO THIS its one more step to the edge but once your at that step surround what else can they do……. STAND UP TO THEM PEOPLE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER THEN THEY ARE ALONE PEOPLE NEED TO STAND UP and i know we hear it all the time…. BUT NOW WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING!!!!! STAND A LITTLE TALLER AND DON’T FORGET YOUR PERFECT JUST THE WAY YOU ARE NEVER LET OTHERS CHANGE YOUR OPINION ON THAT THEY DON’T KNOW YOU AS WELL AS YOU KNOW YOURSELF! STAND UP AND TAKE THE CHANCE TO HELP EVERY GAY OUT THERE THAT WORD GAY IS NOTHING BAD IT EXPRESSES WHO YOU ARE ITS NO DIFFERENT GET UP AND STAND UP FOR THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR PEOPLE TO FINALLY LEARN THE LESSON THAT EVERYONE IS THE SAME!! thanks for reading love everybody!
Rachael
The song “Make it Stop (September’s Children)” is a song by Rise Against that is like a tribute to all children who are bullied so much that they end up having to feel they’ll only be freed by committing suicide. It specifically mentions Seth and other children who committed suicide from being bullied. I’m afraid of getting older because I’m afraid of making friends who might end up like this. R.I.P and blessings to all those who have or are contemplating suicide.
Megan Barrett
SETH IS MY COUSIN. I’VE ONLY MET HIM ONCE BUT He WAS AMAZING. HIS MOM AND MY MOM ARE SISTERS.I LOVE AND MISS YOU!!!!!!!! ANY COMMENT CAN PUSH SOMEONE OVER THE EDGE SO STOP BULLYING!!!
??????(((
?? ??? ????????? ??????? ?? ????,?? 15 ??? ? ???? ???, ????? ?? ?? ????? ????????…?????? ????? ????????? ?????? ???? ?????,???? ???????? ??????????????? ???????, ?? ??? ???? ???????? ???????????? ? ?????????? ??????????? ?????? ???? ?????…http://vk.com/feed#/club39842877