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As is the case for most of those reading this message, I have been horrified by the recent media coverage of student suicides prompted by bullying. I am fortunate to have a boss who is just as horrified and today made the below statement. I hope each of you will consider ways you can help bring bullying to an end and urge you to check out www.bullyinginfo.org for useful resources in so doing.
—Kevin Jennings, the man Obama appointed to make American schools safer, breaks his silence on a Friday evening, when everybody stops paying attention to the news, with these empty and useless remarks. (Technically, Jennings says it is “the recent media coverage” that horrifies him, not the suicides themselves, but grammar schmammar.) His boss, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, released this note.
Theo
Queerty: Given the background of Kevin Jennings who has been working to fight bullying in school, I have no doubt that he cares about this issue deeply. My understanding about this delayed response could be because he wanted the attention to be fully on what is happening. He wants people to pay attention to the seriousness and consequences of bullying instead on him. If he jumps out and talks about it right away, the attention on the issue could be diverted to himself. I agree that his statement should have been stronger, but I still have no doubt he is the person who really care about this. Don’t forget that he is the founder of LISTEN for god sake. So i think his reaction is strategically done on a sincere purpose. Beware that the right-wing has been working so hard to take him out. Hope you can get the point.
[email protected]
Why can’t we pass Fed. anti-bullying measures that also cover Gay kids? We did precisely this here in Iowa (to Gallagher’s obvious consternation). In fact, I directly lobbied with a group to get it passed, though some legislators refused to, for nothing other than citing their alleged “Christian” religion!
Yellow Bone
@[email protected]: I respect the efforts of everyone to get the bully laws passed…but legal protection really won’t help (until after it reaches peak).
Schools need to teach that it’s okay to be different. (I’d say, “okay to be gay”, but yeah. That would have the theocrats in an uproar)
Derek Washington
Kevin Jennings DEEPLY cares about kids getting bullied. He’s a great guy who doesn’t deserve snarky spin.
I think we have to make it totally not cool to be a bully. Peer pressure is often the best weapon. We also must be able to sanction schools that don’t take bullying seriously.
nelson
Ken Jennings has suffered greatly from his own bullying experiences from organized rightwing hate groups during his confirmation process. I’m sure he needs to choose his words very carefully.
whatever
Didn’t the right wing tar this guy as a pedophile enabler or protector? I really can’t keep track of their lies.
Oh, the queertard eds are at it again.
Michael C.
The Obama administration and the political-career-first homos that work for it (for the administration only, never for gay people) become more and more of a pathetic joke by the day. It’s like it’s trying to self-destruct with incompetence and contempt for the very voters that helped Barack win. This administration can’t be gone soon enough.
kalifani6
Empty indeed. How cold & distant this guy has been from the start.Especially for someone that has experienced the pain of being demonized by the bigotry of the ignorant masses.
Just another token of this misguided administration.
Probably vetted from a pool of much more qualified, well-rounded candidates that had views considered to be ‘too radical’.
Ironically, they’re constantly being undermined by right-wing radicalism by way of reverse psychology. Meaning: This dummy organization is so struck by fear of right-wing, evangelical backlash that they are paralyzed & struck dumb, therefore impotent at performing the purpose that they exist to serve in the first place.
Sadly, our youth are the ones to suffer the most as a result of this orgs & this Administration’s cowardice.