Say NO to Bullying!

I'm crying as I write this, tears are streaming down my face and my nose is running and I'm close to bawling. And it's because of this: Bullying. Watch this, and I guarantee you'll shed a tear (or, like in my case, a few extra tears).

Recently, bullying has been happening more and more, particularly concerning gay teenagers, and it HAS to stop, my God, it has to stop. The harassment, the name-calling, the death threats, the physical and verbal abuse and especially the suicides, a last, desperate and tragic resort for bullied teens as of late, due to the pain and humiliation they feel caused by bullying.

Today, I'm going to talk about something that I've avoided talking about on the blog and practically anywhere else online: The fact that I have Cerebral Palsy. I avoided talking about this part of myself because I wanted to fit in, to be "like everyone else", but I've realized, I along with those teens who have taken their lives recently, are like everyone else, but we're also a little bit different, everyone is different from each other, no one is the same and no one is perfect and that's OK. I, those kids, nor anyone else, should have to apologize for who they are, or what they look like or their sexual orientation, or anything else for that matter, it's their business and no one else's! No one should be put down or bullied or made to feel bad about themselves because of any of that, no one! Also, no one should have the right to inflict that kind of pain upon another person, for any reason! That's right, I'm talking to you, bullies, leave everyone the Hell alone and mind your own business!

OK, I'm sorry, rant over, it's just that watching that video and reading all of the articles and watching all of the news programs concerning bullying lately have just really struck a chord with me, since I know how it feels to be picked on for being different (in my case, for having C.P.) I know the agony of not loving yourself for who you are, wishing more then anything you could change yourself, could be like everyone else for even a day so that you could finally know what it feels like to be "normal" and to be accepted and to have friends.

I've also watched people in my high school be bullied for being different and now, more then ever, I'm so regretful that I never found the courage to stick up for these people. I have friends who are gay, and you know what? They are some of the best, most loving people I've ever known and I couldn't live with myself if one day one of them decided to take their own life due to the cruel things someone else has said to them just for being themselves.

So please, do what you can to help, if your a victim of bullying, tell someone and know that no matter how much you might think you are, your not alone and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If you witness someone being bullied, don't just stand there and do nothing, speak up, tell someone, make people aware of the situation. And maybe, just maybe, if we all take a stand against the horrible act that is bullying, we can save a life.

~Ella