Posted on 06/23/2012 11:39:28 AM PDT by Graybeard58
All bullied bus monitor Karen Klein wanted was an apology. Now she's getting that … and then some.
Police say the four boys who tormented the 68-year-old on a school bus in upstate New York earlier this week have taken responsibility for their actions. The students are also saying they're sorry.
"I feel really bad about what I did," one said in a statement to CNN. "I wish I had never done those things. If that had happened to someone in my family, like my mother or grandmother, I would be really mad at the people who did that to them."
Another said, "When I saw the video I was disgusted and could not believe I did that. I am sorry for being so mean, and I will never treat anyone this way again."
The video of the seventh-graders cursing, taunting and physically threatening a crying Klein has become a rallying point against bullying. It has also prompted an overwhelming outpouring of support for the longtime school bus worker.
An online campaign to fund a vacation for Klein had grown to more than $500,000 by Friday afternoon, far surpassing the initial $5,000 goal. Max Sidorov, the Toronto man who started the fund two days ago, said he did so partly because he was bullied himself as a child.
"Maybe we can send her on a great, early retirement," Sidorov told The Associated Press.
Then Anderson Cooper surprised the grandmother of eight on CNN Thursday night with an all-expenses paid trip for nine people to Disneyland from Southwest Airlines. The Walt Disney Co. made the same offer for Disney World.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Government greed knows no bounds.
LOL! Why have people give you gifts, silly old lady, when you can have them fund The One’s re-election.
LOL!!! Thanks for a much needed laugh!
Call me a b***h but I bet no libs sent any money.
What the he** does "what she deserves" have anything to do with it? The site was set up for $5,000, people felt sympathy when they saw the video and it just snowballed.
Sounds like you have a little bit of envy there to me.
Some of them may have been for the government sending her tax payer money though.
On second thought, I dunno about that, after all she's white and presumably heterosexual.
Sounds like a lot of envy to me.
I'm envious to a certain degree but I manage to keep it under control. Wah, I wish someone would give me a half mil.
I cannot go along with sentiments of other posters though, when they say, maybe she will get an early retirement out of this (you didn't say "early"), after all, she's 68 years old.
I retired at 54, that's what I consider "early".
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.