Posted on 09/14/2007 12:25:48 PM PDT by Daffynition
CAMBRIDGE — Two students at Central Kings Rural High School fought back against bullying recently, unleashing a sea of pink after a new student was harassed and threatened when he showed up wearing a pink shirt.
The Grade 9 student arrived for the first day of school last Wednesday and was set upon by a group of six to 10 older students who mocked him, called him a homosexual for wearing pink and threatened to beat him up.
The next day, Grade 12 students David Shepherd and Travis Price decided something had to be done about bullying.
"It’s my last year. I’ve stood around too long and I wanted to do something," said David.
They used the Internet to encourage people to wear pink and bought 75 pink tank tops for male students to wear. They handed out the shirts in the lobby before class last Friday — even the bullied student had one.
"I made sure there was a shirt for him," David said.
They also brought a pink basketball to school as well as pink material for headbands and arm bands. David and Travis figure about half the school’s 830 students wore pink.
It was hard to miss the mass of students in pink milling about in the lobby, especially for the group that had harassed the new Grade 9 student.
"The bullies got angry," said Travis. "One guy was throwing chairs (in the cafeteria). We’re glad we got the response we wanted."
David said one of the bullies angrily asked him whether he knew pink on a male was a symbol of homosexuality.
He told the bully that didn’t matter to him and shouldn’t to anyone.
"Something like the colour of your shirt or pants, that’s ridiculous," he said.
"Our intention was to stand up for this kid so he doesn’t get picked on."
Travis said the bullies "keep giving us dirty looks, but we know we have the support of the whole student body.
"Kids don’t need this in their lives, worrying about what to wear to school. That should be the last thing on their minds."
When the bullied student put on his pink shirt Friday and saw all the other pink in the lobby, "he was all smiles. It was like a big weight had been lifted off is shoulder," David said. No one at the school would reveal the student’s name.
Travis said that growing up, he was often picked on for wearing store-brand clothes instead of designer duds.
The two friends said they didn’t take the action looking for publicity, but rather to show leadership in combating what they say is frequent bullying in schools.
I actually did this. Kicked the sh-t out of the bully. I got suspended from school for two weeks and was grounded for like a year.
Other than a severe bruise on his cheek, the bully continued his ways.
May be I should have bought 400 pink shirts on ebay.
Yeah, the sissies did
Like I said, there was a time where the colors pink and black was all the rage. Of course, gay meant happy too. Times have certainly changed.
I got bullied a lot as a kid — until I kicked the #### out of the biggest one of the bullies (much bigger than me), mostly through sheer anger. Pretty much put an end to it.
That was after playing by all the “rules,” for example going to teachers, principal, having my parents call their parents, etc.
Learned something right there: Bullies don’t play by the rules and only respect strength.
(Nowdays, I would have been suspended and probably prosecuted. Sigh.)
:-)
In the early to mid-80s, men work pink dress shirts (or pink stripes) with white collars and it was fashionable.
Dating myself but there was a time when “pink and black” was all the rage!
Over 30 Years ago, I had a daycare I called "RAINBOW HOUSE" - with rainbow making crystals in the windows, throwing moving rainbows around the walls and ceilings - and kids. They loved it...
Since the, the homosexuals have "appropriated" the rainbow...and now straight people are afraid to use it for anything.
Well, just excuse this old gramma all to he*l - They aren't keeping me from enjoying my rainbows. They do not and cannot "own" either the rainbow or a color.
We bow to them on it at our peril. I love this school story = it said NOTHING about the "Pink" organizer as supporting or showing tolerance for homosexuality - or indicated in any way that the victim of the bullies was gay - just that it was a protest, a very clever one, against bullying.
Just curious, which ones were the bullies? In my day, the bullying hoods were as bad as if not worse than the bullying jocks, but some of the jocks were actually pretty good guys...
The're called "Metrosexuals" now .... I call em pansies ...
The trick is to break a bone or two on the bully's body. Let him remember it for a few weeks.
It was also a big fashion color for men's shirts in the mid-50's - having nada to do with homosexuals - Pink shirts with gray ties and or pants...
When I was in high school, we just threatened to kick the crap out of any bullies. That put a stop to it. Fortunately, for them, they knew how to take a hint.
Actually, it was the sissies that didn't - think about it
That's what I like about it, too. However, I suspect that, if this had happened here in the U.S., the article would've taken a different slant, gay activists would've been protesting, etc.
It's nice to read a (surprisingly) decently-written story coming from England.
That's a fight in my parish.
And that's the problem with "zero tolerance": punishes the bullied who finally stands up, whereas suspension for most dead-ender bullies is just a vacation. That puts all the power in the bully's hands. Too bad "peace at all costs" "nothing is worth fighting for" etc. adults-in-age-only who run many of our schools don't understand that...
Good on those young people!!
I would occasionally wear a pink shirt. No one bothered me because, well, at the time, I didn’t look too “botherable”, if you know what I mean.
“Fashionable” being the key word.
I wouldn’t bother anyone for wearing anything, and would likely come to someone’s defense, but I would not wear a pink shirt.
Pretty much an Army green kinda guy.
still is in the UK
I’m with you on this one. We’ve fallen so far so fast, my head swims with this insanity.
And the fact that these seniors settled the score in a non-violent way shows they have their heads on straight.
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