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.
And, if they are bigger, hit them on the back of the head as they go down the steps.
Did that in Jr. High to a bully who probably had about 100lbs on me. Repeatedly nailed him when he was down, too.
We both got suspended, and we just studiously avoided each other for 6 more years -— me, because he would kick my ass in a fair fight -— him, because he knew I would kill him in his sleep.
This reminds me of a funny story. One day about 12 years ago I was driving with 2 friends in the car. The car in front of us had a cool looking sticker that was a rainbow spectrum in a long strip. They happened to pull into the same gas station we were going to so I decided to compliment the two women inside that car on the sticker and asked where they got it, thought it would look awesome on my Jeep. They busted out laughing saying, "I don't think you understand what it means, it's for people who are gay!"
We still laugh about that one, LOL.
In college I learned that if you accidentally wash a red shirt with white underwear, you get pink underwear.
my little daughter bought me a “salmon” colored tie. I wear it with pride.
The story is from Halifax, Nova Scotia ....Canada. ;-D
you swim in some oklahoma lakes, you get pink underwear.
Yeah, a guy I know that dressed like that and was always interested in GQ type of issues was an Airborne Ranger, Specials Forces - 2 tours in Vietnam.
Seriously. And, yes, I know that was his real background. I always figured it was some kind of throwback to when real men dressed like peacocks.
See old paintings of George Washington and his peers with lace at neck and cuffs for example.
Have a look at this vid from my Indiana auntie entitled: “Mr. Bean goes for a swim”. Mr. Bean is rather an effeminate type of guy. Don’t think I’ve ever seen him in pink.
http://www.funnieststuff.net/viewmovie.php?ad_key=CDGTTHITHTEF&tracking_id=867721&id=559
Sorry, could not resist
I don’t see anything here about the bullies being prosecuted. Where was the Administration? (crickets)
Oops. That's what I get for not checking further.
That's what I;ve always heard as well. But I've found most bullies to not be the best informed or the smartest.
And girl bullies are much worse, meaner and nastier!!
I blame Don Johnson for that. And it’s not Pink...it’s Coral.
There are also more bullies in the pack. Cowards do that when they can’t back their own play.
I applaud this approach.
Wear pink? What a bunch of weenies:
THE BULLIES OF WALNUT GROVE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEWUIAl8HzU
That kid turned his ways around and my grandson was not "disciplined" - Later, in middle school, on the bus = there was another bully beating on kids - severely. The bus driver was afraid to take action. Then the kid cracked my grandson hard in the back of the head (he had a concussion) but the bully, so quick he didn't know how it happened, was on the floor with a bloody nose - the bus driver actually thanked my grandson - and there was no more bully problem on the bus.
Then came high school - same basic scenario on school grounds - a bully smashing kids day after day..until he was unwise enough to smash a kid in the back of the head that was standing in a group with my grandson.
He never knew what hit him - but he went crying to the principal, with his bloody nose.
Too bad for him, the principal had seen the whole thing go down - my grandson didn't even get a 'well, maybe you shouldn't have..." Thereafter, no one bullied anyone if my grandson was around. Word got around...
My grandson never instigated action - was slow to act and quick to stop.
He is now in Afghanistan - Airborne Task Force ("Sky Soldier") I believe there may be some muzzies who wish he weren't there ;o)
turd?
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