[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Can I add that you wander into a mine field when you call teasing bullying. Who didn't see a boatload of teasing when they were in school? Off the top of my head: fatty, four eyes, wimp, "girl" (to someone who wasn't a girl), weakling, sissy, tattletale, freak, Jesus freak, Bible-thumper, moron, slut, goody-goody, preppy, teacher's pet, ugly ......I could go on and on. Why is it that only teasing that touches the homosexual issue makes it into the newspapers as big stories and examples of bullying?

Kids are sinners like everyone else. They need to be trained in the difference between right and wrong, but to a certain extent you just won't fix every flaw or troublesome social interaction they encounter, both give and take. They should be taught values, but I find it highly suspect when all the examples always come up defending homosexuality or gender confusion. That's not addressing bullying at all. That's having a poltiical and social agenda.

[timm22]

Can I add that you wander into a mine field when you call teasing bullying.

I think we mostly agree on that. Simple teasing is generally a different and less serious matter than bullying. For the most part it doesn't really warrant a response.

I find it highly suspect when all the examples always come up defending homosexuality or gender confusion. That's not addressing bullying at all. That's having a poltiical and social agenda.

Perhaps. I think this case is newsworthy because of the unique and entertaining solution to bullying, not because of the (remote) possibility of homosexuality being involved.