Contents of blog copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2023
I've been gone a while. I started reading fanfiction to escape and I got sucked in an abyss.

I have no idea if someone else is hosting similar challenges. I just grabbed some of what I have hosted before.

Here's to a happy year of great reading
Jan2023: Not much has changed. Writing a fanfiction now O_o as well as reading but I bought 7 new books in December and hope to get those read soon. Crossing fingers about adding challenges (late!)

Friday, March 6, 2015

Off Topic: Day of Silence

What is the Day of Silence?
The Day of Silence is a student-led national event that brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Students from middle school to college take a vow of silence in an effort to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior by illustrating the silencing effect of bullying and harassment on LGBT students and those perceived to be LGBT.

(bullying starts so much younger, even if the kids don't understand the words, it still hurts - can we start this in elementary school?) I'm excited that students are doing this as much as I'm saddened that it is necessary. To make things worse, there is a place to ask for help if you are "experiencing resistance to your Day of Silence organizing or activities from your school administrators or faculty". What? The crazy things my kids told me about their friends doing at school and there may be a stink about this?! grrr

Anyways, this is mostly a re-post, only I remembered sooner in the year so maybe you can help your kids do something at their school. Most was posted in 2008 after the fact and again on this blog in 2010.

Bullied over being a cheerleader, 
12-year-old California boy commits suicide 
Boy's family had reported the bullying to school officials multiple times yet the email sent out by the school said, in part "... While do not know all of the circumstances...". Right. That word all just saved your ass.

This is by no means an isolated event. Have we taught our children to be so unbending that anyone who is different doesn't deserve to live? How can our thinking be so rigid? Just because someone is different then you doesn't make one of you better, it just makes you different from each other. Just because you don't agree on something, doesn't make one of you wrong!

GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) is now the host of programs for Day of Silence and has great some information. And as we are a social people generally, you can choose from facebook, twitter or tumbler. They'll even help, just print out a sign and fill in the blanks.

The next Day of Silence is April 17, 2015. No matter what your feeling/thoughts are about homosexuality/gender identity, murder is NEVER the answer.

I may not understand how someone could feel they were born into the wrong sex but that does not give me the right to make them feel worthless. If you don't understand something, read about it, ask questions, learn. Even if you still don't agree, it still doesn't make one of you wrong.

Of course, we don't have a problem with anything different. I must be talking about the other guys.

sigh

Sometimes, I think we are all "the other guy", even if just for a moment. The problem is that we never know when a quickly forgotten moment for one is someone else's last straw.

Sad to say but there will ALWAYS be someone/group that thinks it okay to bully/harass/beat-up/kill someone else - if only because they got looked at funny. Let us do our part to make them the minority. We all live here, let's make it a safe place.

Speaking of safe places...don't even get me started on foster care.... Did you know that teens feel so unsafe in foster care (from the kids AND parents) that they'd rather take their chances on the streets? . . . wait, deep breath. I don't have the time or calmness needed to discuss this right now. I just want to bring everyone home. And get them a cat. Or a dog.


copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2015

No comments:

Disclaimer

In accordance to the FTC guidelines, I must state that I make no monetary gains from my reviews or endorsements here on Book Dragon's Lair. All books I review are either borrowed, purchased by me, given as a gift, won in some kind of contest, or received in exchange for an honest review.