Love is All You Need?

From what I gathered at the end, the video encompassed several actual events. It could seem more extreme because it was gathering things that happened to several people in one video as if it all happened to one person.

Reliah wrote: From what I gathered at the end, the video encompassed several actual events. It could seem more extreme because it was gathering things that happened to several people in one video as if it all happened to one person.

Yes and no, li'l sis --

The events depicted in the film were not really the agglomeration of many real events, but more the average way this sort of thing happens : bullying from peers, societal norms and parental/family pressures to conform AND having "abnormal" feelings for someone that one has difficulty accepting oneself and then gets tortured for by everyone else INCLUDING the person for whom one has those sentiments ... That is very often how one person lives - AND dies.

The film is a bit over-dramatic because all of that is included in 20 minutes. If you saw all of that pan out over a few years, it would just look 'tragic'.

That's because it is.

And, in many cases, the occasions of cruelty and/or abuse are intermittent to the effect that others to not see the build-up. Had these events played out over a more realistic time-frame, one may have wondered why the girl killed herself. That is often the case too ...

What I meant is that the most common forms of bullying have nothing to do with what they show in this short film.

I mean, the dozen kids that gang up on that girl like that?
Vandalizing the neighbours?
etc.


It feels like a different world. Though I admit it was for an american audience and you guys did have that case of them adult facebook bullies who caused a kid to kill herself.... So I don't know, myabe you guys have more bigots... Because I have literally never heard of anything like what happened in this movie in real life. We had homos at school. I don't remember a single one of them getting any kind of trouble, from anyone...

What disturbed me most was that disclaimer where it said that all events portrayed in the film were true stories. I bet someone looked at this and got yet another reason to hate gays (since they are oh so hateful and intolerant of straights - now who does that remind us of?), although in actuality the whole sexual orientation aspect probably was reversed.

ren wrote: What I meant is that the most common forms of bullying have nothing to do with what they show in this short film.

I mean, the dozen kids that gang up on that girl like that?
Vandalizing the neighbours?
etc.


It feels like a different world. Though I admit it was for an american audience and you guys did have that case of them adult facebook bullies who caused a kid to kill herself.... So I don't know, myabe you guys have more bigots... Because I have literally never heard of anything like what happened in this movie in real life. We had homos at school. I don't remember a single one of them getting any kind of trouble, from anyone...

The film did seem a bit exaggerated to me (justifiably for making sure the point was delivered though), but believe it or not, there are communities out here who are so indoctrinated into their traditions and views (both religious and political) that there are kids who go through judgement very similar to this, growing up, about their orientation, more than I could ever imagine myself ever going through. There is one particular friend I had who's family was so convicting toward them that even to this day, they go through a tremendous amount of confusion about who they are vs "who they should be" and this has literally scarred them mentally, emotionally, socially, and even physically (it severely promoted a critical chemical imbalance in their brain, causing it to malfunction resulting in things like frequent hallucinations and various types of dimensia as well). Today they are almost completely dependent on medications that can only attempt to "correct" those imbalances while also eroding the natural functions of their brain which are responsible for managing the body's ability to heal itself. I have personally met this family and have seen for myself how much they puppetize their kids. The whole time I watched the film above, that particular friend is who came to mind non-stop because of this.

What about the text messages? That, being called names and insulted, must be the most common form surely....

Perhaps it is worse in the US as opposed to the UK but I think it depends more on where you are in each country...

Gisteron, the sexual orientations weren't probably reversed, they were reversed...

So I don't know, myabe you guys have more bigots...

Yes, yes we do...

I heard the word "nigger" yesterday...

It is not uncommon in our older generations who hand it down...

But, it is getting better...

It took me a long to time to realize that I might be a little different from most people. I use to witness things like in the video all the time and it would sadden and anger me. My school record was pretty large, due to fights that I started, because I was NOT going to sit by and watch people get bullied. Okay, so I might be a bit of an idealist… sue me!

We didn’t have little videos to show us how to deal with bullies. We didn’t have a lot of concerned teachers (at least they didn’t seem to care). And it seemed that many of the other students were just going to walk by and allow these things to continue.

Due to my amazing stature and super strength (5 foot ten inches at an amazing 135 pounds at age 16) I did NOT “win” my first several altercations. But, the attention went from the person I was trying to help to me… so I saw it as “winning.”

I stayed in trouble at school, but it seemed like a small price to pay. But there are several things I still don’t understand. Why people feel the need to pick on others or be an ass at all? Why others will watch or pass by and not intervene?

It is hard for me to have compassion for those that would stoop so low as to attack or take advantage of a weaker person or life form… and I find them despicable.

because I was NOT going to sit by and watch people get bullied.

I got a few stories like those...

I was bullied a bit in Illinois (not as bad as in the film, of course), but there was usually someone like Wescli and Jestor around to not only save the day, but 'getting defended' really feels good.

That is the other side of things in a nut-shell : hatred hurts, but just a little altruistic kindness goes light-years --

Hooray for the Clints and Jestors in the World ! (Jedi Knights, perhaps ?)