tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205147049740549737.post2998450675212845828..comments2023-10-20T03:36:16.402-07:00Comments on The Safe Schools Coalition Blog: Open Letter to OprahSafe Schools Coalitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12888406342613125865noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205147049740549737.post-86344674774167335392009-05-13T12:44:00.000-07:002009-05-13T12:44:00.000-07:00Thank you, Beth. You wrote about this beautifully....Thank you, Beth. You wrote about this beautifully. I posted a link to it on the FUAH blog and asked people to read it and share their own thoughts here. <br /><br />I watched the Oprah show and in one respect it was better than I had anticipated based on some things I read online from people who had been at the taping. None of the comments I read on the Oprah website before I saw the show mentioned hardly anything about sexual orientation being a part of the bullying that lead to those two beautiful children's suicides. So when I saw the actual show I was glad that it was brought up. And while I was cringing at how early Carl and Jaheem's moms were sharing their pain, I was amazed at how much they were able to share and thought that early part of the show they were in was handled pretty well. <br /><br />Then Oprah said, "Today begins a national conversation on bullying" during the show slighted the work of all those who have been doing the work for years. It is not the beginning of the conversation. We don’t start here because much has been learned and shared and done that is valuable. <br /><br />I was disheartened by message of I heard that schools can't change it and that it is up to students to not be victims - to be strong and assertive or aggressive and loud and get through it. That seemed to me to let schools are off the hook and I don’t think that is okay.<br /><br />It triggered an old memory of mine of a doctor who told me that it was too bad that Bill hadn’t been taught self defense - such as karate. The message was that if Bill had fought back then maybe he would not have felt like a victim when he was assaulted in a hate crime based on his sexual orientation – and maybe then he would not have committed suicide. <br /><br />That attitude is based on an acceptance of violence as something customary that students have to prepare for in order to survive.<br /><br />It also brought up a more recent memory of a school principal who I heard tell his students that he and his staff were not able to bring about the change in the school culture – that the youths are the ones who can change the culture of violence in the school. While I completely agree that young people can make change happen, they can’t do it by themselves in a school setting because they do not have the power that the adults have. So I think he left out a critical piece – that he is standing with those students and for them – and that he will do and make sure what needs to be done is done to make the school truly safe.Gabi Claytonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13834411375291647871noreply@blogger.com