Cruel, Webster defines it: 1: disposed to inflict pain or suffering : devoid of humane feelings <a cruel tyrant>.
Cruelty is a part of human nature that parents begin to curb in their children at an early age. Bullying, a behavior born out of cruelty, is out of hand when we begin to hear stories of an 11 year old committing suicide. In the case of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, he was bullied for his "effeminate" traits. Carl referred to himself as "gay", but at age 11 it might be hard to determine. Perhaps, the taunts convinced him he was. What matters is that any child could be teased, harrassed, and bullied to the point he literally takes his life. Since this child-suicide case isn't an exception, parents and schools need to be accountable and devise a way of curbing this behavior.
As a result of this young boy's tragedy, laws are already on the House floor. Partisan accusations are already flying as one piece of legislation hit a snag. If we have laws that deal with school-bullying, they need to be sound and to actually deal with treating the issue. Too often the legislature throws together a new law that is left to such rediculous interpretation it defeats the original purpose.
The Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has sponsored the Day of Silence as a consciousness-raising event for fourteen years now, and describe it on the Day of Silence website. Click here for more information.
