The Cyberage of Bullying

It's raining as I write this.  It has nothing to do with this post, but I just wanted to point it out.  It is RAINING!! Gosh, that feels good to say!

Growing up, my school, like almost every other school in America, had different “cliques” of students. There were the “jocks”, the “nerds”, the “band geeks”, the “Goth kids,” … the list could go on and on. In the interest of not offending anyone, (I probably already have – sorry to those of you who play instruments) I won’t continue, but you get my point. Some kids got bullied, some kids did the bullying and that’s just the way things were. Nowadays, school bullying is on the rise, and the issue is heating up all around the country.

Statistics on the rates of bullying and cyber-bulling vary between studies depending on the measures used and the population studied, however the general consensus is one out of every three students in bullied in school. School bullying can cause physical and mental harm to students. Students affected by bullying have lower attendance and grade point averages, and a higher propensity towards violence and criminal activity.

Indiana State Senator Tom Wyss said that while Indiana school systems may have bullying policies in place, he wants to make sure they are enforced. “We’ve got a lot of school systems where the administrators aren’t really following through like they should,” Wyss stated. Indiana law defines bullying as “any verbal, physical or other act committed by a student with the intent of harassing, ridiculing, intimidating or harming another student”. The law sounds pretty inclusive, but cyber-bulling isn’t specifically covered, which is another aspect Wyss is trying to change. It seems more and more students are victims of cyber-bullying, in which technology is used to harass, tease and spread rumors about students.

So, my question to you this week is two-fold. “Do you think bullying is on the rise, or are parents and the media making too big of deal out of it? Realistically, what do you think could be done to stop school bullying?” You must answer both parts to get full credit. Answers are due no later than Sunday, September 2nd, 2012.

Who Is Paul Ryan?

By all accounts, it seems Paul Ryan will be Mitt Romney’s choice for the Vice-President nomination on the Republican ticket.  Ryan currently serves the 1^st Congressional district of Wisconsin, in the House of Representatives, a seat he has held since 1998.

As soon as Ryan’s name was announced, political commentators began re-hashing his voting record and digging up as much information as possible about the man who may very well be our next Vice President.  A staunch Catholic, Ryan is pro-life, and doesn’t support same sex marriage.  He also caused controversy with his ambitious plans for Medicare and Medicaid, in which he wants to privatize both for those individuals currently under 55.

Often students tell me they don’t vote, because they don’t know enough about the issues or the candidates.  So, my question to you this week is, “What is one fact that you found about Paul Ryan?  Does this information make you more or less likely to vote for him?”  You can’t use a fact someone else has already posted.  Do the research, and find something new!  Answers are due no later than Sunday, August 26^th, 2012.

I Was Here

August 19^th is World Humanitarian Day, a global day celebrating humanity and the spirit of people helping people. It’s also the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, which killed 22 people.  World Humanitarian Day recognizes those who face danger and adversity to help others.  This year, the campaign aims to get 1 billion people around the world active. You can see a promo clip for the campaign done by Beyonce, here: http://www.complex.com/music/2012/08/video-beyoncs-message-for-world-humanitarian-day-2012

Those of you who know me know that I’ve always believed in giving back and contributing something to the society. I hope to leave the world a little better than I found it. So this week, I’m interested to know “How could you change your little corner of the world?”  I’m challenging you to think outside of the box. Sometimes the simplest, random acts of kindness are the best idea of all.  Answers are due no later than Sunday, August 19^th, 2012. Leave your mark.

Eat More Chicken?

I like Chick-fil-A.  I mean really like it.  As in they have the best chicken of any fast food restaurant, period. They also have really great customer service. So when I recently heard that Dan Cathy, the President of Chick-fil-A said that homosexuals “shouldn’t be able to redefine traditional marriage” it didn’t make me want to start boycotting them.  Most everyone already knows that the owners of Chick-fil-A are conservative Christians, which is why they’ve always been closed on Sundays. I don’t agree with Cathy’s message, but I do like his chicken.  Quite frankly, I’m not that concerned with whether or not we agree on controversial political issues. I just want my chicken.

However, others must not feel the same way because on August 1^st, conservative Christians staged a “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” in which thousands of people came out to support Chick-fil-A and thus, in their view, also support the traditional definition of marriage. With lines out the door across the country, Chick-fil-A has said they set an all-time sales record that day. 

Not to be outdone, supporters of same sex marriage staged their own “Kiss Day” on August 3^rd, in which thousands of same sex couples went to Chick-fil-A and kissed, presumably to show Cathy there is nothing wrong with being homosexual.

Now, I’ve been known to support a good boycott now and then, but I just wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about.  I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinions.  Cathy didn’t say he wouldn’t serve homosexuals, he simply stated his personal beliefs. That being said, I’m tired of some conservative Christians putting more effort into promoting hate than they put into doing productive things that would benefit society. As a Christian myself, I have to agree with one commentator who said, “I wish the lines of people that came out to support Chick-fil-A would be just as long at our local food banks and homeless shelters”. What is even worse is that in doing my research for this post, I found a list of anti-homosexual organizations that Chick-fil-A supports financially.  You can check out the list, and what each organization stands for here: http://equalitymatters.org/factcheck/201207020001

So my question to you this week is, “What do you think about the recent controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A?  Do you plan to support or boycott them?  Do you think someone’s political views should have an impact on their business?”  Answers are due no later than Sunday, August 12^th 2012.  As for me, finding out what kind of organizations Cathy supports has made me reconsider my opinions on the issue.  Maybe I do want to be more careful about where I spend my money and where that money goes.  Regardless, they still have good chicken.