What is this world coming to? I am just flabbergasted that the movie Bully, released on March 30, 2012, is rated-R in the States. The poignant part of this debate is that this movie was created to increase awareness to the PG-13 population; the bully generation.
We are very fortunate here in Canada that Bully has received a rating of PG.
My daughter was bullied last year and it was the most painful thing to witness as a Mother. To see her too scared to go to school, too scared to commit to friendships, and too vulnerable to give her free-spirit wings was heartbreaking. While on this journey, I experienced one point that was brought up in this debate on Richard French Live.
“Children of this age have young minds that are not fully developed.”, the superintendent of the Waterloo District School Board pointed out to me about my daughter’s bully. This was in response to a suggestion I made about having human relation and remediation classes for both bully and parent when a bullying incident arises in the future.
Unfortunately, her biggest concern was that I sent my story and idea to the School Council before presenting it to her. She stated that it was none of their concern.
After I hung up the phone, the words “Young Minds” stung me to the core and I felt obliged to reiterate our conversation in writing.
I wrote:
Hi xxxxx,Thank you for contacting me about my email. I want to reiterate that I no longer want to seek retribution in regards to what happened to my daughter. It’s over. XXXXXX is suffering with her education, her self-esteem, and her will to keep going in a positive nature. It’s our responsibility as her parents to protect her and help her now that the whole ordeal is in a distant past for everyone else. What has happened cannot be rectified and there’s no point in doing so.However, I do want to see a change in the tolerance of bullying.After I got off the phone, I thought about our conversation and will definitely be in communication with only you going forward. What was said, had to be said in hopes that a change will surface. There are too many children who are depressed and suicidal due to bullying. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/paul-taylor/article1131315.ece This recent article, written in the Globe and Mail only proves that it is vital to minimize bullying within the school at a young age.I’m a little concerned about your comment of “Young minds whose brains are not fully developed”. Realistically, this is no excuse and only proves that a course in Human Relations is vital. At this age, these children work in establishments, where it would not be tolerated, within their confines, no matter if it’s a young mind or not.To reaffirm my letter to the school board, I wrote my idea to you because mental health considered it a plausible solution. Going forward, I am taking this experience as a lesson and will do anything to prevent this from happening to another child.Trina Stewart
Her response (remember she’s the superintendent in my area!)
*Silence*
This is why the movie Bully will not be seen in schools across America. There are too many adults, with ignorant minds, who “forget” or were oblivious to that kid who was taunted and bullied when they were children.
What do you think of the debate about the rating of the movie Bully? Watch it here….
“Richard French Live” is an Emmy Award winning interactive, progressive news talk show. It’s a one-of-a-kind program that includes breaking news, charged opinion and investigative exposés. Counting politicians, pundits and personalities as contributors, ranging from President Obama to the biggest newsmakers from the national to regional level, it is a forum for both lively debate and serious conversation.
