Stopping a bully before torment beginsRe: Editor's Note: Mistakes are part of life, Oct. 25-31
I read at least 13 papers a week, and so in the last three weeks I have read many letters and editorals on this subject. As a young gay man in Junior and High School in the early ’70s in Victoria, for my friends and me, bullying was normal. It is rare when an adult can write to young people in such a way that you know they are listening. My wish is that parents and teachers pass this Editor’s Note onto their children and students to read. Your words may have stopped a bully from being a bully or maybe made someone stand up and refuse to be bullied.
Colin Craig,Victoria
Meaning of friendship
"And when you ask, that’s when you’ll know the true value of a friend" because that is when the cream separates from the rest. Awesome article.
Daniela Huppe,via FACEBOOK
Editorial was wise, moving
I was moved and touched beyond belief by Grant McKenzie's editorial. All of the wisdom and 'smart-stuff' I had to learn as a teenager, he imparted in the simplest words: "High school is shallow, but you are not," and "Without dreamers, the world is only two dimensional," and "Some of us continue to screw up well past our teens until the day we reach out a hand and ask for help. And when you ask, that's when you'll know the true value of a friend."
It was only by accident that I read this commentary, but it was no accident that I have re-read it several times over. Kudos, Grant. All those who believe they are bullied moths will be happy to know that they are butterflies in the making.
Loralee Maria Judge,Vancouver Island
Insightful message, but
Another insightful message to help boost our awareness about "at risk" youth. I loved the article and always enjoy reading what you write. However, I don't agree with the word "weak" (in ‘from the weakest to the strongest’] to describe these young girls and boys. The adjective "vulnerable" seems more appropriate. The last thing any of us needs to be called is weak. Just being alive makes all of us vulnerable. We become weakened by the system, by illnesses, by stress, by lack of support, exposure ... and on it goes. If we are to evolve as a species, we must stop the war against vulnerable groups. We must understand that anything can happen to anyone at anytime. We are one.
Nellie M. Power,Victoria