Two Gay Men Raised A Baby And This Is What They Got

[Playinghardball]

Explain how gay parents are a bad thing again?


Found on JJ Krenek’s Facebook page/MoveOn.org

[Marrah_G]

1. Nice !!!!!!

Good for him for standing up for his classmate.

[originalpckelly]

2. Cute, but he could learn the proper way to write a valediction.

The salutation is OK, but the valediction is definitely off.

Sincerely,
The linebacker with two amazing dads.

Whah harz we teeching hour chillden?

[Rob H.]

18. It's probably a printout

from dearblankpleaseblank.com. They're all like that.

[JI7]

3. i'm hoping this will be one of the things that will help gay kids in modern times

now there are kids of many openly gay couples who are in school and they will be able to defend kids who are bullied for being gay .

[one_voice]

4. K&R

[MrMickeysMom]

5. You did a good job, dads...

Thank goodness he was there for that kid, and what a way to do it.

[William769]

6. Recommended.

[AtomicKitten]

7. Beautiful.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. Love it!

Thanks.

[jerseyjack]

9. While I support the intent of the note,

in many districts he would be sanctioned under the "Zero tolerance" bullshit.

[Thav]

15. Zero tolerance is a part of the problem

Bullies don't care if they get in trouble, the victims feel powerless as if they defend themselves, they get in trouble.

[pansypoo53219]

19. where is the zero tolerance of BULLYING?

funny what humans tolerate.

[Jack Rabbit]

10. I love it

!!

[Selatius]

11. It's sad that the only thing bullies understand is the threat or exercise of force.

But, then again, that appears to be how entire nations conducted business throughout the ages.

Having said that though, there are times when the credible threat of force is necessary to deter an attack by a bully. In that regard, I wholeheartedly support the linebacker in his efforts to keep the peace.

[TBF]

17. Sadly I believe they learn it from their parents -

there is a thread here in GD right now discussing a parent who shamed her daughter as punishment. While it was clearly not physical abuse, that kind of emotional abuse does not do anyone any favors (especially if it is done repeatedly). But that is how many parents approach discipline, probably because their parents did it to them. Breaking those cycles is difficult ... and makes it especially difficult to deal with issues like bullying.

[Suji to Seoul]

12. beautiful. good job, kid!

[midnight]

13. Thanks for the smile..

[mimitabby]

14. cute; but

if this was real, he would have signed his name.

[WillParkinson]

16. Awesome!

Thanks for sharing it.

[bigwillq]

20. K and R

[Kablooie]

21. That's pretty cool.

Hope to hear more of kids from gay families in the future.

[rhett o rick]

22. Escalation isn’t the answer. It does feel good when the big guy linebacker is on your side

but unfortunately that epitomizes the bullying problem. Bullying on the side of goodness is still bullying.

I see bullying as a huge problem. Our movies and video games are full of it. All we have to do is rationalize that the bullying is on the good side and it’s ok. Dirty Harry is a good bully, right?

I would much rather the note say, “Dear bullies, if you are going to pick on “Jimmy”, then you will have to pick on all of us. Signed by "jimmy's" fellow students”. Bullies are enabled by both active and passive behavior by the rest of us. Most victims stand alone.

What happens if the linebacker beats up the two bullies? Will it end there? Will the bullies have learned their lesson? or will they have learned about further escalation and bring a gun to school?

We have bullying right here in DU City. If someone posts something unpopular, although some might be polite and try to discuss, others will try to belittle and intimidate. I know, I catch myself doing it all the time, but I am getting better.

[JDPriestly]

23. It's too good to be true, but I recommended it anywa

because it's just that good.

[Dont call me Shirley]

24. Awesome!

[The Doctor.]

25. For those who don't like 'escalation' or 'counter-bullying'...

You don't understand bullies or bullying.

The vast majority of bullies only understand the threat of force. They don't give a damn about detention, suspension, admonition, or anything that 'authority' figures will do to them. Those are merely inconveniences that reinforce their perception that their target was too weak to deal directly with them, and instead went to the 'authority'. Ninety-nine times out of one hundred, the bully will ramp up their harassment of their target in order to 'prove' that they are unaffected by any such attempts to mollify them. They will then double their efforts to intimidate their target into accepting their subordinate position.

This is a 'victory' for the bully.

I know damn well that this is exactly how it works having been the victim of bullies from the age of 6 to 16.

Here's what works: You HIT them. You HUMILIATE them. You INTIMIDATE them with a greater show of force, and if that means you have big, dangerous friends, so be it.

Unfortunately, we are still animals and many of us behave that way. Bullies are no different. They are the low ranks in a civilized society, and as such are less affected by the ministrations of civilized 'authority'. Therefore, if you want to shut a bully down, as I learned to do, you have to lower yourself to their level and be uncivilized. This doesn't mean assault, it means anything that will show them that their behavior as an animal will put them in a place that actually frightens them.

NOTHING a school can do will intimidate a bully because, as I said, physical force and intimidation are the world they like to live in. Once you show them how vulnerable they can be in that world, they will start to immediately see the benefits of civility.

You'd be amazed at how immediately well-behaved and civil bullies can become once they've had the right incentive. I've seen it first-hand every single time I've put the above into practice.

So when a linebacker threatens a bully, you can bet the farm the message is received loud and clear and better behavior will ensue.

[awoke_in_2003]

26. +1. nt

[fascisthunter]

27. Exactly!

I believe in peace and non-violence, but there comes a time when you need to defend yourself or others.

[rhett o rick]

28. What's your definition of "counter-bullying"? nm

[zipplewrath]

29. Defense versus offense

I don't advocate violence per se. However, this is a subtle statement. It can be read as "I will step in and aide the person with my own actions". i.e. you attack him, you'll be attacking all of us and I will respond to those attacks.

Bullying isn't just some broad brush word for acts of violence. Two kids get into a fight over a girl friend, that's not bullying, it's fighting (and stupid). Somebody picks a fight because the opponent previoiusly picked a fight with a friend, that's not bullying (but it's probably stupid). Stepping into protect someone who is being, or about to be, physically or verbally attacked isn't bullying.

Bullying basically is someone taking advantage of someone elses disadvantage (in ability or opportunity) in defending themselves, to attack them basically MERELY BECAUSE of the existence of the disadvantage. It's "being mean because you can". The jist of this note is to suggest that someone has an defensive advantage, and will use it, based upon the hostile actions (or lack thereof) of the target. Trust me, I often wished there was almost anything I could have done to avoided being bullied in my day. But bullies don't negotiate, and are often devoid of any real motivation beyond the desire to be hostile. This person was "offering terms". Bullies don't really do that. (They take your lunch money and STILL bully you). They said leave the gay kid alone and I'll leave you alone. That ain't bullying. That's a social contract.

[HillWilliam]

30. +1000000

I was also the victim of bullies constantly from 6 to 16. I was always the new kid in school and that was always enough to set some group off. The harassment, beatings, and verbal abuse were almost unbearable. The teachers did nothing when they saw what I was enduring, but if I tried to defend myself *I* was the one called down for it. There is nothing like that kind of helplessness for a kid.

Gawd, if any of them had suspected I was gay, I can't imagine how much worse it would have been. I knew, but I sure as hell wasn't letting of them know.

You're absolutely right: the only thing bullies understand is the kind of force that can be brought to bear if they continue to behave in an uncivil manner.

[zipplewrath]

31. they don't "understand"

I don't like the expression "the only thing they understand...".

Bullying comes from the perceived advantage someone has over another. That can be a physical advantge, a tactical one, or one founded in blackmail in some sense. "Counter threats" in any form may remove the advantage therfore removing the "inspiration" or foundation of bullying. Hazing has similar foundations. Someone "can't" resist so one can commit acts of aggression, pain, or violence without "risk" to ones self. If the "goal" of enduring hazing is removed, or devalued enough, the subject will cease to accept the abuse without resistence and the perpetrators will cease almost immediately. "Understanding" has little to do with it, other than the awareness that the advantage has been removed.

In the end most bullying is founded in poor self esteem in some sense and the reaction being the attempt to make others endure what they themselves feel internally. A tactical response is to counter threat or otherwise remove the advantage. A strategic response is to address the underlying self esteem problem.

[HappyMe]

32. k&r