OPINION

Is It Worth It?
By: Trista F., Hope Secondary School, Hope, BC

Have you ever been walking down the halls minding your own business and then out of no where you’ve been pushed? Sure they may be joking around but do you think it’s funny? If you turn around and notice it’s just your friend and they are now standing there giggling because it’s a common thing for you two, then that’s great. Lots of times though when you turn around you look into the glaring face of some known or unknown person, that is not acceptable at all. In fact that is a form of bullying.

Have you ever been sitting on your bench when you hear some innocent bystander being called nasty names? I’m almost positive you have. Maybe you have been on the receiving end of some of those too, so you know how it feels. Do you say anything when this person is having her/his self esteem-ripped out of them and thrown away. Verbal abuse is a very big thing everywhere, especially in schools.

If you are at the receiving end of the bullying then you’ll be happy to know that something is being done about it. There are people out there who care. A report to the education ministry was written up just a little while ago, it was called Voice on Harassment. As if that isn’t news enough, it was written by a group of students. The B.C Student Voice.

They concluded that low self-esteem is the main cause of bullying. I have to agree. People who don’t necessarily feel good about themselves put other people down. In some sick way doing that makes them feel better. It shouldn’t come as a shock to anybody either, as it has been going on for years.

This all good and everything but how can we help it stop? Here is something for you to think about. Next time you go to push somebody or call them a nastyname think of a young 14 year old boy named Hamed Nastoh. After being bullied for however long (obviously too long) he jumped from the Pattullo Bridge. He left behind a note saying he could no longer tolerate incessant taunting at his school. How would you feel if one of the people in our school did something like that. Not specifically jumping off a bridge but any suicide at all. I for one would be devastated.

After everything, do you really think being a jerk is worth it? Please try to keep your comments to yourself. If you feel a need to say something just say it to a friend, or somebody around you so that it’s out of your system. Don’t yell out or say it to anybody’s face. You don’t like to feel little and neither does anyone else.