Support the Bully Project and be the change you wish to see in the world

Bully, a documentary film that chronicles the lives of families impacted by bullying in communities across America, opens Friday in LA and New York and will be released unrated after teen activist Katy Butler collected over 485,000 signatures through an online petition.  Indianapolis is one of the target markets for the project so I hope to see Bully in theaters in Indiana soon, but until then I hope each and every one of you will take a few minutes and watch the full movie trailer online.

Bully tells the story of five families over the course of the 2009-2010 school year and is directed by Lee Hirsch and Sundance so you know this is going to be worth watching.  I have a feeling the trailer, as good as it is, only scratches the surface.

I believe in the Bully Project and I believe every single child in America has the right to be happy and safe in their schools and communities.  It is why I champion my Happy Kids Safe Schools platform as a local titleholder and why I share my own story in the hopes it might make a difference in the life of a child.

This movie shines a spotlight on a critically important issue in America.  We have a choice to make.  We can accept peer on peer violence as kids being kids, or we can take a stand together and make sure that the millions of kids that stay home from school every month in America have a real chance to be successful.

I wish I could show this movie trailer during my interview at the 2012 Miss Indiana Pageant in June because I know it would help the judges understand how important this issue is on a national level, and it would show them how bullying projects need national advocates to stay in the media, keep school safety on the minds of parents, and help be the leader of change we all wish to see in the world.

And speaking of the state pageant, don't forget you still have time to sponsor my bowling team or contribute to my fundraising goal for the Children's Miracle Network!

Why 'kids being kids' is no excuse for bullying

Just like many of you I have been following the Rutgers University case, and the conviction last week of Dharun Ravi in the death of Tyler Clementi has created a lot of dialogue online.  I read today that Matt Comer of Campus Pride said there is little time to savor the verdict when so much work remains to be done.

Bullying happens for a lot of different reasons, and we know that millions of kids under the age of 18 are bullied every year online, particularly on social networks like Facebook.  Bullying is a problem in every classroom in America and most colleges still fail to create specific policies to protect students from hurtful and discriminatory behavior.

I think this is the most important takeaway from the Rutgers verdict:

"We do believe this verdict sends the important message that a 'kids will be kids' defense is no excuse to bully another student.  As for all of us, we must continue our focus on building a better world, one free from bullying of every student, so that a tragedy like this never happens again."   - Steven Goldstein of Garden State Equality

Don't forget, you still have time to be one of my sponsors for Miracle Bowl for Kids or to contribute to my Children's Miracle Network fundraising goal.  Help me raise money that benefits kids right here in Indiana at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, the only CMN hospital in Indiana.