A Truth Universally Acknowledged

I’ve been bullied in my life since fifth grade. At age 10, when it first started and I didn’t know how to handle it, I almost attempted suicide. The thought’s crossed my mind multiple times since then. The idea of hurting myself has been appealing in the seven years that have gone by. On the few times I reached out for help, I was ignored. Now I see my brother who, admittedly, isn’t a super well behaved kid, but a lot of times he’s either provoked and takes all the blame, totally innocent but the principal doesn’t care, or guilty and the principal takes it to extremes because she bullies him in her own way.

Suffice to say, this trailer almost made me cry. Please, take 2:30 minutes to watch this video.

It’s an incredibly important documentary and for more details, you should click the link to read some of the uploader’s comments.

But because it has a few curse words in it, there’s an R rating. This means it can’t be shown in middle or high schools and if any teacher does want to show it, parental permission is required.

Nothing about that is okay.

Because the MPAA believes that middle schoolers don’t curse, the kids who need it won’t get to see this movie. Let’s be honest, how many parents would take their kids to the theater to see it? How many will buy the DVD? But a school? That’s the perfect place for a documentary like this. Beyond perfect, really.

If you’ve made it through all of that, then you should take a minute and sign this petition to change the rating. You can also check out this article, which led me to the petition.

Pre-teens and teens need to know that they’re not alone and what’s happening to them is not okay. Those kids that bully need to learn that what they’re doing is wrong. Teachers and principals need to start paying attention and listening  - really listening - to what goes on around them*. This documentary could be a fantastic first step.

* I’m totally aware that not all teachers and principals suck. But many of them are oblivious. I’ve heard more stories about neglect and seen more neglect than teachers that stepped in.