California mayor sparks outrage by telling bullying victims to 'grow a pair'
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California mayor sparks outrage by telling bullying victims to 'grow a pair'
Jan. 24, 2013: A first grade class of 30 children waits to enter a classroom at the Willow Glenn Elementary School in San Jose, Calif.AP
PORTERVILLE, Calif. – A Central California mayor's remarks that bullying victims should toughen up and defend themselves has sparked anger among some city officials and gay rights advocates.
At a recent City Council meeting, Porterville Mayor Cameron Hamilton said he opposes bullying but thinks it is too often blamed for the world's problems. Hamilton said some people need to "grow a pair."
The mayor was responding to a student program proposing safe zones around town with signs directing children to places where they could seek refuge from bullies. Porterville is a community of 55,000 residents 70 miles southeast of Fresno.
Councilwoman Virginia Gurrola backs the safe zones and told the mayor, "It's hard to just 'grow a pair' when you're a 10-year-old girl."
Melissa McMurrey of Gay Porterville told KFSN-TV that she felt attacked by the mayor's comments. She said bullies often target young gay people.
Hamilton cast the lone vote against further discussing the safety zones. He told The Associated Press on Friday that he's not anti-gay, but he opposed the plan because it would be costly and expose the city to lawsuits if a safe zone turned dangerous.
"The message is, together we can all fight this thing," Hamilton said of bullying.
The proposal has been pulled from discussion at next weeks' council meeting.
Last year, the city was at the center of a flap when the council in a split vote replaced a proclamation declaring June as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride month with a resolution calling June a month of community charity and good will to all. Hamilton said he voted in favor of the change, wanting to include everybody.
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He's not necessarily wrong. We spend more time trying to get bullies to not be mean and nowhere near enough time trying to teach the victims to stand up for themselves
Early man walked away as modern man took control. Their minds weren't all the same and to conquer was their goal. So He built his great empires and he slaughtered his own kind, and he died a confused man and killed himself in his own mind... -
He's not necessarily wrong. We spend more time trying to get bullies to not be mean and nowhere near enough time trying to teach the victims to stand up for themselves
He's not necessarily wrong. We spend more time trying to get bullies to not be mean and nowhere near enough time trying to teach the victims to stand up for themselves
I agree. I taught my sons to fight back even if they got beat up. The kid will respect you more and will more then likely leave you alone.
"You planning on having a long relationship with that glass or are you going to drink it? Drink up, man. Maybe we can get another.” - Janis Joplin, 1970. -
I don't even think we're talking about kids assaulting other kids. I think the new generation of parents wants to make picking on their kids illegal.
Kids have picked on other kids since the beginning of time.
I don't know if things have changed all that much but is the narc the most respected kid in school now?
WSS
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He's not necessarily wrong. We spend more time trying to get bullies to not be mean and nowhere near enough time trying to teach the victims to stand up for themselves
I agree. I taught my sons to fight back even if they got beat up. The kid will respect you more and will more then likely leave you alone.
I agree. I taught my sons to fight back even if they got beat up. The kid will respect you more and will more then likely leave you alone.
But nowadays if you fight back you get suspended because of horseshit zero-tolerance policies.
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I don't even think we're talking about kids assaulting other kids. I think the new generation of parents wants to make picking on their kids illegal.
Kids have picked on other kids since the beginning of time.
I don't know if things have changed all that much but is the narc the most respected kid in school now?
WSS
I don't even think we're talking about kids assaulting other kids. I think the new generation of parents wants to make picking on their kids illegal.
Kids have picked on other kids since the beginning of time.
I don't know if things have changed all that much but is the narc the most respected kid in school now?
WSS
Yeah, the definition of 'bully' seems to have evolved over the years. When I was in second grade (circa 1968) a bully was the 6th grader who beat you up on the playground and took your lunch money. Recently a friend of my wife said that her 9-year old daughter was being bullied--the other kids
were making fun of her because she had freckles. I noted that that didn't really seem like bullying--more like being teased. Wrong thing to say--I was basically accused of being a cave man with outdated views. Hey, now that I think about it, the bitch was bullying me!
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Poor kids being made fun of, imagine the life time of psychiatry, medications and therapy because they were making fun of her freckles.
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He's not necessarily wrong. We spend more time trying to get bullies to not be mean and nowhere near enough time trying to teach the victims to stand up for themselves
He's not necessarily wrong. We spend more time trying to get bullies to not be mean and nowhere near enough time trying to teach the victims to stand up for themselves
I agree. People will be mean no matter what. If you stand up to it, it usually goes away.
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