Westboro Baptist Church.......

Charity is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as a benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity.  Many religions demonstrate charity towards the marginalized, poor, needy, and others.  However this is not the case for the Westboro Baptist Church.

The Westboro Baptist Church is a bunch of bullies. The Westboro Church and everything they stand for is immoral by anyone’s standards.  They call themselves Christians, but Christianity is about loving not hating, and they hate everyone.  They say "God hates fags."  God does not hate anyone, read the bible. They take bits and pieces of scripture from all over the bible and past it all together to make it appear as though the bible says God hates fags.  I guess they missed the part of the bible where it says "love your neighbor as yourself," and/or John 3:16.  Which states "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  I'm no expert, but it seems to me that anyone who believes in God will have eternal life.  So why does that not extend to fags? Just a thought.

Not only does the Westboro Baptist Church hate Fags, they also picket and protest fallen soldiers funerals.  They go to these funerals with signs saying things like "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "soldier’s dies, God laughs."  The church believes military deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan are God's punishment for U.S. tolerance of homosexuality and a sign the nation's destruction is imminent. They have no morals and no respect for human dignity.  They do not have to support the war (and don't), but the least they could do is have some respect for the ones protecting the country they live in.  My brother is a solider for the 10th mountain division of the United States Army, and recently home from Afghanistan.  However, if he had died over seas and I saw these bigots at his funeral, I would have caused serious bodily damage to every single one of them.  Honestly it is just rude to protest someone’s funeral.  If they truly believe God hates America, why are they still living here?  Why don't they move to Mexico or something? 

The Westboro Baptist Church is a congregation of about 70 people followers of Reverend Fred Phelps.  The Westboro Baptist Church is primarily made up of Phelps and his family, his 13 kids, 54 grand kids, and 7 great-grand kids. Glad to hear he is raising more bullies, it is a very comforting thought truly... The Westboro Baptist Church targets everyone they believe to go against what God says in the bible.  Which according to them is essentially everyone "fags", soldiers, politicians, Princess Diana, the President, Jews, Catholics, basically everyone but other members of the congregation.  I did not know it was there place to decide who and who does not follow the word of God.  The only way to deal with these crazies is to convince the media to not broadcast the protests, and give them the attention they seek.

The Westboro Baptist Church is a group that loves to hate.

CyberBullying

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." 

This is totally and completely false.  Yes sticks and stones may break bones, or leave nasty scrapes.  However breaks and scrapes will heal.  Words on the other hand hurt and leave scars, scars that may never heal.  Cyber bullying is a  hate crime.  People hide behind their cell phones, myspace, and Facebook accounts attacking anyone who they do not like.

Megan Meier was the victim of cyber bullying.  Megan a young teen who struggled with self-estem and confiednce issues since third grade.  Megan was targeted by a friends mother down the street from her.  Said mother created a fake myspace account of a boy who pretended to like Megan.  Said mother created this boy to gain Megan's trust and confidence, and to see what Megan had been saying about her daugheter and other kids.  Megans parents said while talking to this boy she was the happiest she had been in awhile.  She was losing weight and enjoying life.  However things began to turn ugly, the fake boy began to tell Megan she was a slut, fat and a liar.  Her parents said Megan was extremly distraught and upset of this boys comments.  Megan hung herself after this boy said they could not be friends anymore.  Megan was the victim of cyber bullying.  Cyber bullying that was so bad and the words were so unberiable she hung herself. 

Did you know more than 1 in 3 teens have been threatened online.  More than 25% of teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet.  Only 1 in 10 teens will tell their parents they are the victim of cyber bullying.  1 in 10 teens have had embrassing or damaging pictures taken of themselves, without their premission, often with their cell phones.  Bullying is more than physical abuse.  In this day and age, with all the technology avaliable bullying has become a way to tear others down anonymously, and without consequences.  Honestly, cyber bullying is a way for people who are insecure to tear others down to make themselves feel better.  In everything I have seen and experienced tearing others down will not build you up. Cyber bullying hurts and needs to stop.

High School Bullying

Bullying has become a major problem in High Schools across the country.  In Victor High School, New York the bullying started sophomore year for Delaney E., who is now a senior.  Delaney was bullied because she did not invite all the popular girls to a pool party.  Soon after Delaney started receiving hateful texts and voice mails.  The bullying got so bad she planned her schedule around the girls, just so she would not have to walk down the same hall as them.  Delaney then entered therapy and everything began to be better.  Delaney now a senior at Victor says the bullying and harassment has stopped because she spoke up.

Jim H Jr a student in the Webster School District was bullied all through his school years.  He would come home with bruises and other signs of cruelty but refuse to talk about it.  In seventh grade his school counselor suggested he see a mental health specialist.  The specialist told Jim's parents he had Asperger's Syndrome a form of autism.  His parents never knew, but after the diagnoses things for Jim became better.  It was not that Jim did not want to talk about being bullied it was that he could not express himself to anyone.  Now a senior at Webster Thomas Jim has a solid group of friends and is doing much better.

Elise G a sixth grade in Brockport New York says the bullying was so bad she could not even ride the bus anymore.  Older boys ganged up on her because she did not go out on a date with one of them.  The boys were tripping her in the halls and on the bus making her life a nightmare.  Elise a young sixth grader was so confused and upset, she had done nothing to the boys, yet they still targeted her.  Her friends abandoned her in her time of need because they too were scared of the older boys.  She had no one and was forced to be home schooled.  The boys could not be punished because there was not enough stable proof.  With summer approaching Elise though things would become better, she was wrong.  A fake Facebook page was created in Elise's name making fun of her friends and saying mean things.  However the new school year has just begun and Elise has a new schedule and bus route that avoids the bullying boys.  Elise is much happier now that the bullying has stopped.

Many people do not realize how serious bullying can be.  In some cases bullying can drive the victim to suicide just like it did for Jamey Rodemeyer.  Jamey was a fourteen year old kid from Buffalo NY who was bullied because of his sexual orientation.  On Jamey’s Formspring account people wrote “JAMIE IS STUPID, GAY, FAT AND [sic] UGLY. HE MUST DIE!”  Another read, “I wouldn’t care if you died. No one would. So just do it :) It would make everyone WAY more happier!”  However other kids posted words of encouragement "Um. Jamey is amazing and it doesn't matter if someone's gay or not. Everyone loves Jamey, and if you don't then you obviously didn't take the time to get to know him."  Olivia R an eighth grader at Jamey's school said "He was always putting people first.  He always wanted other people to smile, even on the worst of his days."
Jamey's last Facebok was taken from Lady Gaga's song Queen "don't forget me when I come crying to heaven’s door."  Jamey was a huge Gaga fan, and at her last concert she dedicated her song/performance of 'Hair' in memory of Jamey.  Lady Gaga so moved by Jamey's death has suggested to the president to make bullying illegal.  Gaga says bullying is a het crime and should be illegal.

Bishop Kearney High School believes bullying is an untorlerable act.  Kearney believes bullying to be an act directed at one or more pupils, interferes with the pupil’s ability to learn and/or engage in activities.  Cyber-bullying at BK is distinguished as a written act (internet, cell phone, PDA) that is stimulated by a actual and/or perceived characteristic.  Kearney can only monitor acts committed during the school day, and they believe parents will help in raising non-bullying children.  Kearney's disciplinary course of action ranges from positive behavioral interventions to suspension or expulsion.  All members of the Kearney family are expected to treat others will respect and dignity.  Mr. Miller, dean of students, say "bullying is for squares."  As a student and member or the Bishop Kearney family I feel the bullying at BK is minimal.

Bullying is a serious issue that needs to be dealt with.