Michigan passes pro-bullying bill

[HibiscusKazeneko]

I just got word of this on Tumblr:

The Michigan state legislature just passed a bill granting impunity to bullies who claim moral justifications as their reason for bullying others.
I feel that this bill, which started out as a blanket anti-bullying bill before Republicans gutted it and inserted the new exemption, is a slap in the face to all the children, teens and adults who have suffered permanent psychological harm or committed suicide because of long-term bullying and abuse. Anyone else have opinions on this?

[Spyder]

The bill is, no-doubt, a travesty on human welfare.

However, in my opinion, I think that it won't get much mileage in the end.

[Guy]

Sick bastards.

[duck]

this is ridiculous, i wonder what they are trying to make better by this. if someone is being an asshole to someone else, they should be punished, if i punched hibiscus in the face and said it was because that she had a cooler computer than i did or something i should be charged with assult and not acquitted for having a reason for doing so. this is stupid, a kid here in town commited suicide over the summer because they were bullying him for being gay, should the bullys be charged with second degree (or third degree i dont know which) murder? i think yes

[Maringue]

Hitler had a moral justification for bullying Jews. Just sayin'.

Also, if I were a parent in Michigan I would have any kid who bullied my child (with a witness) arrested for assault. Most people do not know what the crime of assault actually means, but it's basically any threat of violence (does not require any physical contact) that you consider credible. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault#United_States

[HibiscusKazeneko]

There's another side to this that even Senator Whitmer failed to mention:
Traditionally, bullying has been viewed as a positive activity, that it "toughens kids up" and prepares them to deal with real-life disappointment, or that it helps them conform to social norms. Just look at this video from 1954:

Notice how the narrator repeatedly bullies Barbara and belittles her, then Barbara magically changes her ways. This is the (now widely known to be unrealistic) expectation many conservatives hold and that the Michigan Republicans parroted.

What's even more insulting about this new law is that it was originally written in memory of a boy who committed suicide due to bullying. Remember back to the case of Matthew Shepard: he was bullied to death for being gay. If this law had been in effect when Shepard was murdered, his killers would have gotten off scot-free.

[duck]

There was another thing here in juneau, we have a ski area called eaglecrest here and some kids were chasing another kid in their cars, they were attempting to iniciate (i have no clue how to spell that) him into highschool, the kid ended up crashing his car and dying. are the bullys to blame, or is it just that they wanted to toughen him up for highschool

[Spyder]

this is ridiculous, i wonder what they are trying to make better by this. if someone is being an asshole to someone else, they should be punished, if i punched hibiscus in the face and said it was because that she had a cooler computer than i did or something i should be charged with assult and not acquitted for having a reason for doing so. this is stupid, a kid here in town commited suicide over the summer because they were bullying him for being gay, should the bullys be charged with second degree (or third degree i dont know which) murder? i think yes

Probably fueled by the fundamentalist Christians who wish that the Old Testament was the outline for American Law.

You know, disregard the fact that Jesus told us to love our enemies and love those who despise us.

[Spyder]

There's another side to this that even Senator Whitmer failed to mention:
Traditionally, bullying has been viewed as a positive activity, that it "toughens kids up" and prepares them to deal with real-life disappointment, or that it helps them conform to social norms. Just look at this video from 1954:

Notice how the narrator repeatedly bullies Barbara and belittles her, then Barbara magically changes her ways. This is the (now widely known to be unrealistic) expectation many conservatives hold and that the Michigan Republicans parroted.

What's even more insulting about this new law is that it was originally written in memory of a boy who committed suicide due to bullying. Remember back to the case of Matthew Shepard: he was bullied to death for being gay. If this law had been in effect when Shepard was murdered, his killers would have gotten off scot-free.

Good ol' 50's. Choc-full of annoying, white, socialite snobs.

Now they're the baby-boomers: a fucking annoying breed who thinks that they saved the world countless times.

[Ackybur]

Detroit represent. Gotta get our switch blades ready.

[HibiscusKazeneko]

Detroit represent. Gotta get our switch blades ready.

I thought you lived in Utah.

[Wakka]

this is disgusting

[HibiscusKazeneko]

UPDATE:
Someone has started a petition to repeal this new law.
Sign if you want.

[cloud]

I couldn't agree more that bullying is never justified, no matter what the reason could be. When i was in middle school, i was bullied for being short. People thought that just because I was small, they had the ability to pick on me however they pleased. The one time I tried to stick up for myself, the group that was tormenting me litterally almost killed me. I landed in the hospital for two weeks in critical condition, and I'll never forget it. Bullying has always been trouble for me and I think that all bullies deserve to burn in hell. This bill is absolute bullshit (pardon my french) and there is absolutely no excuse for it to have been passed in the first place

[Vetos]

Between this, Topeka's city council decriminalizing spousal abuse, classifying pizza as a serving of vegetables, and establishing a military base in Australia, I think our nation as a whole has gone criminally insane. I feel terrible for Shepard, knowing his name is attached to a bill like that. Poor kid's probably rolling in his grave. And will anybody who has the power to change it give a shit? Nope.

Amazing. Simply amazing.

[Rustic Apple]

classifying pizza as a serving of vegetables

Excuse me for partially hijacking the thread, but I lost my shit when I heard about this. Not only is it incorrect, but don't our government peoples have better shit to do than argue over fucking school lunches? Y'know, like... doing something about the economy?

Amazing. Simply amazing.

[cloud]

@apple cider. Do you live in michigan? If so, do you live in the detroit area? It isn't really as bad as you think it would be, but that doesn't mean that the members of our government aren't just lazy asses who do nothing but exploit the people for their own wants *cough* kilpatrick *cough*. Declaring pizza a vegetable isn't as far out as you would think it is

[mrpikmin2]

classifying pizza as a serving of vegetables

Excuse me for partially hijacking the thread, but I lost my shit when I heard about this. Not only is it incorrect, but don't our government peoples have better shit to do than argue over fucking school lunches? Y'know, like... doing something about the economy?

Amazing. Simply amazing.

rustic reforming public school lunches is a huge issue, the bill was passed to do so, however lobbiests got ahold of it and added that.

[Techercizer]

classifying pizza as a serving of vegetables

Excuse me for partially hijacking the thread, but I lost my shit when I heard about this. Not only is it incorrect, but don't our government peoples have better shit to do than argue over fucking school lunches? Y'know, like... doing something about the economy?

Amazing. Simply amazing.

rustic reforming public school lunches is a huge issue, the bill was passed to do so, however lobbiests got ahold of it and added that.

I'd like to clarify something: Lobbyists did not get a hold of the bill and add this clause; elected officials were influenced into adding that by funding pressure from interest groups (namely lobbyists). The first sentence makes it seem like the lobbyists are the ones responsible for this change; it's their job to suggest crazy ideas like this, and the government's job to turn them down.