Attached is a video that speaks to everything this class is about. While it
is not necessarily advocating for a change in a local legislation or for a new
legislation, it is advocating for change. The boy, Josh, was the victim of
bullying at his old high school so he switched schools. At his new high school
he wanted to make himself a new person. He changed his status and himself. This
video uses pathos to get across a point that anyone can change and overcome
adversity. At my high school there was someone who did what Josh did, and
everyone knew who he was. He was that smiling, friendly person you would see
every day holding the door right before lunch. He also won Prom King because he
was such a great person. I understand the act that Josh went through and the
relationships, and personal skills it helped him develop. Now he is using those
skills for advocating change. Josh uses his personal experiences to change the
circumstances that other kids are unknowingly forced into because they are
bullied. Josh uses the intrapersonal skills he developed by holding the door
every day as a way to interact with victims of bullying. He has become a public
speaker on the topic of bullying and travels from school to school advocating
for change. The video is an appeal to anyone that watches it. It is not
persuasive in nature but has the ability to persuade someone to the
consequences of bullying. It is interesting to see how a bullying victim has
turned his life around and is now helping others.
This topic and story is as important to combating bullying as the video is heartwarming. Josh prevented himself from being seen as a target by presenting common courtesy through interaction. Because Josh had been shy before, nobody could recognize the person who he was. People only used what they could see about Josh, it could have been his speech impediment mixed with his refusal to communicate with others, or even other factors created by the bullies to create such a person to target. Bullying has always been a very concerning topic in schools. School councilors may tell students to ignore the bullies or to go tell a teacher or adult. Though these suggestions are not wrong because they do not stoop down to the bullies level, they create an even bigger conflict between the bullier and the victim because of the lack of interaction. Josh probably found that those strategies made things worse, so instead he eliminated the barrier separating his peers from who he was through interactions of common courtesy and showing the other students that he was a person just like them and not a target. People bully because they either find something different about the other person that is strange to them, such as Josh's speech impediment or shyness, and make those traits their focus of attack or because those bullies are themselves feeling a frustration or hurt in their life so they take the hatred out on the ones more vulnerable than them. It can even be the combination of both, just like Bender from "The Breakfast Club". He presents himself as the bad guy, or really the troubled child, by exploiting the differences in others and how to rise above them. He bullies the rich girl because he himself is not rich. Bender takes out his anger from being verbally and physically abused by his parents on those around him not feeling his pain. In Josh's situation, Josh combated the bullying by showing that he was actually a friend, an individual, a kind person. Simple actions such as opening doors for people and greeting them -showing that he cared about his peers and that he was not a strange person- made him more of a friend in his peers eyes. His peers made him a prom king, a cool person, and a loved person instead of a target for bullying. This can also kind of relate to Brick from Anchorman 2. Brick is the weather man in the movie who is mentally challenged. He had limitations but he was also a valued team member of the news station. Despite his retardation, his co-workers who are his best friends, understand Bricks purity, vulnerability, and significance of being a part of their team. Brick becomes protected by his friends from bullying. In one scene when Brick is being attacked and yelled at after saying something not relating to the troubling situation, both of his co-workers stand up for him and state to the angered man, "Nobody yells at Brick". Later he is given a gun from the future to protect him in the fight scene. By doing good unto others the others then do good unto you.
I agree that bullying is such an important issue, especially in today's school system. In high school I worked with several disabled students who were constantly teased and harassed for their disabilities. I cannot believe to this day that we are that ignorant as a society to not teach our young and enforce strict policy against bullying. We should learn to make differences a point of discussion and union, instead of distaste and harassment.
This topic and story is as important to combating bullying as the video is heartwarming. Josh prevented himself from being seen as a target by presenting common courtesy through interaction. Because Josh had been shy before, nobody could recognize the person who he was. People only used what they could see about Josh, it could have been his speech impediment mixed with his refusal to communicate with others, or even other factors created by the bullies to create such a person to target. Bullying has always been a very concerning topic in schools. School councilors may tell students to ignore the bullies or to go tell a teacher or adult. Though these suggestions are not wrong because they do not stoop down to the bullies level, they create an even bigger conflict between the bullier and the victim because of the lack of interaction. Josh probably found that those strategies made things worse, so instead he eliminated the barrier separating his peers from who he was through interactions of common courtesy and showing the other students that he was a person just like them and not a target. People bully because they either find something different about the other person that is strange to them, such as Josh's speech impediment or shyness, and make those traits their focus of attack or because those bullies are themselves feeling a frustration or hurt in their life so they take the hatred out on the ones more vulnerable than them. It can even be the combination of both, just like Bender from "The Breakfast Club". He presents himself as the bad guy, or really the troubled child, by exploiting the differences in others and how to rise above them. He bullies the rich girl because he himself is not rich. Bender takes out his anger from being verbally and physically abused by his parents on those around him not feeling his pain. In Josh's situation, Josh combated the bullying by showing that he was actually a friend, an individual, a kind person. Simple actions such as opening doors for people and greeting them -showing that he cared about his peers and that he was not a strange person- made him more of a friend in his peers eyes. His peers made him a prom king, a cool person, and a loved person instead of a target for bullying. This can also kind of relate to Brick from Anchorman 2. Brick is the weather man in the movie who is mentally challenged. He had limitations but he was also a valued team member of the news station. Despite his retardation, his co-workers who are his best friends, understand Bricks purity, vulnerability, and significance of being a part of their team. Brick becomes protected by his friends from bullying. In one scene when Brick is being attacked and yelled at after saying something not relating to the troubling situation, both of his co-workers stand up for him and state to the angered man, "Nobody yells at Brick". Later he is given a gun from the future to protect him in the fight scene. By doing good unto others the others then do good unto you.
ReplyDeleteI agree that bullying is such an important issue, especially in today's school system. In high school I worked with several disabled students who were constantly teased and harassed for their disabilities. I cannot believe to this day that we are that ignorant as a society to not teach our young and enforce strict policy against bullying. We should learn to make differences a point of discussion and union, instead of distaste and harassment.
ReplyDelete