Kick a Ginger

[KG]

What started as a few Facebook groups instead became a nationwide police effort Thursday, as officers responded to a national “Kick a Ginger Day” that targeted red haired children.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081121.wred21/BNStory/National/home

I haven't heard of this elsewhere, but it's so mean.

 

[Beef03]

This could be the stupidest part of the entire thing:

Rob Frenette, an anti-bullying advocate in New Brunswick, says he was shocked when he found out about the group.

“We are very taken back that students would pick a certain group of people to harass due to their hair colour,” he said.


Isn't that what bullies do? at least that's the kind of bully I grew up with. They find some reason that a kid is different, any reason often encredibly mundane, and then use it against him. They could be fat, skinny, tall, blonde, have tight curly hair, they could be uncoordinated, rich, poor, live in trailoer park, come from good home, cheer for the wrong team, or hell even just be new.

This ****ing Anti-bullying advocate needs to find a new vocation, because he clearly doesn't have a clue as to what he is talking about.

 

[93Devil]

So cruel...

 

[Beef03]

So cruel...

My rant aside, I actually saw that episode, and laughed my ass off.

I can't really say I am surprised though that a bunch of 12 and 13 year-olds were stupid enough to do something like they did. For those that made a 'pact' to follow through on this ****, they should all be expelled or suspended severely. Hell, hold them back a grade at the very least, because they are so obviously not ready to continue to move on with the rest of society. For those that actually did follow through, charge each and everyone of the little bastards, send 'em all to juvy for a year or two.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

OK, but, somehow, the anti-bullying guy is wrong?

 

[The Big Ragu]

The anti-bullying guy is always wrong, Fenian. I want next Tuesday to be "Kick the anti-bullying guy" day. Who's with me?

Seriously, I sort of laughed at that "punch a jew" thread a few weeks ago, because I thought it was an isolated incident of some stupid 11 year olds who needed to be slapped around by their parents. But I just thought about this a bit more and this kind of stuff is a bit scarier to me. There is this human need to bully. Look throughout history and you have endless bullying on a grander and more serious scale: crusades and slavery and the holocaust and apartheid and endless things where someone is bullying others, often with cruel and dire consequences.

I don't want to overstate concern about a story about a bunch of kids acting like idiots, but maybe I need to be a bit more sensitive. I probably shouldn't read a story like that and immediately go with my "laugh it off; make a joke" instinct. Maybe the nastier adult stuff percolates with the stupid, cruel juvenile stuff.

 

[Armchair_QB]

OK, but, somehow, the anti-bullying guy is wrong?

He's not wrong.

But he is an idiot.

 

[dooley_womack1]

If it's ever Kick a Mary Ann Day, I'm going ballistic.

 

[Beef03]

OK, but, somehow, the anti-bullying guy is wrong?

He's not wrong.

But he is an idiot.

Thank you.

in regards to his comment, it would be like a, let's see here, a sports reporter showing up to cover a hockey game and being surprised to see it being played on ice.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Well, I think the it's-business-as-usual-whaddya-expect? line of thinking is pretty much what keeps this violent nonsense going on. If the anti-bullying guy wants to work to change that paradigm, well, I'm with him. It's better than simply getting tough in the aftermath.

 

[Drip]

Let's not forget kill a n-word day. I do recall that being supported by the hateful.

 

[Pastor]

You can kick this ginger all day for all I care...

 

[KG]

I think this is worse than just general school bullying, because it involves targeting a group, rather than an individual. It's scary to know that kids are organizing hate days to physically abuse others.

 

[Beef03]

Well, I think the it's-business-as-usual-whaddya-expect? line of thinking is pretty much what keeps this violent nonsense going on. If the anti-bullying guy wants to work to change that paradigm, well, I'm with him. It's better than simply getting tough in the aftermath.

I have no idea what action has been taken on the offenders or what action will be taken. My frustration was in his clueless response to the idea that bullies would pick on someone because of their hair colour. If the idea is that foreign to him, I'm curious as how successful he and his anti-bullying group are and how experienced they are in dealing with bullies and those who have been bullied.

 

[Beef03]

I think this is worse than just general school bullying, because it involves targeting a group, rather than an individual. It's scary to know that kids are organizing hate days to physically abuse others.

Absolutely.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

It's a public statement, beef. It's supposed to be non-specifically horrified. My guess is that this guy probably has forgotten more about the psychology of bullying than most of us will ever know.

 

[Beef03]

It's a public statement, beef. It's supposed to be non-specifically horrified. My guess is that this guy probably has forgotten more about the psychology of bullying than most of us will ever know.

Non-specificaly horrified is fine. Cluelessly horrified, however, is well, horrifying. It's a fine line. I hope he was going for non-specifially horrified, but in my eyes he missed the boat completely. He could have expressed his concern about how organized the bullying is, as opposed to looking like he was completely caught off guard by one of the simple facets of bullying - picking on someone who's different. From the eyes of someone who was bullied from Grade 5 through Grade 12 I look at that as complete ignorance. There's no way I trust that man to actually be able to help me out let alone lead an anti-bullying program competantly. That's my problem with him.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

gingerbread is gonna be ticked off ... :D ;D

 

[Pantalón del Fuego]

Hey, at least it wasn't "Kick A Shiela Day!" Those protesters in California would really have something to ***** about. 8)

 

[Ace]

What would be worse -- kicking a Ginger or stealing their sunscreen?