Legislature Spotlights Bullying in Schools
By MORGAN SMITH
Published: March 3, 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/us/04ttbullying.html

The scariest part of the school day for one student in the Austin Independent School District is before classes begin. For the female-to-male transgender 16-year-old, the "nerve-racking" minutes he spends trying to find his friends at school each morning is when bullies are most likely to strike.

"I did it because I had no other choice. I refused to bury my son," said Kime Mitchell, a mother who filed suit against a Texas school district after her son was bullied.

"People don't mess with groups of people," he said. "But they see someone walking by themselves, and there's no fear there."

The idiocy of student bullying never fails to get me worked up. Having been a victim myself, in a Catholic grade school nonetheless, it's hard to fathom that this is still an issue in 2010/11. Sad to see reports that only 1/3 of GLBT students who went to teachers and principals felt that the administration stepped in offer appropriate protection.

If I hear about "certain groups" wanting "special rights" one more time, I think I'll puke.

When can we outlaw bigots? Which island can we send them to?