Guest Post - "Be Brave. Speak Up"

I am pleased & proud to host this Guest Post by Tammy Gibb-James; a compelling read and an important issue we can all relate to and all work to overcome.

Be Brave.  Speak up.   

The events in our community during the week of February 14 have inspired this letter.

I was a bullied child and teen.  Every day to & from school I was picked on, tormented really.  To say high school was hell is an understatement.  Popular wisdom at the time said “ignore them, they’ll go away”.  It obviously didn’t work.

Bullies don’t go away.  They grow up.  They get jobs. They become parents.  They become volunteers.  They own businesses.  But here’s the thing, many are still bullies.  They take to Facebook, Twitter, and the coffee shop.  They have moved from the back of the bus and the school hallway, but all that has changed is their location.  They may be at church, parent groups, your office or your local arena.

The greater community needs to find our voice.  We need to stop silently shaking our heads and rolling our eyes at these people.  They need to be held accountable for their actions.  The reason adult bullies still have voices is because their audiences listen & don’t act.  Children are now taught that bystanders have power; calling bullies on their behavior has the ability to change it.

The next time you are at a meeting, sports event or community gathering please be brave; use your voice and call these bullies out.  Let them know they will now be held to a higher standard, the same standard to which we hold our children.  We need to restore civility to our community and this would be a good first step.

Sincerely,

Tammy Gibb-James