April 22, 2012:

Bully

Most of us who went to elementary and high school in a former generation remember there was some unkind name-calling as well as pushing and shoving. Some kids were "picked on" for a variety of reasons. While that was unpleasant, that was about as far as it went. Today school life is different, sometimes cruel and even dangerous.

In his movie "Bully," director Lee Hirsch films what happened to five young victims of brutal peer abuse, including two who had committed suicide because of what they had endured. The cruelty on view is so eye-opening that it should be screened in very school in the country as well as seen by all parents. The film provides a clear mirror of the distorted values of young victimizers and their victims alike.

Because of its language and graphic violence, the movie — now showing at the Rave theater here in Chattanooga — is rated PG-13. I can understand the reasons for this rating, but I believe that children under thirteen years also should see the movie, accompanied by their parents, of course.

Seeing the movie might help victims of bullying to find the courage to tell their parents what they are suffering. Please, don’t assume that this brutal bullying only happens in "bad" schools. Bullying goes on in prestigious private schools as well.

One of the most harrowing parts of the movie details what happened to a 12-year-old victim in Iowa. Sioux City’s Alex Libby is a bright, aware kid with an awkward manner. He is so desperate to connect with his antagonists that it is possible no adults would have learned of the insults and beatings he endured had not Hirsch’s camera recorded them.

Yes, the end of the movie is a bit "preachy" and may begin to seem like an extended Public Service Announcement, but the movie still must be seen by all adults who care about children.

I wonder if there are children and grand-children of Pilgrim members who are being bullied now? Don’t you think we ought to find out?

Love,
Dave