A Hopkinsville high school student has tragically taken her own life. Her death is attributed to having been bullied.
In moments like these, it is hard to discuss such a tragedy without it becoming politicized.
Unfortunately, cutting through highly-charged emotion is a necessary process when voices arise seeking to take advantage of a tragic situation. Inevitably, anti-bullying crusaders will use this tragic event to cull political leverage.
HB 336 is a bill in this year’s legislature that wants to address bullying. What anti-bullying individuals fail to address is that Kentucky passed a strong anti-bullying law in 2008 that calls on all students to be entitled to a safe educational atmosphere. It also requires schools to have a documented discipline code and reporting standards for when students are bullied. It also defines what constitutes intimidation and harassment.
The real intent of the new bill, HB 336,is to place distinguishing characteristics such as homosexuality and transgenderism into Kentucky law for the very first time. The bill reads:
Motivated by a student’s actual or perceived race; color; religion; national origin; ancestry or ethnicity; sexual orientation; physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability; gender; gender identity and expression; or other distinguishing personal characteristic;
We wish that advocates of the “Bullying Bill” would advertise truthfully in why they support HB 336. It’s not because there isn’t a bullying bill. There is. Advocates for the bullying bill are trying to enforce rigid speech codes and ensconce homosexual and transgender politics in our public schools. It you think homosexual politics is something that our schools should address, then support this bill. If you believe that schools are designed to educate and create environments of respect, civility, and kindness, then you shouldn’t support HB 336.
The article which brought attention to the death of Miranda Campbell has some revealing insights. According to the article,
Choice (the school’s principal) said the school has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying. Anyone who encounters or witnesses bullying is encouraged to notify a teacher or staff member.
According to disciplinary guidelines from Christian County Public Schools, students engaged in bullying or harassment are subject to disciplinary action including suspension or expulsion. The guidelines also state that within 24 hours of receiving a serious allegation of bullying or harassment, district personnel attempt to notify the parents of both accused students and student victims in a case.
Choice didn’t know of any instances where Miranda was bullied by other students at the school.
By the principal’s own admission, there was already a bullying process in place—a “zero tolerance” policy, in fact. Why was Miranda Campbell then bullied? Because students did not follow the existing bullying rules. Why else? Because teachers did not adequately address the bullying that had been going on. If the bill from 2008 were enforced and problems addressed, the actions against Miranda Campbell should never have intensified as they did.
What is our response to this tragedy? The Family Foundation again affirms that no student—overweight, pimpled, spectacled, gay, Muslim or Christian—ought to be bullied. Every student is entitled equal protection under the law. Every student can be protected under the law without pandering to specific characteristics. “Treat others as you wish to be treated” is an optimal rule to end bullying.
There is no conditional clause. It’s not “treat others as you wish to be treated unless that person is _____.” You fill in the blank.
This tragedy is not an act of aggression against the gay community. It’s an act of aggression against a person whose identity comes from God, not her particular sub-culture. Miranda Campbell should never have been bullied. We only wish that the current law would have been enforced.
When children are bullied, these instances show us that laws need to be enforced, not politicized.
