Guys, can we please keep in mind that a 10-year old child died and there are grieving parents and family involved? Although this is the G & O board, we could do without the G stuff on this particular thread -- seriously. To have to bury your own child must be the most horrible feeling ever -- something my uncle had to do a few months ago.
There are some people who have posted on this thread that I have some respect for based on their accomplishments, but still disagree with their particular opinion on this particular subject. But that's OK -- everyone's entitled to their own opinion.
Being a father of two young ones myself and also being somewhat bullied in my younger years, I have a different perspective than some others here. My parents allowed me to discover what I enjoyed doing, got good at it, my self-esteem was boosted because of it, developed a great group of close friends that appreciated me for me, and that's all that mattered even despite the slight bullying attempts here and there because of my ethnicity and my lack of size at that age.
Now as an adult, despite being over a 110 lbs. heavier than when I graduated from high school, I can still empathize with the kids who get bullied. But I also know that had the parents instilled in their children an early sense of self-worth from day one, regardless of any type of name-calling or other actions a few random punks might throw at them, that these children would be able to handle it and not give them the attention that these punks are craving.
