Michigan state senator slams anti-bullying law

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/11/07/video-michigan-state-senator-slams-anti-bullying-law/

A Michigan state senator has passionately condemned a new anti-bullying law which provides an exception whereby bullying may be able to be justified because of religious or moral beliefs.

Democrat Gretchen Whitmer described the new law as a “Republican licence to bully”, saying: “As passed today, bullying kids is OK if a student, parent, teacher or school employee can come up with a moral or religious reason for doing it.”

“Matt’s Safe School Law”, was named for 14-year-old Matt Epling, a Michigan student who committed suicide in 2008 after being bullied by his classmates.

But the law does not prohibit the expression of religious or moral beliefs, and many fear that it will be of little use in protecting bullied students if bullying is able to be justified on such grounds.

Senator Whitmer mentioned ten Michigan students who had committed suicide in the last decade as a result of bullying, and claimed the new legislation would not have prevented any of their deaths.

[Old and In the Way]

1. Today's schoolyard bullies, are tomorrow's young Republicans.

Bullies are anti-socialists. Just the kind of person the RNC wants to recruit.

[Initech]

5. I've been saying that for a while.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. This Michigan anti-bullying law would allow a Christian child to bully and beat up on

a Jewish child for the murder of his Lord or an atheist child for not believing in God, period?

[RKP5637]

8. Well, lion pits could also be built so the kids could gleefully throw the

christians into them during recess.

[Ship of Fools]

3. Just when you thought it couldn't get more bizarre ...

[SheilaT]

4. On the up side

everyone can bully everyone else for not believing in The One True Religion. If a serious outbreak of that happens, perhaps the lawmakers will understand how stupid the exception is.

[xchrom]

6. Recommend

[RKP5637]

7. Good, so now we can bully the hell out of christians and it will be perfectly OK. Great!!! We can

have great religious wars right in the schools. It's the American way. Greed, bullying and hateful behavior is OK! Go USA! Go USA! You're #1. Yep, #1 right at the bottom.

[Philosopher King]

9. Legislation aimed at controlling the behavior of children is not

likely to have much of an effect regardless of the specifics of the language.

Their efforts would probably be better spent on educating parents who are unaware of the problem.