He endured that for a year. Imagine yourself being taunted and teased and threatened for a year. Seriously. Imagine it. Now imagine you're fourteen.
The Amherst Police Department's SVU said it will determine whether to charge some students with harassment, cyber-harassment or hate crimes, saying that three students in particular might have been involved. Currently, there are no bullying laws in New York State, so police would have to determine whether aggravated harassment charges fit this case.
Imagine. You're fourteen, and thinking, feeling, wondering, questioning, your sexual orientation, and having to listen to the taunts and teases for years.
Some students posted anonymous messages on Jamey's Mindspring account, a website that allows anonymous posts:
"JAMIE IS STUPID, GAY, FAT ANND [sic] UGLY. HE MUST DIE!"
"I wouldn't care if you died. No one would. So just do it :) It would make everyone WAY more happier!"
Imagine you're fourteen and that's what people are saying to you. Every.Single.Day.
Every.Single.Day. And, though friends reported the bullying incidences to guidance counselors, everyone, including his mother, thought Jamey had grown stronger. But how do you grow stronger when this happens to you every single day. How do you 'get over it' or 'move on'?
Friends described him as caring and friendly, and he had been seeking help from a social worker and therapist. his own mother, who knew her son was questioning his sexual orientation, thought he'd grown stronger.
Until enough was too much.
In May, after coming out to friends, Jamey posted a YouTube video on the new online site, It Gets Better Project, which provides testimony from adults and celebrities to reassure troubled and potentially suicidal LGBT youth that life improves as they get older, saying, "Love yourself and you're set. ... I promise you, it will get better."
Sadly, for Jamey, it didn't.
And now, hopefully, the police will find those 'anonymous' people who have nothing better to do than taunt and torment a young boy, and punish them. And hopefully parents and schools and school officials and law enforcement will begin to realize this isn't just fun that kids do. It isn't a game. Games don't end up with someone dead.
On Facebook, Jamey posted: "I always say how bullied I am, but no one listens. ... What do I have to do so people will listen to me? No one in my school cares about preventing suicide, while you're the ones calling me [gay slur] and tearing me down."
One of his last posts were the lyrics to a song by Hollywood Undead:
"I just wanna say good bye, disappear with no one knowing. ... I don't wanna live this lie, smiling to the world unknowing."
Hopefully, with the police involved, there will be justice for Jamey Rodemeyer, and hopefully, no one will have to endure bullying because of who they are, or who they love, or the color of their skin, their faith, or anything.
Hopefully, bullying will soon die out.
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I know how it feels... I wonder how I've been able to make it through high school! I feel so sad, disgusted and angry now. How many more martyr before people wake up!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't even trust my teachers to help me. For them, bullying was just part of growing up. "It shapes your character and personnality" they said!
WHERE ARE THE TEACHERS?
WHAT ARE THEY SAYING TODAY?
WHAT ABOUT ALL THE PARENTS WITH KIDS IN HIGH SCHOOL?
WILL THEY FINALLY SAY "THAT'S ENOUGH?" or are we going to be the only one who will scream... again?
The real shame is that the world will never know what a beautiful bird was taken from them...
ReplyDeleteA song extinguished by fear & discord.
Years and years from now, the bullies will be having problems in their lives, and they will wonder whom to call, and they will think of Jamey then, I promise you!
Unfortunately, that phone will just ring and ring....
This is just ripping my heart up. I wish I could tell these kids how needed they are in the world. How awful the world is without them in it.
ReplyDeleteI am heartbroken...
ReplyDeletehe needs justice
ReplyDeleteIts so very sad. Kid is a kid, who really need our attention and caring. Again and again, we always late. When something bad happen, we just realized it, and awake.
ReplyDeleteThe worst part is that if Jamey had continued on a few more years, maybe 10 at the most, these same people would be trying to be friends with him on whatever the latest social network is. They would all want to reconnect with everyone they used to know back in high school and discussing all the great memories they had. They'd be sending him messages asking if Jamey remembered them, and how it's so great to talk with him. Then Jamey could do exactly what he should have been able to do back in high school, cut them out of his life, one by one.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that it only gets better when you realize that high school is hell with florescent lighting. However; it has a purgatory time span.
It's terrible. How many more times will we hear bout stories like this. politicians need to be held accountable for their hate filled speeches and policy decisions. It's 2011 and now it becomes ok to be openly gay in the US military!? Gimme a break. More reason to live 'out' and proud.....hopefully we can pave a better road for our youth struggling with this type of ignorance.
ReplyDelete