Comments on: Bakersfield-Area Teen Dies After Suicide Attempt; No Charges Will Be Filed

By: Mark F.

Mark F. — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:29:44 +0000

Yes, bullying often involves real crimes (not just calling names) and the children who bully and the adults who cover for them should be held accountable.

By: Bernie

Bernie — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 04:14:37 +0000

Candace, I am right there with you. The thing is, I tell everyone , friends, and everyone I meet. I make it MY BUSINESS to promulgate the lies and hatred that are being proliferated by these disgusting Un-Christlike bigots.

I send letters to the FRC, but the cowards never respond.

I think it’s high time that Morris Dees and the Southern Poverty Law Center starts investigating.

Rayomond, NEVER, EVER lose hope or your courage, young man. God does not make junk! It’s the evil that dwells in the hearts of people that allow things like this to happen.

By: Theo

Theo — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 02:57:42 +0000

I just want to echo what Regan said above: “bullying” may not be a defined crime under CA law, but a whole host of acts that may comprise bullying – assault, battery, terroristic threats, unlawful restraint, etc. – are crimes. Unless we hear from all parties that the bullying in this case involved only name-calling and no physical acts, no destruction of property, and no threats of violence, then we should assume that the police are covering for the bullies.

I don’t care if these bullies shed some tears on cue. When I was a teen, I could put on a performance worthy of Bill Clinton and then be laughing about it 30 minutes later. We shouldn’t let this story drop.

By: lurker

lurker — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 01:42:37 +0000

this epidemic of kids who cannot bear living anymore due to harassment must just be the tip of the iceburg.

For every kid who has it so bad that s/he committs suicide, there must be hundreds living with PTSD-like symptoms from the psychological wounds they’ve managed to survive.

By: Mark F.

Mark F. — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:45:38 +0000

I’m wondering about this boy’s parents. Why didn’t they do anything if this had been going on for such a long time? I wonder if he told them anything.

By: John in the Bay Area

John in the Bay Area — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 22:18:44 +0000

I think that it is positive that we are talking about these suicides and putting faces on the problem, even if the parents of the victims aren’t always happy about it. This problem is real. It is tragic. We as a nation need to address it. But we are only going to start addressing it, when we start talking about it. And as sad as it is, a picture showing just how much of a kid the victim was helps jar people out of their ideology.

By: Seraphiel

Seraphiel — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 22:06:02 +0000

I stand by my statement that this will continue until *school officials* start going to prison for criminal negligence.

By: Candace

Candace — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:46:07 +0000

“As far as the FRC, FOC, AFA goes, may God have mercy on your ignorant, IGNORANT poor excuse for souls, for promoting your disgusting propaganda.”

You all need to get one thing clear in your mind: THIS IS NOT DONE OUT OF IGNORANCE: IT’S DONE DELIBERATELY.

To anti-gays, the only good gay is a dead gay. They don’t care if we ALL committ suicide– in fact, they hope we do.

They want to wipe us off the face of the earth. All of us, every single last one of us. That’s how deep their hatred runs, and I don’t see how anyone can NOT see that.

We MUST protect our young and stop worrying that–God forbid!– that if we mentor vulnerable gays, somebody might think we’re not JUST LIKE the hetero couple next door! Well, we’re NOT like the hetero next door, we’re GAY and LESBIAN and we need to stop cringing around being so politically correct and not wanting to make waves that we allow THEM to destroy what is OURS.

I’m not a politician and I’m not a social worker and I’m not an activist, but I know there HAS TO BE SOME WAY that we can come together to tell the world F*CK YOU, we’ll protect what is ours.

I already buried my 20 year old daughter over the same thing and every child on the news is like a new knife in my chest. I want to do something, but I don’t know what to do. It’s obvious that the approach we’re taking now isn’t working.

We can’t just keep looking at the faces of our dead, writing a couple of posts about it, and getting up from the computer and going with our lives. SOMEBODY has to come up with a better plan of action that what we have.

By: Emily K

Emily K — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:06:04 +0000

Raymond, stay strong and courageous! If things ever get too tough and you need someone to talk to who also came out at 15, i can give you my email.

By: Jim Burroway

Jim Burroway — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 19:42:58 +0000

It is Bakersfield. Sorry for the confusion.