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Grayson Bruce, 9, says he has been bullied repeatedly because he brings a "My Little Pony" bag to school. Classmates tell him the show is for girls. After his family complained about the bullying, officials at North Carolina's Buncombe County Schools took action. They banned Bruce from bringing the bag to school, calling it a distraction and a "trigger for bullying."

Comments

[Snark Plissken]

Who's the bigger asshole? The parents who expect the school to prevent 9-year-olds from teasing their son for something which deserves it or the school for their idiotic reaction. I'm going with the parents.

Hell, when I was in school you could get tons of shit just for having a lame lunchbox, or just bringing "weird" food.

[PM]

Yeah, I saw this headline a couple days ago, and I mean, at a certain point you are literally pleading to get made fun of. Becoming a brony is one of those occasions, and it's important for the lad to be exposed to it now so that he can develop adequate coping mechanisms that he will need in order to make it through the rest of his life. Let him bring the backpack, and don't blame the other children for their perfectly normal reactions.

[Swiss Servator, mehr Spr?ngli]

But...but...PM, he should be shielded from the world!

/Special Snowflake's parent

[UnCivilServant]

If that were true, they'd have given him a real name, not a backwards hybrid of two members of the bat family.

[Rich]

It'd be awesome if, upon discovering that the kid is bullied for his name, the school made him *change it*.

Can't have these disruptive "triggers for bullying".

[Bones]

You mean like making people not use proper sign language because gangs use those hand signals? Gee, that could never happen.

[UnCivilServant]

The ability to shrug off verbal and psychological abuse from my peers is just about the only thing my public schools taught well. I have to agree that if the kid decides to actively label himself as part of the outgroup, he deserves what he gets, and the parents should teach him "life ain't fair".

[Heroic Mulatto]

The ability to shrug off verbal and psychological abuse from my peers is just about the only thing my public schools taught well.

See, that's really what John Dewey meant by "socialization".

[Steve G]

If he was just a little older he'd be growing an ironic beard. He's just a junior hipster

[Agile Cyborg]

Firstly, I agree with you that if you are an oddball (and bronies are oddballs, which is OK in my book) you should be able to shoulder your weirdness with pride and indifference to ridicule and this ideally starts young; secondly, I disagree that kids who are prone to bully should not shoulder blame for their inflexibility. It makes no sense to expect the oddball to either be tough or conform to the whims of his classmates yet hold bullies to no standard whatsoever. Kids that bully have tolerance issues and have a fucking narrow-mind.

Teach bullies to expand their minds while teaching oddballs to be indifferent to ridicule and BOTH sides are better for it.

[Lady Bertrum]

Teach bullies to expand their minds while teaching oddballs to be indifferent to ridicule and BOTH sides are better for it.

This^

And, a core principle of a liberal society should be tolerance. Shouldn't we be reinforcing that? Gently teasing isn't bullying, though, and we should be able to distinguish between an amused comment and the relentless harassment of true bulling.

[Agile Cyborg]

"Gently teasing isn't bullying"

Agreed.

[Jordan]

Ha ha, yeah that stupid faggot totally deserves it. I mean, what kind of 9 year old likes cartoons? It makes complete sense for the school to punish the victim.

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

The parents who expect the school to prevent 9-year-olds from teasing their son for something which deserves it or the school for their idiotic reaction.

What the fuck? If your child was being punched and knocked down every day, I hope that you would do the right thing and try to protect him rather than being the Grade-A asshole you're being right now.

[BardMetal]

The proper thing to do is to make the kid watch John Wayne movies until he's normal.

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

I mean hey it's just school amirite? getting punched in school is like getting raped in prison you know it's just part of the territory.

[BardMetal]

Yes fighting in schools is part of the territory, and if you're going to paint a giant target on your back then you better be prepared to fight back.

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

Right, as it should be, because schools should be like prisons or Thunderdome. Because that's how civilized societies act.

I'm all in on self-defense, but you're just blaming the victim here.

[BardMetal]

of course make sure all the special little snow flakes are completely sheltered from the realities of life.

Won't little Timmy be surprised when he grows up and shows up at a job site wearing a furry suit and a tampon, and the others guys don't embrace him for being different.

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

Deliberate misrepresentation FTL.

Do you hear yourself? He had a backpack, so he deserves to be punched. Holy Christ that's sick.

[Lady Bertrum]

I realize I'm late to react, but your comment is shite.

There's a huge difference between shelter a kid from worldly experiences and placing them in a hostile environment to take abuse as a form of "toughing them up".

Institutionalized schooling is nothing like the work environment. The obvious difference being it is complete voluntary where as school is mandatory.

As Neoliberal points out, possibly the institutional structure of education is fundamentally shit. There are other ways to educate people beyond using a 19th century authoritarian/socialized structure.

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

I mean I seriously don't want to hear bitching about the prison system if you're going to say that "fighting in school" is "part of the territory".

[wareagle]

fighting in schools has historically been a part of it. Some kids are going to be shitheads; you deal with it and sometimes that means smacking them in the mouth.

Few things convince a bully to go elsewhere then a kid who fights back. That kid doesn't have to win the fight, just show his BS tolerance has a limit.

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

I agree. But you've got people dancing on the line of "this kid deserves this treatment."

[wareagle]

it's a school bureaucracy, NK. Whatever the stupidest possible answer is, that's what will be done.

There is a certain irony here. Buncombe County is where Asheville is, about as Blue a city as there is.

[Jordan]

Few things convince a bully to go elsewhere then a kid who fights back.

You know what doesn't convince a bully to go elsewhere? The school punishing the victim instead of the bully.

[Jordan]

A 9 year old paints a giant target on his back by liking the wrong cartoons? Man, you guys are assholes.

[T?tmacher]

"A 9 year old paints a giant target on his back by liking the wrong cartoons?"

Yup. Are you retarded, or new to school or something fuckwit?

" Man, you guys are assholes."

Wow, cry more brony.

[Lady Bertrum]

"Wow, cry more brony."

30 years ago you'd have told a gay kid to shut the F up and stop liking guys.

Nice tolerance there, a-hole.

[Rich]

"John Wayne"?

Sheesh, you might as well say "John *Waters*"!

[BardMetal]

Would you have preferred Clint Eastwood?

[Rich]

Yes.

[Snark Plissken]

Except I very much doubt the kid was being physically abused. Notice I said "teasing". Bullying has now come to encompass anything that hurts feelings, sorry, but kids will taunt each other. I was going to mention actual physical bullying as something else altogether but thought that was taken as a given. So take your self-righteousness and shove it up your slimehole.

My kid takes boxing lessons, I expect him to be able handle himself, because I know sometimes it's just plain necessary.

[Steve G]

I think there's also a mental advantage to it as well. Knowing one can handle the situation physically conveys a mental strength or resistance to BS too.

[Snark Plissken]

Definitely. Plus it's just a damn good workout.

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

He said he was being physically assaulted. The kid seemed to accept something was coming his way regardless:

"They're taking it a little too far, with punching me, pushing me down, calling me horrible names, stuff that really shouldn't happen,"

but remember you said he "deserves it", which is just awesome of you.

[Snark Plissken]

Yes, I said this kid deserves to get punched.

The parents who expect the school to prevent 9-year-olds from teasing their son for something which deserves it

What a mendacious prick you are.

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

you didn't read the article and now it's my fault. Just own up already. You called them "stupid" for involving the school over physical assault. That's your own stupidity, not mine.

[Snark Plissken]

Yes, I assumed that bullying was saying mean things to their special snowflake. I didn't say he deserved to get punched you mendacious prick, so please own up to that if you have the integrity.

[UnCivilServant]

Physical assault? that's fucking mild treatment. Where was the blood and broken bones. Did you even go to public school?

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

Perhaps you don't know the definition of physical assault? I went to public school. I defended myself from the kind of prickery you guys are batting your eyes at. That doesn't make it right.

[Snark Plissken]

No integrity, then.

[mad.casual]

I was bullied through grade school and part of high school. I certainly antagonized several conflicts strictly to get 'more agitated' students suspended/expelled (It was policy!).

When I (without malice) started knocking out teeth on the basketball court and breaking other people's bones on the football field, the bullying mostly stopped. My brother and I used to pound on each other for no reason at all. The only reason we stopped was because we started inflicting significant injuries.

When we all, bullies and victims, realized that portions of both positions were untenable, that's when we stopped dicking around and acting like children.

[Jordan]

So if some guy sucker punched you in the face but broke no bones or drew no blood, you'd expect the cops to shrug it off when you called them?

[T?tmacher]

I'd expect you to cry like a fucking bitch about it.

[Stormy Dragon]

I suspect Snark Plisken was himself a bully in school, and is now trying to rationalize his childhood behavior.

[Steve G]

They banned Crystal from wearing the miniskirt to the office, calling it a distraction and a "trigger for rape."

Yeah, pretty sure this wouldn't fly if the context was different.

[Pavlov's Cat]

Learn to rub blue mud in your navel.
Learn to fight like hell.
Learn to run like hell.
Or get beat up.
Burma Shave.

[RishJoMo]

Man that sounds like a very good plan to me dude.

http://www.Anon-VPN.com

[CampingInYourPark]

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- An 11-year-old boy is in the hospital after trying to commit suicide -- the victim of bullying at school.

Michael's parents say he was that way even in the face of daunting bullying at school. Michael likes the cartoon "My Little Pony." It turns out, the cartoon has a growing, and perhaps unlikely fan club -- men and boys known as "Bronies."

Because of that, Michael was teased so much that ten days ago he decided to do something about it.

Looks like an epidemic of Brony bullying in NC. Something must be done. Some common sense Brony bullying legislation is in order

[CampingInYourPark]

Link: http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?id=9418200

[BardMetal]

Like making it mandatory to bully Bronies?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Well that settles that.

Ban 'My Little Pony.'

I'm dialing Feinstein's number right now.

[Rich]

a "trigger for bullying"

And a "trigger for lawsuits". Let 'em begin.

[RannedPall]

But it's hate speech! Bullying is hate speech.

[Rich]

"friendship is magic."

As is hate speech.

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

Speech is one thing. Assault is another.

[UnCivilServant]

We must put resonable regulations on bronies for their own good. Perhaps quarantine.

[UnCivilServant]

I Brooksed my reply to "CampingInYourPark". 🙁

[RannedPall]

I woke up to piss (5am here), and I find a bronie article? Reason, how did it come to this?

[Agile Cyborg]

Even a bronie can spell 'run' correctly. 😉

[Mickey Rat]

Banning the backpack is the easiest solution for the school officials, why should they not use it?

[Rich]

But it's not the most ridiculous solution, which would be mandating "My Little Pony" backpacks for *everyone*.

[Heroic Mulatto]

But "My Little Pony" is the intellectual property of Hasbro, which is a CORPORATION! You want CORPORATIONS in OUR SCHOOLS, you MONSTER?!?!

[wareagle]

because, all kidding aside, it's a pussy solution, a non-answer that paints the kid as the problem rather than the behavior of the ones who are misbehaving.

Yes, Brony-boy paints a target on his back and kids at that age have ALWAYS picked on others for whatever reason, but the school turns a blind eye toward negative action with a bureaucratic solution.

[Mickey Rat]

Agreed. I simply find most of these absurd solutions are the ones that are easiest for the bureaucrats to enforce, not ones that have a semblance of justice.

[Mickey Rat]

Or rather, the solutions that might make the issue go away.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

The heckler's veto is awesome!

Now, not being as brave as the kid, I would probably have responded to the bullying by changing my lunch box. But obviously the boy bravely chose to take the risk and endure the consequences. So the kid was willing to endure the hassle of being bullied, but the school administrators found the situation too stressful? "We're the real victims here! This kid may be enduring mistreatment that we can't/won't protect him from, but we have to endure these administrative hassles!"

[Notorious G.K.C.]

And just when a zero tolerance policy for bullying might have been useful, they reject zero tolerance.Just pretend the bullies drew pictures of guns!

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

I agree with you entirely. Let's get this on the calendar.

[Jordan]

Right on.

[AlmightyJB]

You've gotta fight for your right to brony.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Yesterday a few parents went nuts over a kid bringing in a Swiss Army knife to school. My wife came in asking if I heard about it (the school is a couple of minutes from our house). I could but laugh. Then she proceeded to tell me about how the kid the other day was puncturing holes in a cup on the bus with it as well as telling me about a parent on the governing board who was emotionally explaining how many nervous texts she was getting and that her husband (these two are essentially over-implicated busy-bodies. The sort of people trouble follows them for some 'inexplicable' reason.) heard about it all the way in Montreal 30 minutes away! All for a fucking camping knife.

I understand policy and all that but for fuck sakes discreetly handle. Nope. Cops had to get involved. Parents irrationally become shrill and I'm reminded at how much I hate people. I asked my wife if someone, anyone spoke with any kind of logic (beside herself). She said one guy. He looked at the girl and said, "Really? Text messages for a Swiss army knife?

The story reminded me of that Simpsons character who throws himself out of the window in a panic. "This enormous woman will devour us all!"

Anyway. After telling me of the travails at governing board, my wife asked what I thought while I stood staring at the open fridge. "Aw, man. I was craving an apple." I replied.

[Steve G]

You just unloaded about 250 words of rant which clearly shows you're ate up about it, yet you finish w/ the fridge story about how you let your wife know you really didn't care.
All I have to say is: well played, sir, well played.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Yes, but who was phone?

[Mainer2]

So they are primitives who assign special powers to the knife.

I hate them, too...but why are these people allowed to prevail?

[Heroic Mulatto]

Glenn Beck wrote on his website on Monday, "A 9-year-old boy can't choose to be different? A 9-year-old boy can't choose "My Little Pony" and be protected by the school?"

Beck told Grayson, "Just because you like little ponies means nothing. You having the courage to be who you are and stand up, no matter what society says, that is worth its weight in gold."

Well, there you have it. Support for the gold standard is support for "My Little Pony".

[T?tmacher]

"A 9-year-old boy can't choose to be different? A 9-year-old boy can't choose "My Little Pony" and be protected by the school?"

Of course he can, and he can deal with the real world consequences of being different, ostracization.

That's how the world IS. I didn't make it that way, and catering to fucking crybabies like Randian and Jordan will not ever change that.

[Jordan]

ITT: "Well, I got bullied in school, so everyone else should have to as well. Especially stupid faggots who watch the wrong cartoons."

[T?tmacher]

That's how the world IS. I didn't make it that way, and catering to fucking crybabies you will not ever change that.

[Jordan]

Oooookay, Mr. Internet Toughguy. You've firmly established your badass creds by asserting that not only should 9 year olds be assaulted for their choice of cartoons, but they should be punished for being pussy enough to complain about being assaulted. I bow to your superior masculinity.

[Lady Bertrum]

Again, If it were 1950 and some gay high school student came out you'd totally rationalize the abuse he's most likely would receive. Nice attitude bigot.

[Lady Bertrum]

That's how the world IS. I didn't make it that way, and catering to fucking crybabies you will not ever change that.

Yeah.....

Hey, dick, you do realize that gays used to be persecuted and blacks enslaved, right? Then we changed things. Now, maybe it's too much to expect and end to dick-like behavior always and forever, but how about we take a stand based on, oh I don't know, an actual principle of libertarianism, you know - TOLERANCE and the non-aggression principle. We could teach and reinforce it, or we can say "that's the way it is" and rationalize shitty behavior forever.

[FatherBrain]

Bronies unite!

[AlmightyJB]

True bullies (not talking about typical young kids who tease) need no reason to do so. They're just assholes. Banning book bags is not going to change that.