Bullying makes losers of us all, unless we invest in solidarity. #PinkShirtDay honors how two teenage boys did just that.
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The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. ~Edmund Burke
I’m not going to “unpack” this one for you. I’m going to point you to two good men who did something, and the movement that came as a result.
The story started with a Globe and Mail article about David Shepherd and Travis Price, teenage boys in Nova Scotia, who invested in a movement of solidarity for a 9th grade boy who was the target of bullying because he wore a pink shirt.
“David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organized a high-school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied [for wearing a pink shirt]…[They] took a stand against bullying when they protested against the harassment of a new Grade 9 student by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school.
‘I learned that two people can come up with an idea, run with it, and it can do wonders,’ says Mr. Price, 17, who organized the pink protest. ‘Finally, someone stood up for a weaker kid.’
So Mr. Shepherd and some other headed off to a discount store and bought 50 pink tank tops. They sent out message to schoolmates that night, and the next morning they hauled the shirts to school in a plastic bag.
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad freeAs they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. ‘It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,’ Mr. Price recalled.
The bullies were never heard from again.”
And it has become a movement. “Pink Shirt Day” is a day about banishing bullying and violence. The Boys and Girls Clubs have run with it, and websites and news stories have popped up to support it. Elementary schools have created discussions around it. It’s sparked Flash Mobs, and even police officers honor the spirit of anti-bullying by wearing beautiful pink uniform dress shirts.
All I can add is THANK YOU to all the good men, of all ages, who have decided to not only NOT do nothing, but to do something constructive, supportive, and positive. Even when it means making an investment. In shirts.
Find more about Pink Shirt Day on Facebook
Read More Inspiration Unpacked on The Good Men Project
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Photo/ Facebook