It’s extremely difficult to be a student, whether you are in middle school, high school, or college, when bullies surround you physically and verbally abusing you. Beginning in 1999 various states have passed laws to “stop bullying.” But now is our chance to pass the Safe Schools Improvement Act, which will require all federally funded school districts to have anti-bullying policies in place.

On December 1st, 2012, North Carolina made signing up a teacher for junk e-mail a bullying crime that a student could be sent to jail for. In August 2008 California passed a law related to cyber-bullying, until 2011 North Dakota did not even have any legislation defending those who are being bullied, and the state of Montana still does not even have any law protecting and bringing justice to those who are bullied. In 2011, the State of New Jersey passed the toughest bullying legislation within the 50 states, enforcing that each school have an effective long-term plan on dealing with bullying and bullies risk expulsion. ONE state out of 50.

As students we deserve better.

I was in my freshman year of college, in a sorority, away from my family and the friends I had grown up with since I was four years old, when my entire world came crashing down. My friend had come to my room so we could go to the dining halls and grab some lunch when she told me she had seen my name online. By this time we were already sitting down eating food and I started freaking out, why was MY name online, what could they be saying about me, who was doing it?

I remember the anxiety I felt, as I hurried to my room and looked online and saw the horrible things people posted about me. I remember that for 3 weeks straight my focus was refreshing the page; watching people who knew me, and quickly people who didn’t, gang up on me finding every flaw with me, call me names, ask me to jump in front of the bus, and if I was too scared they had a car and would help me.  I thought that if time passed it would stop, but as time went on it got worse, and people were able to access my hall and suddenly my roommate could have been in danger as well. I would sit in my room alone and afraid of what would happen, becoming depressed and questioning the life that over 600 times people asked me to end. Thanksgiving break I went home no longer the excited new college student full of life and happiness, but someone who did not want to spend even one minute around another living person. When my parents asked what was wrong I lied afraid they would pull me out of college, away from my future.

My name is Rachel Burgess. For me, my freshman year of college was 2.5 years ago, and writing and talking about this event, still brings tears to my eyes. Passing and enforcing the Safe Schools Improvement Act is very important to me. I don’t want anyone else to have to experience what I have, or question, or end his or her life because of someone else’s taunting. Being attacked and bullied because I was being myself, something I shouldn’t have to change, was painful, but knowing that the school sat by idly when they had the power to change everything, was devastating. Nobody should be forced live with such traumatic and painful memories because they’re gay, or Christian, or too fat, or too ugly; for simply being themselves.

I am not alone in my experience. Countless people from the ages of 9-25 have similar or even worse stories than my own, and an exponential amount of innocent lives have been lost because of it.

Massachusetts- 15 year old Phoebe Prince

Virginia- 16 year old Christian Taylor

New York- 16 year old Jamey Rodemeyer

Missouri- 13 year old Meagan Meier

New Jersey- 18 year old Tyler Lementi

This is just a minute fraction of people who have ended their life because of the rigorous bullying they endure daily. I am speaking out for all the students and non-students alike who suffer daily at school, at work, at home, and have seen no justice. In our constitution the first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights, a set of limitations derived to protect the natural rights of liberty. Another section of the United States Constitution states, “That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are the right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” I am speaking out because we deserve a bill like the SSIA that is actually going to hold meaning within our country, our children, our future. My entire life I’ve been told that it’s my generation that is going to change the world. Well, we cannot change the world if there no one left to change it for. I am doing my part to make a change, please do yours.

Please stand with students and adults alike and sign our petition demanding that House of Representatives pass a real anti-bullying bill, the Safe Schools Improvement Act. A bill that does not have limitations or exceptions based on one’s opinions on marriage, sexuality, gender, race, or looks, but does list the reasons people are bullied the most often; a bill that will provide reporting requirements and justice to the victim other than firm lectures to the bully. A bill that actually protects students.

Sincerely,

Rachel Burgess And Janina Soriano