"The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins." - Oliver Wendell Holmes
So, that is essentially the basis for human right, saying once you inflict harm on another, your "rights" end.
Why isn't bullying the same? As soon as you start threatening another or hurting them with words, your rights should end. If you mentally abuse someone enough to make them feel small enough with no way to escape the abuse except to kill themselves, then you should be held accountable, especially if there is record of it (ex: internet harassment). Why is it so hard for congress to make a law against bullying? Yeah, with the videos homosexal celebrities are putting ot may help a little bit... but when you are gettin bullied that much for something you have NO choice in, its going to be hard to remember those videos saying it will get better when you cant see any way that it can possibly getting better.
For example, the ass hole school board guy who went off on a Facebook rant basically saying that all gay kids should kill themselves because it is a sin and that if his children were gay he would disinherit them should not have the right to use such hateful speech. Why isn't this threatening horrendous post to Facebook considered in the same context as "The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins."? Mental abuse is just as harmful, if not more so, then physical abuse, it stays with someone longer than a bruise will.
(http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/27/evening-buzz-school-officials-anti-gay-rant/)
Another example, the crazy religious zealots who were outside the military funeral saying "Thank God for dead soldiers," "God blew up the troops" and "AIDS cures fags." Why is this OK? I understand freedom of speech, but again, if this were some type of physical altercation, it would be akin to inflicting physical harm on another person, which is when your rights end. Why is it ok to vocalize harm against another person for being different, for not fitting into your tiny little box? If someone actually inflicted physical harm, they wold be arrested, so why isn't there a punishment for vocalizing harm?
(http://articles.cnn.com/2010-10-06/justice/washington.free.speech.trial_1_westboro-members-protests-at-military-funerals-westboro-baptist-church?_s=PM:CRIME)
Congress is talking about passing a law against bullying, but they need to do it already. people need to be accountable for their words as well as their actions, because after all...
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
its only a matter of time until these people's words become their actions.
