9 years old Grayson Bruce from Buncombe County, North Carolina, has been often bullied for liking My Little Pony TV show, considered by bullies too girly to be watched by boys. The situation degenerated when Grayson, who is a strong child, got a Rainbow Dash (one of the cartoon character ) backpack and started to use it for school. Bullies pushed him around, punched him, called him names.
Finally the school administrator decided to put a stop to all this:
He has banned Grayson Bruce from bringing his My Little Pony backpack at school, because “it is a trigger for bullies”.
Wait. WHAT?!?
A child has been bullied because he likes a TV show rather than another, and the victim is punished, not the bullies?!
I was pretty shocked when I read this news.
School is suppose to be a place of tolerance and respect, a safe place, a place where human rights are not only thought but also applied. School forms citizens who are going to build the future of our society.
So what is the message that this school is delivering to his students?
-If you are different, if you like something that is unpopular and it seems to annoy other students, if you don’t conform to their standards , hide yourself.
– If you are a bully, go on, because we support you.
I might sound exaggerated, but isn’t this a violation of freedom of expression?
Grayson Bruce likes a TV show and wants to be able to show it wearing his favourite character backpack , LIKE ALL THE OTHER CHILDREN.
This is his right and it MUST be guaranteed by the school, which should instead punish anybody who is using violence against it.
Bronies ( that is the name My Little Pony fans call themselves) created a Facebook page to support Grayson and all the other boys who are bullied for liking this cartoon. I want to show Grayson Bruce and his family my support and I hope that a lot of you are going to do the same liking the Facebook page, living a comment or writing about it.
Thank you
LandofRalou 