I'm Volunteering at The Triangle Foundation
One of the most important projects I'm helping with right now is the Safe Schools Law. Most of you are, like me, self-confessed geeks and proud of it. You know why this is important.
Imagine you're a teenager again. Imagine you get your butt kicked on a regular basis by other kids at school and face constant intimidation and harrassment. As a teenager you may not be able to quote Rousseau about the Social Contract, but I'll bet you anything at some level you understand you're not in it. You might have no respect for what society asks in return, if society can't protect you from getting your butt kicked on a regular basis. Or you might just despair. Anybody in that situation would start thinking very seriously about taking the law into their own hands, or killing themselves. Some kids do. Matt Epling killed himself, and that's why this legislation is called Matt's Safe Schools Law.
I'm not saying those actions are right. There are better ways to fix it. But until we as a society offer protection, what more do we realistically expect? They lack the experience and resourcefulness to solve the problem constructively like an adult because, well, they're not adults. Criteria number one for calling any arrangement "civilization" is that nobody kicks someone else's ass with impunity. As long as we really are giving somebody the law of the jungle, what do they owe us?
That's why I've spent this week in the offices of The Triangle Foundation researching contact info to spread the word about Safe Schools Lobby Day. Hundreds of volunteers are going to go to Lansing on March 28 to personally visit the offices of their elected officials and ask them to pass the Safe Schools Law.
Matt Epling, 1988-2002
Comments
dbvanhorn on Jan. 18, 2007 5:27 PM
Imagine? What's to imagine?
My Jr high days were hideous. Mom got very tired of replacing glasses again and again. The school said there was nothing they could do about it, and I should just "learn to get along"... Funny, when you're an adult it's assault and battery, but when you're a kid, it's "kid stuff".
I wish you all the luck in getting this through.
Come to think of it, even though I'm down here, maybe there's something I can do to help?
matt-arnold on Jan. 18, 2007 5:30 PM
Maybe we can put our heads together and get some Google Page Rank for Safe Schools Lobby Day through various means. It could get similar protections in other parts of the country where they might not have it either. I think I'll submit the page about Safe Schools Lobby Day to BoingBoing, Slashdot and Digg.
dbvanhorn on Jan. 18, 2007 5:34 PM
hmm.. I used to know something about search engine wars, back in my anti-scientology days, but things have changed a lot since then.
dawnwolf on Jan. 19, 2007 2:29 AM
And a fantastic volunteer you are, too.
If anyone out there is a Michigan resident and wants to help out, visit www.tri.org.
Thanks, Matt. I hope to see *you* on March 28 - and I look forward to working with you again on Monday, after I survive my descent into Dental Hell tomorrow.
users on Jan. 19, 2007 12:21 PM
Do you guys have any links as to what, exactly, this Law would entail? Everything I find merely says "a ban on bullying", but I'd have to assume that the law's language would be somewhat more involved than that... is there anywhere I can see what, exactly, the proposed law would be saying?
rachelann1977 on Jan. 19, 2007 3:38 PM
I think if someone can tell you the proposal number it should be available on the internet, through one of the government websites.
users on Jan. 19, 2007 3:41 PM
Yeah, that's kinda the direction I was poking... but I've hit a wall... I'd really like to know more though.. it sounds like something I'd be willing to support, but I hesitate to do so without more information, if you know what I mean. :)
Anonymous on Jan. 21, 2007 10:02 PM
formerly here...
House Bill 5616
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