Here's why I'm now wearing rose-colored glasses. So much of what we get to talk about is "Obesity kills!" and "Lead painted death toys!" and "Your boobs will suffer!" so I don't expect anything to be all heartwarming and restore my faith in humanity and all that. But then I read this story. It starts off harsh: a new ninth grader showed up for school wearing a pink shirt and he was surrounded by a group of six to ten older students who "mocked him, called him a homosexual for wearing pink and threatened to beat him up." Yup, total high school a-holes just like the kind I went to school with. But two twelfth grade students, David Shepherd and Travis Price, decided it was time to take a stand and intervene.
You know what they did? They used good ol' technology (the internet, natch) and told students to wear pink the next day. They bought 75 pink tank tops and brought material to make pink arm and wrist bands. They figure they got about half of the school's 800+ students to wear pink. A sea of pink and solidarity.
The bullies got pissed and one confronted David and asked him if he knew pink was a symbol of homosexuality. David said he didn't care. "Our intention was to stand up for this kid so he doesn’t get picked on."
Oh, and this is where I tear up: "When the bullied student put on his
pink shirt Friday and saw all the other pink in the lobby, 'he was all
smiles. It was like a big weight had been lifted off is shoulder,'
David said." I love these kids and I love this story. And as anyone who has been to high school knows, that's an act of heroism that may have changed at least one person's life. I hope their parents are proud. I know I would be.
Can I get an "Amen"!
