“Thank. You.”-“Love Letter to my Bully”
Tonya Hurley states, “ And if I ran into you on the street today, I would just have two words to say. Thank. You, Your cruelty and insensitivity were a wake-up call, a lesson in life I would not have learned otherwise as such a young age. You prepared me for the world beyond our small town. More than anything, you motivated me.” Hurley’s willingness to thank her bully is ironic considering that one does not experience pleasure when bullied; she is focusing on the positive effects which the bullying caused in her life. She feels that the bullying made her though and prepared adequately to confront future instances of victimization and bullying. However, one must be mentally strong to view bullying like Hurley.
Adversaries-“Love Letter to my Bully”
Tonya Hurley observes, “Having family and friends to provide a shoulder to cry on is a wonderful thing, and I’ve taken advantage of their love and kindness more times than I can count, but it is your adversaries that strengthen you, that toughen you, that sharpen you, that force you to be the best you can be, to keep trying no matter how difficult the task or unachievable the goal, to prove them wrong.” Adversaries subject one to difficult circumstances. People strive to avoid adversaries which are likely to complicate their existence. However, Hurley ironically appreciates adversaries because they make her strong and wise. Hurley has a unique personality and mindset which encourage her to view adversaries positively.
The Irony of the Bully’s Hatred-“Dear Bully”
Laurie Faria Stolarz writes, “ We didn’t hang out in any of the same circles, nor were we members of any opposing clubs or teams. So you had no reason to hate me. But still you did. Or at least you treated me as though you did.” Stolarz’s recollection implies that she does nothing to encourage the bully’s hatred towards her. Accordingly, she would not dicer why the bull is determined to convert her life to misery. The bully is fixated on her because he deems her a weakling whom he would project all his hate on. Bullies enjoy their activities and do not need any motivation to do it. Once the bully singles Storalz out, he does not stop bothering her. Therefore, Storalz plays no role in encouraging the bullying.
“Religious Freedom”-“Why do we Celebrate Bullying”
Hellen Hopkins remarks, “Americans tolerate bullying, they stand in the wings and cheer it on…spend a little time reading the commits following a news story about, oh, say, a mosque burning on U.S soil. Forget the fact that most of these people are citizens of the United States of America- a country founded on the principles of religious freedom. Yet because Muslims are “different,” they are bullied, in much the same way as a child who is different is bullied at school.” Muslims would not be subjected to unnecessary hatred and bullying if 'religious freedom' were real or unqualified in America. The Muslims' 'differentness' in terms of religious principles sets them apart from the predominant religion of Christianity. Moreover, stereotypes reading Islam have been contributory to the violation of the Muslims' right to worship. Religious intolerance in America is so extreme that the Muslims are deemed a threat. The difficulties which Muslims endure in their quest to worship freely is comparable to what the bullying victims endure. Bullying has spread to the religious realm.
"My child would never do such a thing"-“Why do we Celebrate Bullying”
Hellen Hopkins remarks, “This time the school had no choice but to get involved. Suspending the bully for a day or five didn’t really faze him, however, I tried calling his parents. His mother’s reaction was, “My child would never do such a thing.” The mother is denial about the child’s bullying tendencies, yet there is evidence to corroborate the assertions. The mother would have been expected to warn her child about his behavior instead of defending him blindly. She emboldens her son to continue with his bullying because he is conscious that his mother would defend him should he be accused.
