Another Gay Teen Suicide

[FreeThinker]

Another gay teenager was bullied until he couldn't take it anymore. Josh Pacheco, of Flint, Michigan, took his life November 27 two months after coming out to his parents. The school says they were unaware of anything.

What will be done to the kids who bullied him? What should be done? Do any feel remorse?

I know something of what that poor boy was feeling. I was there several times when I was growing up. Things are supposed to be better now.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/05/josh-pacheco-gay-michigan-teen-suicide-bullying-_n_2246767.html#slide=415593

[Cole Parker]

Flint was one of the cities most ravaged by the car industry's decline. I don't know if the economic conditions had some play in the situation for this boy or not. They could have raised tensions in the town. Michigan did go for Obama in the national election.

So many of these tragedies could be averted if the kids and parents would speak up. Shine light on cockroaches and they scurry back to the dark places that are their natural homes. Exposure does them in.

As for what to do about them now, it is a case by case situation. Who were they, why did they do what they did, and what laws did they break. Being expelled from their school would be a first step.

C

[Bruin Fisher]

It's heartbreaking to hear of these kids. I do hope schools will finally take the bull by the horns and put an end to LGBT bullying and all kinds of bullying.

Councillor Joel Burns in Texas made a heartfelt plea for this two years ago:

[DKStories]

It's painful to see these stories and to know that something could have been done. I am also grateful that we live in a school district and our kids attend a school that takes bullying of any form very seriously. What is even better is how they work to create a positive environment that doesn't automatically just punish the bully but rather tries to work through the problems on all sides.

In other words, ALL of the students are important.