I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE YOU ARE MAKING! I HAVE SPOKE TO SO MANY KIDS AND PARENTS FROM NOT ONLY IN THE UNITED STATES BUT FROM ACROSS THE WORLD AND THEY ARE READING THE COMMENTS AND STORIES THAT YOU ARE WRITING AT MYYEARBOOK.COM. THE MORE WE SPEAK OUT ABOUT HOW MUCH BULLYING AND CYBERBULLYING REALLY HURT AND THEY DO EXIST ON A DAILY BASIS, THE MORE WE CAN HELP PUT AN END TO THIS. THE OLD SAYING "STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES BUT WORDS WILL NEVER HURT ME" IS SO FAR FROM THE TRUTH. WORDS GO SO DEEP AND CAN LAST A LIFETIME. MY HOPE IS THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP SPREADING THE WORD TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY SO THAT WE CAN REACH THE GOAL OF 1 MILLION PEOPLE TO SIGN THE MEGAN PLEDGE IN 2008! THANK YOU ~ TINA
Good morning! I just wanted to take a moment and let everyone
know how much I continue to appreciate you support of the Megan
Pledge. Megan was such a great girl with a fantastic sense of humor.
She would have been so amazed to see how many people are behind this
wonderful effort to end cyberbullying. Today I am attending a
conference in New York with Stopcyberbullying.Org and speaking about
cyberbullying and the Megan Pledge.
Please keep spreading the word about the Megan Pledge and cyberbullying - I know together we can make a difference!
May 27, 2008 ~ Today I was interviewed by the Associated Press and one of the questions the reporter asked me was "how do you handle talking about Megan and what happened to her all of the time", and the reporter went on to ask "do you ever feel like it's too much or does it help with your grief"? My response to her was "whenever I feel like things are really getting tough, all I have to do is read amazing messages from wonderful people just like you and I know I can get through those tough days."
There are so many people being cyberbullied on a daily basis that we all have to work together to put a stop to this. Please continue to spread the word about the "Megan Pledge" and cyberbullying. As always thank you for your continued support. ~ Tina Meier
I have been reading all of your stories. It means so much to have you share your kind thoughts and stories.
StopCyberbullying.org is holding a big cyberbullying conference in NY next week. I know that they are almost at full capacity, but if some of you would like to join us, please drop by wiredsafety.org and sign up. There is no charge for pre-registered attendees.
So many of you have been kind enough to share you personal stories and how painful cyberbullying and bullying is. By sharing our stories, we can help everyone understand how much it hurts.
I wish Megan could have known how many kind people there are out there. Perhapsit could have given her the hope she needed when she faced so many cruel attacks at the hands of a neighboring mother.
In 1998 a 12 year old was killed by an 11 year old in
Japan. The murder victim has been text-bullying the younger girl. Within a few
years, many more teens had taken their own lives or hurt others because of
cyberbullying. In the last two months, two young people in NJ committed suicide
after being tormented online. Bullying hurts. In addition to the physical pain,
after the bruises have healed, the hurt remains. Battered self-esteem,
rerunning the hateful and hurtful taunts, worrying if you will run into a group
determined to make your life miserable. We all know it.
I have read your stories over and over, with tears in my eyes.
You have inspired me. You give me faith. You have touched me in ways you can’t
imagine. I donate my time protecting people online. But I couldn’t
protect Megan. Instead, I hope to join with all of you to build a support system
to help all others being hurt. To give them hope. To give them choices, when
suicide looks inviting. To give them a safe place to land. Thank you for all
you have shared and are doing…you will never know how much it means to
Megan’s family and to us at WiredSafety (home of stopcyberbullying).
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Everyone has memories of bullying. (Some were of bullying today
at school, some from years ago) Some were victimized. And some remember being
the bully. And so many confessed here at myYearbook that they were the bully,
but after having heard Megan’s story, are changing their lives. That is
wonderful!
What is it about Megan that touches us so deeply? Is it her
vulnerability? Her beautiful face and heavier body? The promise of her future
flushed down the toilet because of a mother posing as a cute boy, just to gain
her trust?
I think it is a couple things. We expect moms to look out for
all kids, not only their own. This one betrayed that trust. Lori Drew knew that
Megan was fragile emotionally. She knew that she had been diagnosed with
depression and on medication from the time she was young. But she targeted her
anyway, basically for laughs. That’s what gets to me the most. The
unfairness of an adult preying on a young and fragile teen, breaking her heart,
betraying her trust, manipulating her for her own purposes. Moms aren’t
supposed to do that.
I also think it has to do with Megan’s picture. Grinning
with a smile full of braces, with her life before her…a young girl who
would become a beautiful woman, we can relate to her.
A group of preteen volunteers in our program (we call them the
tweenangels J) took up Megan’s cause, designing t-shirts saying “Ask
Me About Megan” and putting her pic on the shirt. When people asked, they
shared her story. They talked about how she loved black & white polka dots,
and how she brought a candybar to friends who needed cheering up. They talked
about how she was cheated of her future.
Megan was real to them. People were amazed to find out that they
had never met her. They lived in NJ, while Megan lived in Missouri. But Megan
was real to them. Just as real as she is to all of us.
Why have so many people taken the pledge? For Megan. For their
friends. For themselves. For the loss of innocence. For everyone who has faced
cruelty at the hands of bigger, more popular and tougher kids.
I was bullied all through my childhood. It makes me sick to see that this nonsense is still going on. I used the abuse I took from others as fuel for my MMA career. I am retired from MMA now. I suffer from alot of health problems. But if it came down to doing something about this bullying crap, I would come out of retirement.
I'm 35 yrs. old and all during my freshman year I was bullied and harrassed and the sad thing was is that some of the teacher's would see this happening and they would just ignore it....it got to the point that I ended up quitting school b/c I just couldn't handle going to school any more......Ppl think that cyber bullies just target kids but thats not true I was the target of a cyber bully....several times when i went into one of the chat rooms there was a person in there that would verbally attack me and other ppl who had no clue what was going on would join in with the person and start attacking me also ppl really need to think before they do something like this b/c how would they feel if it was them or someone they loved who was going through this......I JUST WISHED PPL WOULD THINK BEFORE JOINING IN ON SOMETHING THAT THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.......I'M SO SORRY FOR YUR LOSS...NO PARENT SHOULD HAVE TO BURY THEIR CHILD HOPEFULLY SHE DIDN'T DIE IN VAIN MAYBE WITH HER STORY OUT THERE KIDS WILL START TO THINK BEFORE THEY START BULLING SOMEONE....WE REALLY NEED TO PUT AN END TO THIS !!!!!
I know someone who in 3rd grade moved to our school she was generous and kind but these boys past around rumors intell no one liked her she was on her own I was always a shy one who didn't talk that much not to my friends no one and I was left alone till I seeen her being teased and beat up I always knew how shut people up So I put a stop to the bullying but people still do the same tings to her unless she with me I take a stand for those who are bullied I wwtched from the side a couple of times to see if she could get along with out me she looked like she was being killed so I stepped up and knocked sence into them But now for all I have down I need someone to stick up for me I has been 4 years since she been here and since I stood away from a croud but now I am the target when will this stop
All thou I am 42 I still get bullied on line and if it hurt our kids as much as it hurts Me then I will do what ever I can to stop it. Its not worth the hurt or pain of losing someone U Love to a bully.........The Children are Our only hope for a future so lets stand strong Together and help stop the people Please........
I've been bullied ever since kindergarden and ever since last year I have had many thoughts of suicide due to the nasty things people say about me ....
I'm really sorry about Megan, She didn't deserve what happened to her. I will pray for you and for her.
Anonymous
June 25, 2008 12:22 AM
I was bullied in high school and yes it does hurt alot.. The people that does this to others don't realize what thay are doing to others.. everyone that does this to others think about this...What if it's your child? think about it real hard...Would you like it if it was ur child? thats the question...I have no children of my own I only have my neices and nephews and i would not want anyone hurting them in any way these kids are my life....and before you all start to bully soneone think about what ur doing to them...Everyone thats here is special in there own way...All these people that has took there lifes are in my heart and i will always have all the ones that are being bullied in my prayers...So God Bless each and everyone
even tho i did not know her i think what had happened to her is sad, i saw almost every video on youtube and i also added her memorial page to my myspace. im sorry that it happened to her and i will help out in any way posible. she was very pretty i dont know why people told her different she was beautful!
Anonymous
June 17, 2008 08:15 PM
i have been buillied by many people on and off line because of the same reasons it hurts and i hate feeling that pain. a coulpe years age, i knew many people who tried to take their lives now me and my friends live life peacefully thanks to my school teachers and my wonderful parents
i am sorry about megan i got bullied so much in middle school a girl told me the world would be a much better place with out me so she said she would kill me if i didnt so i got help and she got put away.
i am sorry for megan if i would you payer fou youself i know that is sad to see you babygirls to go in a young age i am so so so so so sorry for her died
i am so sorry for you lose and i am ask you to add me to your friend beac use i can se what going
Anonymous
June 15, 2008 02:14 PM
it dont make a differance what your age is you can still be bullied..it is happening to me right now...a man i thought was my friend started trashing me thru e mail about a month ago.. he wont tell me why..it is like he is someone else..he changed that much that fast...it was over night.
i have a 13 year history with depression...as my friend he was great..as a bully he has made me loose a lot of ground here with the depression.i have to fight with myself ever day to remind me that i never did anything to this person and i am not the scum he wants me to think i am..
I KNOW MYSELF WHAT ITZ LIKE TO BE BULLIED,IN SCOOL I WAS EVERY DAY.IM VERY STRONG NOW AND STAN UP FOR MYSELF BUT IT TOOK ME YEARZ N TEARZ .THEN MY OWN CHILDREN WERE ALSO BULLIED ONE IN SCOOL.THE OTHER BOTH IN SCHOOL AND CYBER .IVE ALWAYZ HAD AND WILL HAVE A PLACE IN MY HEART FOR AND THE CHILDREN..MEGAN.GOD BLESS THE BEAST
i am sorry to hear about megan. i do not understand why people have to make other people feel so horrible about themeselves just so they can feel good. i guess some people in this world just really does not care or have much of a heart. i am really sorry.
Anonymous
June 09, 2008 12:46 AM
its really hard on you when your being bullied.. but like to be trucked like that.. its wrong.. i gpt bullied growing up..and there was sometimes i thought about ending it too.. but i just wouldnt.. i'm so sorry to hear about what happened to megan.. rest in peace girl <3
im soo sorry about megan. i know what it's like to teased and bullied because of my weight and it's something hard to deal with. i have ADD and depression and when you put those together it's hard. they pain of the words that they say makes you think that thats what you are and it makes you feel lower then what you already are. megan sounded like a sweet girl and i would of been her friend in a heartbeat.
I will tell u that in elementary school i was bullied and i could not stand the pain that i used to think about running away but i kept faith and to this day i get bullied sometimes... I am sorry bout Megan.I heard she was a great girl and if i knew her I would have been honored to be her friend.