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Obama Shocked, Saddened by Youth Suicides
Filed under: In The News, Bullying
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama said he was "shocked and saddened" by the recent suicides of several young people who were bullied and taunted for being gay.
"As a parent of two daughters, it breaks my heart. It's something that just shouldn't happen in this country," Obama said in a video posted late Thursday on YouTube and the White House website.
It's time, he said, for Americans to dispel the myth that bullying is "just a normal rite of passage."
"I don't know what it's like to be picked on for being gay. But I do know what it's like to grow up feeling that sometimes you don't belong," Obama said. "It's tough."
The victims of bullying can sometimes feel that they are responsible for the taunting because they're different or don't fit in with everybody else.
"But what I want to say is this: You are not alone. You didn't do anything wrong. You didn't do anything to deserve being bullied," Obama said.
He encouraged young people who are depressed or down on themselves to reach out to people they trust - parents, teachers, or "folks that you know care about you just the way you are."
"Don't feel like you're in this by yourself," he advised.
Over time, Obama said, "you're going to see that your differences are a source of pride and a source of strength."
Anti-gay bullying has been in the spotlight recently after the suicides of several teenagers. The victims included Asher Brown, 13, of Houston, who shot himself with his father's handgun, and Tyler Clementi, 18, the Rutgers University freshman who jumped off the George Washington Bridge in New York after his roommate secretly recorded him with another male student, then broadcast the video online.
In a videotaped message posted earlier in the week, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said she was saddened by the suicides.
"These most recent deaths are a reminder that all Americans have to work harder to overcome bigotry and hatred," Clinton said.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. This article was written by RON POWERS, Associated Press Writer.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 7)
10-23-2010 @ 12:41AM
rachael said...So when are these bullies going ot be punished????
Reply
10-23-2010 @ 10:43AM
Gerry said...I agree with Jaime. It's commendable that the President cares, but our lawmakers are a big part of the problem.
Now the President is going to appeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell decision. The court said it is unconstitutional not to allow gay people to serve. Why is the President going to appeal that decision? Isn't that bullying? With the stroke of a pen he can fix all of this and give gays their civil rights, ALL their rights. Separate is not equal. Stop bullying our families Mr. President! Only then will our kids be safe!
10-23-2010 @ 11:28PM
B K Whalen said...Mr. President, please give American back to us, Our father, brothers, sister died for our freedom. American is not a social community. We are all free as long as we obey the original consitiona.
10-23-2010 @ 1:00AM
Jaime said...Maybe the best thing the pres. can do is start the ball moving to allow gay marriage, and allow gay couples the same rights as everyone else. As a country we teach our children that Gay people are different because we don't allow them the same. When do we as a country stop being bullies?
Signed the straight married mom.
Let's stop the bs and take a stand for human rights!
Reply
10-23-2010 @ 1:19AM
son said...that's why these kids commited suicide in the first place, someone told them it is ok to be gay, even though they were not.
10-23-2010 @ 7:07AM
BULLNITTY said...Gay is not a right! God did not think it was right! who are we to tell God he was wrong!
10-23-2010 @ 5:09AM
Vicster said...This issue is NOT about bullying gays 0 IT SHOULD BE ABOUT BULLYING - the schools - the parents need to take responsibility = do not think this is a GAY issue it is not = MORE TEENS who are struggling are being bullied - we MUST STOP this
10-23-2010 @ 6:33AM
salesman said...We can try all we want to try and convince homosexual people that they are not different, but that is not facing reality. Nothing wrong with trying to make them feel the same if thats your position, however, outside of the liberal mindset, the truth is that gays are not the same. We were created equal, but then they choose to follow a gay lifestyle and thats where the "sameness" ended. Hello world, you cannot fool anyone who sees the world with open eyes that straight and gay lifestyles are the same. They are not, and in fact, one is acceptable and the other is sinful.
10-23-2010 @ 6:44AM
Bullnitty said...Being gay is not a right that anyone who don't want to stand up for should have to! GOD didn't stand for it! read the Bible. in sodom and Gomorrah God call the gay things that was going on a "cesspool of evil " God call it (being gay) a "unspeakable wickedness". So why is it that anyone who is gay (and the fools who agree with being gay is ok) should think that the people who love God and fear God and loves Gods word, should stand up for gay right?
10-23-2010 @ 7:54AM
Sammie said...I think all of these people who want to blame it on the gay teens are ones whose kids are DOING the bullying. They have the same attitude as their mommies and daddies. Sad
10-23-2010 @ 8:22AM
kj said...yes stop the bullying, but stop playing the victim, homosexuals. obama does not care about you and this is his election distraction to keep you from thinking about how disastrous a vote for him and incumbents has been. BTW homosexuals have the same rights as every other individual, they do not need favortism for a lifestyle choice so they can march and flaunt their immorality and sick behavior
10-23-2010 @ 8:42AM
rkmerriman said...Gays do have the same rights as everyone else. What they are asking for is a special right because of their sexual preference. A person that desires to live a deviant lifestyle does not deserve special rights.
10-23-2010 @ 9:44AM
Rosemary Clark said...sure tell the teachers....coaches...other adults when they are being bullied..as a mother of a daughter with epilepsy..I was shocked and saddened by the number of "ADULTS" who actully bully children...Her school mates and team mates actually accepted and tried to help her but it was the coaches and teachers that mentally tortured her to the point of wanting to "quit life" so who do you go to when adults bully children and tell the kids they have NO rights or NO say!!!
so define the word" bully.".. are we not also being bullied by our government, forced to accept things we feel is not right or moral? Forced to pay high prices for Gas because some "bully" in the oil industry feels he needs more money to line his pockets? Its not just children that are bullies!
10-23-2010 @ 9:39AM
New York said...To all you self righteous so called religious people out there proclaiming that God is against gays, God is also against you judging others. He said so not judge lest you be judged. He said love one another as I have loved you. Jesus reached out to the prostitutes, lepers & anyone who was different & a sinner to the astonishment of all. You who hate is the reason Jesus came & died. We are all sinners & always will be. Stop being a hippocrit. Accept people for who & what they are. Worry about yourself. That should be more than enough.
10-23-2010 @ 10:09AM
Coleen said...Wow, reading the posts here I can see why these poor kids feel helpless. When things like I am reading here are thrown in their face how can they feel ok about themselves. For ever part of the Bible that someone has interpreted what God has said, there are far more parts that tell you to love others, not to judge them. Those are the parts I find I want to live my life following. And the people out there quoting those scriptures, there are some others that are just as bad concerning adultery and other things but you choose to pick and choose only the ones you want to bring light to. Either you have to follow all of the scriptures or you can't judge! You are the people that should be ashamed of yourselves and I truly believe that you will be judged by God for it!
10-23-2010 @ 10:55AM
Thomas J. Burke said...The best thing the president could do is to make everyone aware that homosexuality is a symptom of a serious mental illness. Then these people would get the anto-psychotic medication they need. Only very seriously mentally ill individuals commit suicide. Bullying is not the cause.
10-23-2010 @ 10:55AM
Stacy said...If you assume God doesn't make mistakes, then all of us are made by him and therefor children of God. He loves all of us, character defects and all. Even those of us who choose to hate some of His work.
10-23-2010 @ 1:58PM
Susan said...All of you who are using God to promote hate and who preach hatred as God's word will be the ones who have to face Him. What will you say when He asks, "Who do you think you are to tell others I hated them? Who are you to speak for me when you have no clue what love is? Who are you to judge my children?" What will you say? He's watching you now. What type of Christian are you that you spread hatred? That is NOT what Christianity is about.
10-23-2010 @ 2:09PM
max said...Homosexuality is disgusting, immoral, perverted, wicked and unnatural. People are not born gay, it is a lifestyle they have chosen to live with. No scientific study has ever proven the children are born gay. 2 gay people should not be allowed to marry nor have children in their stead. This goes for gay men and gay women. Rights for a married couple should be between 1 man and 1 woman. You can't be fruitful and multiply if you can connect TAB A to SLOT B. SO, gay men and lesbians, if you want to stop being bullied, denounce your homosexual agenda and ask the Saviour Jesus for forgiveness.
No, I'm not a homophobe, I just believe that homosexual's are vile, nasty, blasphemous, corrupted and on a fast track to hell.
10-23-2010 @ 1:04AM
Steven R. Russell said...Why should that guy be shocked about youth suicides, with the way he made it into The White House on a smear campaign?
Obama is so clueless, it isn't even funny.
I mean, having that guy in The White House is deadly serious business! And I emphasize the word "Deadly", as he doesn't have a clue as to what the Bible says, or what God tells us this world will come to, according to the Scriptures.
Obama was blinded by his ignorance of the truth when he was campaigning for Office, throwing around his arrogance and pride, blinded by his money, as he smeared former President George W. Bush, claiming and lying about how [Obama] could get "the car out of the ditch."
Hellooo! We're still waiting for that to happen, as Obama keeps the "car" floored, and spins our Beloved Nation deeper and deeper into the mud, as he dictates over the Citizens of the United States of America, when it is; "We the People."
I say we Impeach today!
Obama continues to be even more blinded by his arrogance, pride, and now by his power in The White House.
The Bible warns; "If the blind lead the blind, will they not both fall into the ditch?"
Former President Bill Clinton is a Democrat, and he got things accomplished in an organized, orderly and decent manner, without pointing a finger at the Republicans, and accusing them of the problems that now Obama is guilty of.
As long as Obama is in The White House, things are going to continue to get worse, and not better, as Obama has this Nation in a fatal, flat, inverted tailspin!
When he was "elected", he said "America has spoken", if I am not mistaken.
Well, I am "America", and I did not vote for him.
I say Impeach ASAP!
Reply