Michelle Obama On Bullying: Adults Need To Set Example

WASHINGTON — Michelle Obama says adults can address the problem of bullying if they lead by example.

"Kids will follow our lead. They will follow our example, but we've got to set it," she said in a television interview broadcast Thursday.

Her comments came days after President Barack Obama addressed the topic in a video posted on the White House website.

In the message posted last week, Obama said he was shocked and saddened by the recent suicides of several young people who were bullied because they were gay. He also said it's time for society to dispel the myth that bullying is "a normal rite of passage."

Mrs. Obama said young people need to know that they shouldn't let the challenges they face in high school or college "eat them up."

"All of these young people regardless of their race, their sexual orientation, they are gifts to us," she said. "They have so much to offer and it's just terrible to find out that kids are letting this part of their life define everything about who they are going to be."

The first lady said she tells daughters Malia and Sasha that they have a responsibility to speak up when they see someone being bullied.

Mrs. Obama was interviewed on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

Comments

[CIWIS]

04:56 AM on 11/07/2010

a simple drawing of a bully scenario


http://chrisiswhyimskinny.blogspot.com/2010/10/brief-history.html

[sgs313]

02:28 PM on 11/03/2010

Regardless of whether someone is LGBTQ, straight or just simply doesn't know their orientation or desires a label, there is one underlying fact in this situation: There needs to be a dialogue. A lot of teachers have admitted that they do not know the first thing about discussing bullying with their students, which is very frightening since most bullying occurs in schools, and teachers have to, among other tasks, set examples and provide support for their students. Not only do teachers need to be trained to address bullying (and this included changing the policies of certain school districts where bullying is ignore altogether, but there needs to be healthy dialogues in classrooms as well. It us obvious that bullying is not something that is going to disappear tomorrow, and something needs to be done today before teen suicides become the latest trend.

www.scenar­iosusa.org

[ray christl]

12:39 AM on 11/02/2010

The US Govt. bullies people about sacred cannabis for 74 years...Michelle is a "just say no" bully.

[Jema Watts]

11:17 AM on 10/31/2010

Here's a story of where a teacher who was attending a conference with an elementary school principal ends up (long, long story) getting the principal fired over a text message. This teacher is a bully and we HAVE a bullying program. Adults are the worst bullies if you ask me.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Support-Sara-Maas/101605933241413

[mrskorn]

11:58 PM on 10/30/2010

Maybe she could start with her husband. Calling Republicans, people who disagree with him, the "ENEMY" doesn't seem to be a way to show unity, now does it.

[choclatedoll]

05:16 PM on 10/31/2010

How soon you conveniently forget the behavior of the teapublicans during the healthcare debate, the you lie senator, the derogative names Beck and Mouth of the South Limbaugh have called the President. I could go on forever, yet the President has behaved like a gentleman. Take your head out of the sand and face reality, stop dreaming about the 1950s and 60s the way it use to be, and move into the reality of the 21st century..... America a multicultiral nation .

Get this "THERE IS NO COUNTRY TO RECLAIM" ITS AS MUCH OURS AS IT IS YOURS. THOSE DAYS ARE LOOOOOONG GONE NEVER TO RETURN. FOWARD EVER BACKWARE NEVER.

[researcher]

02:34 PM on 10/29/2010

lets look at this in a rational way.

her husband sent 30,000 more troops to afghan.

we have the largest military in the world.

we have our military and CIA noses in everyone's business in the world.

we love competition and winning at any costs to our kids.

we believe we are best in everything.

we are in two unwinable and illegal wars.

kids learn more by watching their parents then from lessons written in a book in their schools.

best kept secret in america: we are bullies in the world and dont have a clue we are.

http://pubrecord.org/world/5811/depleted-uranium-babies-afghanistan/

read above and tell me this is not an aspect of bullying. or stay in denial as an american.

it is called karma and it works to perfection if we open our eyes but we see not.

after all we are americans we dont need to see or change. it is the world's fault like china that we are in a rapid moral and economic decline. it is the them that need to change thing.

[InfinteShibumi]

12:34 PM on 10/29/2010

Good idea. Let's start with Congress (Tancredo, Paladino et al.) Oh, and let's not forget MSM (Scarborough); mayors (Adrian Fenty); Chancellors (Michelle Rhee). Okay, well that's a start.

[Dr Scott]

11:35 AM on 10/29/2010

Bullying has no place in civilized society, but it is a normal human behavior. It is in our nature to pick on the weak among us.
Like most things in human society, the ability to adopt "moral" behaviors is correlated to human cognitive ability.
Ever been to a Tea Party rally? I rest my case.

[royevatom]

11:51 AM on 10/29/2010

We Can Not Have Change Until We Change.
That hulking figure leaning in the corner. That is human nature, he is weary from striding the land and laying the cold touch of his hand on the hearts of people.
They flail and wither reaching out to damage and contort all before them, mostly they cause injury to themselves, this makes them cruel, they are justified.

[royevatom]

11:08 AM on 10/29/2010

Arrogance is your freind.
Bulling as an issue should be a high priority for those who wish to live in a civilized society. Our culture has raised ridicule to the level of entertainment and we value our entertainment disproportionately. Ms. Obama is right to draw attention to it.
I have seen lives destroyed by bulling; Young People are very vulnerable and once their self image is destroyed self destructive behavior is usually the result. Our schools are living hell for some people and the home is often just as bad. Sibling rivalry is encouraged. The blatant use of ridicule on television as a form of humor.
Unfortunately it is pervasive in our culture and there is little recourse but to cry one's self to sleep at night.
When people kill themselves as a result of the specific behavior of others You had better know You have got a problem.

[TrickledOn]

11:01 AM on 10/29/2010

Someone needs to do a study of the parents of bullies to determine which political party is more responsible for raising such selfish and violent children. All this talk today here about how Democrats are bullying, but I along with just about every parent I know have had the discussion and believe the bullies at our school are from Republican households.

[GlennWatson]

03:23 PM on 10/30/2010

Thats baloney.

[TrickledOn]

06:37 PM on 10/30/2010

what's baloney?

[Americulchie]

06:42 PM on 10/30/2010

Dude even your hero Glen Beck believes in anecdotal evidence.

[onenvrnos]

10:49 AM on 10/29/2010

How about workplace bullying? Decency and respect starts in our own backyards. Children model the behavior of their parents, and workplaces have become war zones--particularly when employers have the upper hand.

[liberalcomesfromliberty]

09:08 AM on 10/29/2010

AMEN, Mrs. Obama! The TEA baggers are setting bad example for the youth in this country. I guess a bunch of them were BULLIED when they were younger and now they seem to want to bully females. The TEA bagger males must be part of the PINK Pants Militia.

[Dan Stewart]

08:50 AM on 10/29/2010

Her husband certainly doesn't bully Republicans, but is frequently the victim of Republican bullies.

You could say that Obama is a cross between Rodney King and Rodney Dangerfield. He wants everyone to just get along, but still doesn't get any respect.

[SVPincalif]

08:31 AM on 10/29/2010

People here are sniping, but I admire Mrs Obama for quietly continuing to promote a positive message of respect, tolerance, kindness, healthy living habits, and self-esteem to our young people.

[nerakami]

09:09 AM on 10/29/2010

totally agree with you...

[WhatDaBleep]

08:26 AM on 10/29/2010

I think the tea-publicans are setting a fine example on how to intimidate and bully the democrats that want to ask questions of their candidates! They kick them, have them arrested and just ignore any legitimate questions that are presented and then the order the brown shirts to beat them up.