Obama To Open Anti-Bullying Film Debuting Sunday

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will deliver an opening message before the debut of "Speak Up," a Cartoon Network documentary about bullied youth across America and those who have helped them.

The half-hour film, part of the network's "Stop Bullying: Speak Up" initiative, will be aired on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. EDT/PDT, with an encore at 8 p.m.

The documentary features appearances by star athletes Venus Williams, Chris Webber, Lisa Leslie, soccer player Hope Solo, BMX bike rider Matt Wilhelm and NASCAR drivers Trevor Bayne, Jeff Burton and Joey Logano.

Obama, who has said he endured school-yard harassment, hosted the first anti-bullying summit at the White House last year.

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Comments

[zebestblonde]

01:00 PM on 03/28/2012

Also, social media sites such as Face Book and whatever else is out there, should have a ZERO tolerance policy with bullying. Since many bullies go to these sites specifically to lash out, write hateful and hurtful things- FB should have a big, red BULLY BUTTON- terms spelled out what BULLYING IS, make it a new thing, get it running and ALL users must read and electronically sign or whatever they have done so- so they canNOT come back later, claim they did NOT- and then enforce it. Many things people put up are clearly bullying tactics and verbiage and full of nasty and hateful comments- the FIRST time they do so- STOP their privilege of using their account- block them for 30 days, they come back- if they do it again- make it longer or for good. Yes, people can make new accounts, but if FB is taking and paying attention to users and verifying- it is possible to make it work. It's like cutting them off of their phones etc- that is a big scare for teens etc. So cut their FB and other accounts and there you go- it STOPS! But sitting back, watching it all play out online somewhere, where it leads to people killing themselves is effort too little too late- IF effort at all

[zebestblonde]

12:54 PM on 03/28/2012

I'm an adult, I lived through bullying going to school- one of those bullies shot himself in the head & died years ago- he was NEVER happy, had a hard life- doesn't mean you have to be a bully. I'm a writer/poet and wrote a sonnet on this after watching another sad bullying story based in Australia. Need to post the sonnet, but bullying has happened for decades & decades. Kids these days constantly use FB and other sites to bully & I believe many KNOW what they are doing- they simply do NOT care, nor do they lack the common sense to realize ALL the ramifications of their words & actions. You have adults who can NOT be nice- when did it start? People are people & there are many who seem to want to hate, tear others down at the expense of the other person's feelings, daily life, to the point the victim sees no way out but suicide- that's sad. Also, schools NEED to step up & have a ZERO tolerance policy! Stop saying- we don't have enough proof or all the other WEAK excuses- you do, so WAKE UP, HOLD BULLIES ACCOUNTABLE! To parents of bullies- really, where the kid learn to hate so much and WHY do you tolerate it, defend it- that's NOT being a good parent, that's supporting your bully kid- WAKE UP!, do YOUR jobs as the parent & hold YOUR kid accountable- so it doesn't get to the point it does

[rewith85man]

01:29 AM on 03/13/2012

This is progressing.