Something about this sad horrible story really bothers me.
Not just the cowardly bullies, or the bestial violence that left Dakota Hunter's body unrecognizable.
But also this:
Hunter was profiled by CBC News four years ago when he started taking taekwondo lessons to deal with bullies. But after his story aired, his situation changed, the CBC's Mychaylo Prystupa reported. The bullying got worse and Hunter quit martial arts.
The poor gentle kid tried to protect himself and boost his self esteem. But after his struggle became public the bullying only got worse. And in the end they killed him.
And I'm left with a hard question for which I have no answer. If bullied children can't tell their own stories, how will Canadians ever care enough to do more to help them?
Because bullying is a real problem that too many Canadians don't take seriously enough. Which is a big mistake. One out of every four bullies goes on to have problems with violence. So if we don't stop them in the schools they'll come back to haunt us later.
The kids can do their part by picking up the phone.
And breaking the silence.
But after that it's up to EVERYONE to take action. And make sure that those bully stories get told.
Because right now there are too many Canadian kids silently screaming for help.
And not enough Canadians doing anything to save them...
