SAYING SORRY

A continual and ongoing stand needs to be taken against bullying. The message needs to get out that it will not be tolerated in schools.

If necessary, those who continue should be given suspensions. The parents of these bullies need to teach their kids that they won't be allowed back in school unless they change their behaviour.

My feeling is that public offense requires public apology on request. If it isn't requested, well, let sleeping dogs lie.

I disagree. Many of the people who were sent to US concentration camps during WWII died before George Bush sent each of us a letter of apology. The survivors appreciated the fact that their loved ones who were no longer alive to accept the apology, but understood that their loved ones would have appreciated the apology from our president. It meant alot.

Here is a follow-up conclusion to this story:

Apology for 42-year-old yearbook slur

VANCOUVER/CKNW AM980
Laura Baziuk

A B-C man has finally received the apology he was seeking for a slur published next to his yearbook photo back in 1970.

Robin Tomlin says he is very happy to have received a sincere, face-to-face apology from Argyle Secondary School and the North Vancouver School District.

And now he also has a new page in his yearbook that reads what he has always meant it to say, "to meet as many people from all over the world as i can and i want to be a cowboy."

The yearbook had originally been published with the word "fag" next to his picture.

His friends carrying candles to remember all victims of bullying greeted him outside with cheers and plan to celebrate tonight.

District Officials say they hope the apology and the new page will help Tomlin find peace.

http://www.cknw.com/news/vancouver/story.aspx/story.aspx?ID=1795394

that's not the Canadian way. We tend to apologize whether we step on your toes, or you step on ours.

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I am glad that he got his apology and that the whole issue of bullying is getting some seriously needed attention. He could have let it go on his own behalf, but he pursued it for his daughter and for kids in schools today. I appreciate that <nods>.