Senator Gretchen Whitmer Responds to Pro-Bullying Legislation
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- čas přidán 1. 11. 2011
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Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer responded to Republicans gutting an anti-bullying bill by inserting language that specifically allows bullying to occur based on religious or moral reasons. This legislation is a step backwards rather than forward in protecting Michigan's students in the classroom.
Ironically, in my little corner of the universe, it's the administrators who do most of the bullying, not the children.
Goddamn. If there's ever a clear-cut example of good senator vs. bad senator, it's this one. I've never heard of Gretchen Whitmer, but I'll tell you, she ought to have more power than she does, she seems to be one of the only sane ones there!
Of course that isn't true, I'm sure there are other perfectly sane senators there, but then how did the bill pass?
She went on to become Governor of that state.
@@Peekul1and an extreme woke dem.
I consider myself a moderate conservative, and I traditionally vote Republican, but if this woman was in my district she would have my vote. Bullying is a serious problem in our schools causing young people trauma they deal with for life. Sure, a lot of people are unemployed and things are bad and it needs to be dealt with, but we need to deal with all the issues in this state. Bullying ends lives before they even start. Senator Whitmer did something great for our state's youth by speaking out.
12 yrs ago and look whats changed.
Something tells me we are not getting the full story here.
People can call any belief "religious" and all of a sudden it is taboo to question it. Kudos to Gretchen Whitmer for challenging that.
This Bullying Blueprint is just disgusting. Who is the Majority leader in Michigan? Who can we call to get this legislation repealed? Jesus Would NOT Do This! Thank you Gretchen Whitmer for standing up for children.
This woman is amazing. Her passion and emotion is really moving. Good for you, Senator Whitmer.
Apollo --> you: the gift of prophecy
Hahaha wow this comment didn't age well.
FAKE COMMENTS
@@jamesshepherd8565haha
@JonnyLiberal That is the bill we both cite accurately. It does not say you can bully people on religious grounds as misquoted by many. You are one of the few to get it right as did I in a previous post. Now if all the lawyers want to litigate how that will be interpreted and enforced, that is a different discussion. Instead, peoples emotional reactions to a senator's opinion of what the words mean is not what the bill actually says. I'm glad you agree with me on what the bill actually says.
I used to be proud to call myself an American!
Now... not so much.
Now when I talk to others from different countries, I hesitate.
Why?
Because it won't be too long before we can no longer criticize other nations on their human rights records.
We need less bullying and more loving... seriously.
LOVE...PEACE...HAPPINESS... Zep
The Michigan State Senate Republicans should be ashamed for assuming the bullying role in government as far as this "anti-bullying" bill is concerned, and they may want to be concerned about how they'll be regarded by future generations who wouldn't be able to fathom such embarrassing ignorance and hatred.
more details needed. What was the bill exactly and what changes were requested?
Well spoken, Senator. However, your words are falling on deaf ears.
You can't shame people who have no shame.
To those who stand by idling watching bullying, I say shame on you for not using your 1st ammentment right to speak up and stay STOP to those who are bullying others. You claim the school does nothing, then you need to do something if they won't. Stand up and use your voice to take a stand against bullying, the more people who stand up against bullies the better. Go get a teacher and tell them about it, speak up but do something other than just sit there and watch it happen.
You know what? Four for GRETCHEN this time. Glen Coco can take a back seat in this one.
Freedom of speech should always be enforced, but bullying is harassment, something that directly affects another, and I don't give a crap about moral or religious excuses because the golden rule should always be followed: treat others the way you want to be treated.
no need for correction ... you´re absolutely right
I seriously can't believe such a bill got passed anywhere with that wording. Clearly none of the people that altered it have been bullied, else they wuld hae known better.
If only there were more people like Senator Whitmer in politics. What she's saying is what everyone shuld feel to this.
Wow. That was an amazing speech. Senator Whitmer should be incredibly proud of her actions. At least there are some politicians that actually care about children, instead of their own political party's ideology.
I'm really disheartened to see how homophobic Michigan has become. Where did all this anti-gay hatred come from? Suffice to say, as a tourist I will NEVER set foot in Michigan until they treat all citizens with respect.
This is mind blowing. I cannot believe this was actually allowed in Michigan. With all the suicides of kids, due to bullying, in the last 2years alone.... AMERICAN WE HAVE TO CHANGE!!!!!!
this is just so fucking sick that this got passed
thank you Senator for standing up for this thank you for trying
Oooooooooooohhh I used to be so proud of being from Michigan.....I think you will sill make this right. I. Hope. Shelley McCormick Westby, Petaluma, California
This appears to be from 2007. It passed the Michigan House and never made it out of the Senate Education committee. It is not the law in Michigan.
Never been prouder of my Senator.
Everyone praising this woman ought to look at her history. It's very easy to virtue signal by saying bullying is bad so she must be right. I'd like a little more context.
Im Australian, in WA, and this bill makes me fucking sick to my stomach. Im a bullying survivor, and this movement is just disgusting.
This senator needs to be heard, as well as everyone who supports her ideas. This bill being passed... there arent even words. Fuck.
When the father of the son whom the bill is named after disagrees with what's in the bill, you know there is something terribly wrong.
And wants his sons name removed from it
normally i would hate my country even more after this, but then i saw theres a sane and caring person still in the government. there might be a sliver of hope after all...
The real solution to the bullying problem is giving control of education funding to parents. That way they can choose the schooling option that is best for their children.
@lpoyner The only document available to read on the site is the bill as it was introduced to the senate. Whitmer refers to the bill being "gutted". It is inferred that the bill was edited, as many bills are, before it was passed.
So, when a kid that was bullied to the breaking point brings a gun to school and opens fire on innocent people and their tormentors, do they get a free pass too? Killing people is wrong but they saw no other way out. No one opens fire at school or kills themselves because of one isolated incident, they were constantly attacked for a length of time and they finally broke. Maybe if the government would step in and give them help before someone dies, they could actually protect people.
The idea that you can outlaw bullying is evidence both of our arrogance and our fetish with coddling the next generation. Bullying, just like any other childhood problem should be solved by parents, not cops and courts. By attempting to outlaw basic childhood behavior we strip parents of their responsibilities and ingrain a dependency on the system, preventing the child from learning how to cope with issues on their own.
And it passed.
Just one more reason I want absolutely nothing to do with organized religion.
Why are several Whitmore videos suddenly being recommended to me? The last time I googled her name was during the lock-downs from ~3 years ago. Is there an attempt to gear her up for the presidency?
i am soo glad to be a canadian right now i hope our goverment dont move up to this level of evil and greed
Embarrassed to be from Michigan today.
How about now?
@@LegendaryLock ikr lmao. As a texan I'd happily trade governors
@@jozettes Godspeed, man. 🙏
@@LegendaryLockhow bout the present day?
I think what most people are misunderstanding about this whole issue is this: MICHIGAN ALREADY HAD THOROUGH ANTI-BULLYING LAWS. This is a proposed AMENDMENT to the existing laws.
@rookzparliament there is a difference between harassing someone and sharing beliefs in a respectful manner. This clause simply protects the 1st amendment and does not condone any bullying like people are claiming. It's up to the schools to make rules on harassment. I know the school I grew up in would have punished anyone harassing a student vs sharing their beliefs. I condemn ALL bullying and have experienced it myself, but I certainly condone protecting the 1st amendment.
I just can not believe this who in their right mind would even come up with a law protecting bullys when they have tormented people in the past and are tormenting people now.. I am assuming the people who came up with the law were the bullies in their school growing up -_- THIS SICKENS ME!
Gretchen Whitmer, you are a hero.
Bless you Senator Whitmer. How I wish and pray that your words change the hearts of those that promote prejudice, bigotry and hate. I only wished more people like you were our elected officials.
I'm a republican, but I'm disgusted to hear this. I have a friend in Michigan who is bullied for her weight and she is different so no one is nice to her.
What a pointless law. This is the worst kind of legislation where the joke politicians get to claim they did something when in truth they did nothing and as a result the issue will be ignored from that point forward. Despicable.
Great speech by Gretchen Whitmer.
First of all, that’s GOVERNOR Gretchen Whitmer!
First of all, you knkw shes an extremely woke dem now? Do you still first of all?
you can sign a petition on change.org against this bill!! 20,000 plus still needed :
I can't BELIEVE that there was a law written in this country that makes an excuse for bullying. I'm disgusted that this is actually happening. As a senior in high school, I see bullying every day. I promise you, if there is a law that allows people to bully others because of religion or morals, it will get so much worse and no one will be able to stop the bullies. I'm so proud of Senator Whitmer for properly defending us. This gives me hope that someone in Congress cares about us kids.
@Nyrufa "He told me that I was wrong, but everyone has an opinion, so I beat him up." That would be a moral excuse. It's sick, isn't it?
Well, I cant' say I'm terribly surprised. To date, the Williamsville Central School District in New York, where Jamey Rodemacher was a student, has yet to say one word about homophobia. Williamsville, ya know, is one of those "Respect Life" communities, whose ultimate religious leader has gone out of his way to proclaim homosexuality "morally disordered." So they're OK with being against bullying -- but they can't admit that homophobia is a problem.
@lpoyner Alright I just read it myself and here is what it says: "THIS SECTION
DOES NOT PROHIBIT A STATEMENT OF A SINCERELY HELD RELIGIOUS BELIEF OR MORAL CONVICTION OF A SCHOOL EMPLOYEE, SCHOOL VOLUNTEER, PUPIL, OR A PUPIL'S PARENT OR GUARDIAN." So in other words it is perfectly okay for a religious person to insult a gay person. That is what it is saying.
I have been literally sick...often, physically sick and depressed. It's things like this that cause it and no meds will really help.
@jadeyes914: The bill was introduced by Majority Caucus Chairperson, Sen. Rick Jones (R) from Grand Ledge.
Disgusting. Well done, Senator Whitmer. If you were in Canada,I'd vote for you.
I don't want to live on this planet anymore.
This woman needs to be president!!
That's the kind of people who should be in charge!!
Here we are, 12 years later, and people are talking about 'replacement' candidates....and the first name that came to my mind was Gretchen Whitmer ☺️
Thank you, Senator Whitmer, for telling it like it is. Anti-bullying bills shouldn't come with special exemptions for those who claim to be "moral" but in actuality are the opposite. Shame on those who passed this bill.
:'( I am crying.
Wouldn't harassment laws be the same as having anti bullying laws? People have the right to say and express whatever they want unless they have the intent to harass or intimidate...why not just enforce harassment laws, some people are waaaaaay too sensitive about certain things and like with sexual harassment ANY little thing can be taken the wrong way and get someone in big trouble
@Grungivaldi There is nothing wrong with dependency on the system. A child who is being bullied should be able to call on his school for help. We are social animals. We are all interdependent.
Having said that, by turning bullying into a religious freedom issue, the law makes it impossible for schools to deal with it. Insane situation all around.
I'm so glad I go to a school in Canada right now, but I shouldn't be proud to say that I have to be in a certain location to be safe. Senator Whitmer's voice needs to be louder, that's why we are going to make it louder by standing against this sick and twisted law until it falls. Everyone better add the word "Whitmer" to your auto-correct dictionary, it's going to become used a lot more.
@hanksnow82 You're right, they really were wasting their time. They should have instead voted yes on a law where it is not necessary to report murder of kids, and it is allowed to kill them for religious or moral reasons. That would have covered a lot more kids.
(8) This section does not abridge the rights under the First Amendment of the constitution of the United States or under article I of the state constitution of 1963 of a school employee, school volunteer, pupil, or a pupil's parent or guardian. This section does not prohibit a statement of a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction of a school employee, school volunteer, pupil, or a pupil's parent or guardian
I love this woman!!! Whats happening in my state of Michigan is discussing!!!!! The Koch Brothers puppets suck!!! God Bless our children! God Bless Matt .
what has humanity come too to let this happen its disgusting! its so sad and sickening do they not get that suicide mostly happens because off bullying! they just killed millions of people
DLAntti -" This isn't about the adult world, where bullying isn't an issue, being free to make choices, and go to work at jobs that demand professionalism." In an ideal world, things would work like that, but it's not an ideal world. As a victim of HR-sanctioned workplace bullying for several years, I am now unemployed and fighting to get my job back.
@morrowindfan75
He wrote in Intelligence Reframed (1999) that "Intelligence is a biopsychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture". In the book you cite, Multipe Intelligences: The Theory in Practice, he writes that tests ought to be "intelligence-fair" - in other words, encompassing more than just logical mathematical/linguistic capacity. So in context, which tests did he refer to?
Does anyone know where I can find more information on the legislation?
@scalp340 You've basically written WHY we need legislation. Because people are going to do stupid immoral dangerous things, and we need laws to put some control on it, so people have somewhere to turn when idiots do something immoral. Having a law against stealing isn't going to cause someone to change their morals, but it is giving recourse to the victim of theft, and may cause a thief to actually not steal in plain sight or might get caught ,reducing the incidence greatly. Same for all crime
A-freaking-men, lady. I live in Canada but hell, this bothers me beyond belief.
That ladies and gents is a great senator. What a bully bitchslap to the Epling family and ultimately their son. Congrats Michigan, you just moved two steps back.
@catokeeffe I have a very clear understanding of the law system. The amount of time and money it would take to determine if actual bullying was committed would be better served on real crimes.
@bluebonetube that was my thought when I read what he wrote too. And smashing your kid's head against the wall... heck, if he dies, weeds out the week ones. And running people down with trucks and cars! Putting pollution in the air and water! Not inspecting food or restaurants, and allowing the sale of rotten meat or salmonella contaminated lettuce. No building codes, so stupid builders have their houses fall down and kill them. No seatbelts or hard hats. No streetlights or roadsigns...and more!
I'm very curious, when Sen. Whitmer says "It wouldn't have done a dam' thing to save Matt" was Matt Epling a target of religious-based bullying? Or is she simply saying that the provision could be abused to allow any form of bullying?
This is a flawless victory. Gretchen Whitmer shows a triumph of justice, logic and reason. Due to her kind words, the law was changed to remove the unfair exceptions from the bullying law.
@Grungivaldi What you're suggesting is that we instead coddle bullies by telling them it's acceptable to torment other kids as long as they have a moral/religious rationalization for their acts. I agree that kids should learn coping mechanisms for dealing with bullies, but there are better ways to do this than turning what is supposed to be a safe environment for learning into a free-for-all of opinionated moral viewpoints.
@Grungivaldi Are you saying we shouldn't outlaw other offenses of an oppressive and/or violent nature? Hell, let's abolish murder as a criminal act. After all, parents should be able to control their children.
It doesn't matter what age the crime is committed, it still leaves a victim. Bullying is above and beyond acceptable social interactions between any human being, regardless of how old they are. If the parents fail to fix the problem, the government should step in to protect all of us.
This is the coolest law ever. I'm moving to Michigan now.
@rmeden1 This is Senate Bill 137 that passed the State Senate on Nov 2, 2011. It still has to pass the House, and hopefully they will remove the language that allows the loophole.
how is bullying defined legally? What does the law demand be done to reduce bullying?
Dissapointed in our species.
I would like to nominate Gretchen Whitmer for president.
she just went hard...
Anyone who thinks bullying should be protected/encouraged/justified should not be allowed anywhere near children. There is nothing "moral" about bullying. There is nothing Christian about making someone's life a living misery. Hatred is not a family value.
In fact this bill is one of the most morally bankrupt things I have ever heard.
you have GOT to be kidding me. I'm ashamed to live in michigan.
I don't wanna live on this planet anymore
How in the heck did this pass again?
Only meaningless to someone who invents a greater meaning to it without any reason to do so. The rest just look at what is actually there to draw conclusions, rather than having to say 'it's an indication of something we can't see' to fit in with what we want it to mean.
Basing knowledge upon such standards is not ridiculous - after all, it's the same empiricism that keeps you choosing to walk out of your front door in the morning rather than an upstairs window.
Your 'fear' is non-sequitous.
@cedarbeam
Whoever said I'm from Australia, just so you know, I am not. I'm from a rural location in the US. Obviously GLBT are not minorities in the Castro district. The Castro district is NOT the norm.
Additionally Cedarbeam, I didn't refer to any statistics. Those statistics were being flung at me in an attempt to prove that gay parents produce gay children. And there was no link to any relevant research. I was pointing out the reasons why it wouldn't be accurate if there was a study.
As a future educator, I was worried about not being able to find a teaching job in Michigan. Now, I'm not sure I'd want one if I could find it. I'll look in the other 47 states, where lawmakers themselves have been properly educated in creating anti-bullying laws.
@moach hey if any kid is harassing somebody, especially assaulting them, for whatever reason (sexuality, looks, or religion) they should be punished. I hate bullying, I've experienced it and I have been picked on for standing up for others who have been bullied. I would love to see my children not go through those types of things. I think everyone here can agree on that.
@CinnabonChan Orwell called it doublespeak. War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.
@SxTHUNDERxG I agree with your assessment. More people should read these bills. No one ever takes the time to dig deeper. I'm all for what she's saying too, but I'd rather be more of a participant in the information before making a reactive comment.
This new law shakes me to my core. The fact that someone could beat a gay boy up and say he goes against my religion makes me sick of humanity.
Powerful!!
BRAVOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
@klutterkicker He was bullied for being gay as far as I know, most monotheisms see homosexuality as a sin therefore this law allows an exception for homophobia. Its utterly crazy!!
How much lower can the Republicans get? Giving bullies an okay to bully as long as they can come up with a religious or moral reason? There is NO acceptable reason for bullying.
Citizens of Michigan- get rid of these "representatives" or you will be considered no better than they are!
wow, this video is 12500 times more than usual... I wonder how that has occured:P
@Jayarih It isn't
Hate speech would be i violation of Michigan SENATE BILL NO. 137 Section 10 Part B Paragraphs I and IV
But a student can state a difference of opinion and the other student can have a rebuttal, that's free speech.
"Church and State should be kept separate"
My ass! Seems they're openly bringing a bunch of laws in to persecute people because of religious reasons now. And wtf is a "moral" reason for bullying?
I can't believe a bill like this even made it that far. It's disturbing they'd let that bill pass.