November 2, 2016

Dear President,

“When people hurt you over and over, think of them like sandpaper; they may scratch and hurt you a bit, but in the end, you end up polished and they end up useless.” - Chris Colfer Bullying is a serious matter that has been going on for centuries, throughout all ages. I can give several reasons out of a billion that bullying is effective to us individuals. It causes depression, self harm, lack of mental health. This leads to anxiety, feeling alone, this causes self harm, and cuts upon the body as a way to relieve the victims pain outside of reality and cause physical pain to take away from all the mental pain they’re experiencing. Bullying is found to be unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived imbalance of power. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. (www.stopbullying.gov)

How would it make you feel if a female or male figure in your life was experiencing the lack of self confidence and self love? This is the key to happiness, the way to keep us moving forward to love who we are. Bullying defeats people's happiness; it breaks you down to feel different emotions. Having self love causes an individual to think down upon themselves as if what people are saying about them is true. Eventually when you feel consistent pain it allows you to just accept the pain that's being given and believe the cruelty behind each taunt or criticism a bully may give toward you. Long term bullying or years of going through such horrific behavior can affect an individual forever. You develop things like lack of faith within relationships with a significant other, friendships and it may even be a family member. It also allows someone to feel like no one is trustworthy or will ever care for them like they deserve. Bullying isn't just something someone goes through that is for the better. It causes terrible emotional attitude changes toward things you experience within your life. Is this something we want our kids or younger siblings so grow up wondering when this will happen to them? And how it may? This needs to be a serious matter in our communities, our schools, homes and other areas. Adults can even experience this behavior known as bullying. Why should this continue in our society? If it's just ruining those around us? (https://www.barnardos.ie/resources.com)

Bullying can be put to an end with finding the victims help who feel like they need to cut those down because of how they may be feeling or what they may be dealing with. Those who bully suffer with things within themselves. They’re found to be jealous and envious of those because of their relationships with others, being a form of popular, even the ability to make friends and for those who come from a wealthy loving appreciated family. These are things that can all be changed, we should have meetings within schools to get the word out that even though those who think bullying is ok to do need to know that there are consequences to this behavior. Bullies that are going through terrible times tend to make the effort to go out of there way to break down another individual all because they would like others to feel what they may feel. You as an individual can do whatever you put your heart and soul toward. You can make a better change for not others but for yourself. You are capable of being a better person no matter the mistakes or choices you made before hand. You can always develop a change for yourself. (http://www.befrienders.org)

Those who are bullied believe there is no good for them after what they have been through but I myself believe there’s even more waiting for them in the end. No matter what anyone faces that is found to be difficult can help someone have even more strength than they did before. “Everything happens for a specific reason,” is something I like to tell myself and others. No matter the situation and how hard it may be, you are capable of getting through it all. You have to learn to find things that you enjoy, people you love to be around no matter what others may say. Learn what’s best for you and keep up a pattern within your life and keep the things you love close to you to find happiness with that. Don’t let those break whom you were meant to be. God loves you and there are those out there who love who you have become as well. “Don’t you worry your pretty little mind. People throw rocks at things that shine.” -Hunter S. Dear President all I ask for is to make a difference and start campaigns regarding this situation. Have fundraisers going toward events that our communities can have. Ask public speakers to visit locations, such as schools to speak about this serious issue more than just once. Let’s make a change and let's start today.

Sincerely, Gabriela Vallejo