Prayers for Bobby / Teen suicide prevention

          This movie was brought to my attention the other day by someone. I posted a clip below. I have yet to watch the movie but from the clips available online it is one that I think everybody should watch. It also brings to my attention another issue that we are facing. Because a lot of us are not ready to come out or don't understand the feelings we feel, you may not know that we are gay. So when you say hurtful things you may be hurting the person you are talking to. What if some kid who is gay overhears you say some hurtful thing about gay people. Better yet, what if just like in the movie below you kid was gay and you said these hurtful things. I would hope that you would support your unconditionally. What if after you said that hurtful thing, your kid goes and hangs himself or commits suicide. I think back now and I can only hope that the people I bullied when I was a kid ,struggling with my feelings, didn't drive them to do something bad.

          It can happen. It really can. Take for example this story. http://carloz.newsvine.com/_news/2010/09/14/5110767-15-year-old-indiana-boy-commits-suicide-over-anti-gay-bullying     It is about a boy in Indiana who was bullied by his classmates for being different. He never even said he was gay. But he couldn't take it any more after a student told him "He didn't deserve to live" and that "he was a piece of crap.".

           I remember what I went through as a teen. I remember wishing there were people I could talk to. But around here, people are so against being a homosexual that teens are afraid to talk to anybody. They are afraid of rejection and being bullied if anybody ever found out.

          I hope and pray that before the next time you start to say something about homosexuality. Look around the room and think of who you might secretly hurt. The ones you care about and love. By your comment you could be ultimately responsible for their hurt and pain. They will feel rejected by you and will feel that they can't talk to you about not only their being gay but also anything else. Maybe they won't tell you if they are being bullied. The only way that you would find out is when that officer comes and knocks on your door and says sir/madam we need to talk about your child. They are dead. And when you learn the reason why, you will be crushed. Not only because they are now dead, but because you could have prevented it by being more accepting and open minded. If they hadn't felt rejected by you then maybe they would have said something to you and you could of helped them through it.

          Again just something to think about the next time you feel the need to say hurtful comments in front of somebody. You never know who it might hurt and for you to not mean for it too.

~Looking