This was more than unsettling

I just watched a show about children and young adults bullied to death. This isn't an exaggeration. These young people were so horribly bullied, harassed, assaulted, raped, beaten to the point they felt their only escape was suicide. It breaks my heart seeing this, as I was one of those bullied kids.

To this day, I can remember with clarity the faces of those who though that this funny sounding kid (I had moved from Texas to CT) was a target. The assaults, the thefts, the being ambushed, having hair set on fire, scalp burning substances poured over my head.... I remember.

What gets me is you can spot the bullies. They are the ones making excuses for their kids, and their kid's stories are flatly not credible. Or the parents are all chuffed up with pride that their kid is a whiz at beating on someone smaller than they are, or participating in a pack of animals beating on one kid.

Juanita R, Helen L, Maureen H, Kathie B, Leslie H, Shirley K, Elizabeth H, Tommy D, Gary O, Michael S, Jeff B, Wayne C, Isa H, Jeffrey C, .. and yes, I remember their last names too. You see, this shit stays with you for the rest of your life.

I got a bit of closure when one of the above mentioned called me when I was living in CT, asking if I would like to attend HS reunion, for $100 per person.
"You made my life a living hell in grade school and high school, and there is no way I am going to pay for the privilege of revisiting that hell."

She laughed and chirped "Oh, that was so LONG ago. I would have thought you had gotten over that by now."

I absentmindedly rubbed the scar on my cheek from when she or one of her buddies (remember, they travel in packs) set my hair on fire and answered her "Glad to disappoint you." and hung up.

The schools authority.. more useless than tits on a bull. You would get 5 kids who assaulted one kid all parroting the exact same story almost word for word, and they would swallow it hook line and sinker.

And from what I have seen, that blatant stupidity hasn't changed much.

I guess it will change when some rich kid gets bullied to death. Until then... all we can do is be vigilant.