Bullying! Phoebe Prince & Others (In Memorial) R.I.P. Poem by Luke Easter

LaVena Lynn Johnson, Jamie Leigh Jones, what’s been happening since?
Josie Lou Ratley and the end of innocence for 15 year-old Phoebe Prince,
To those who pushed this girl to suicide I say murder in the first degree,
And during plea-bargaining negations nothing less than the max felony.

The first three mentioned had different circumstances in their own right,
However, what makes this unique is that it did not happen over night,
There was a continual pattern of harassment by bullies in high school,
On at least one occasion it was witnessed by students & a teacher too.

Exactly what must these administrators, teachers and their parents do?
To stop these students from imitating life found in the Metro Park Zoo,
By the way, speaking of administrators & parents not one of them knew?
Oh but wait, there were some in the upper echelon who did have a clue.

Arriving from Ireland it started last September, the girl never had a chance,
Tragically found hanging at home two days before the high school dance,
Enough became too much as she sadly ended her life this past January 14,
Nine will face charges of statutory rape, assault and others, six were teens

Back to those in charge who were aware of the in person and online abuse,
What kind of message are they sending, how about this one, what’s the use?
This wasn’t a job after graduation where everyone has the status of an adult,
Neither was it in some hide away camp, commune or secret religious cult.

Not a remote island off the radar neither a far away galaxy did it take place,
South Hadley Massachusetts which is located in the good old United States,
Primarily conducted at school during school hours as classes were in session,
I Yahooed, Googled, you name it but no where could I find this in any lesson.

It was so devastating that her brokenhearted parents just had to move away,
Wondering why none came forward so they could see their child another day,
Here’s a question, whose son or daughter is being bullied right now and where?
Hopefully in future instances those in charge will do more than say, “we care.”

Bullying isn’t always physical as more often than not it is from your mouth,
The crowd that considers themselves in to the crowd they ordered left out,
A lot of these kids are made to feel so bad they want to runaway and hide,
And when the victims run out of safe places the only thing left is a suicide.

Probably the saddest coupled with the strangest thing isn’t feeling all alone,
It is believing that around your family in the supposedly comforts of home,
Teachers, classmates, the Principal, passersby will see but have an excuse,
One reason or another for not getting involved now the kids feel it’s no use.

Once I picked on a kid,7th grade, straight from school to home he would run,
His mom called mine and she told my dad ouch, roasty-toasty were my buns,
Picking on innocent kids the nicest things said are ugly, geek, stupid and fat,
Call parents today, “oh no not my Johnny or Suzy they’re not raised like that.”

Isn’t this problem just restricted to lower income neighborhoods hey not so fast,
Sladjana Vidovic's body lay in an open casket Mentor, Ohio that’s middle class,
Inner cities or suburbs do not let this be like drug use & it’s only a problem until,
Cool that kids within the limits are getting high but not those at the top of the hill.

Earlier this month Massachusetts Legislature passed anti-bullying legislation,
So, If that's the case then how did Miss Phoebe Prince die from strangulation?
There’s an age old question, “if a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound? ”
Here’s a new 1, “if a law’s passed & U R a victim anyway why have it around? ”

Bullying! It should be put into all state and federal criminal codes,
Even though this accepted practice happens to be centuries old,
Accepted? Certainly, victims commit suicide & bullies do no time,
As innocence takes their life shouldn’t the guilty pay for this crime?

And if nothing is done soon, there might be another Columbine,
Because not all of those being bullied are afraid to dropp a dime,
So, when nothing is done as in most cases well, that’s just fine,
Destruction is the ultimate price to pay for, “The Ties That Bind.”

Bullying was in the old world as ipods are in the new,
Usually in the realm of the street, not found in school,
Told the principal, counselors, her daughter, attacked,
Sold their house vowing her child will never go back.

Mother had no other choice for the safety of her kid,
Her only option was to vacate the premises, she did,
Everyday,160,000 students feel safer staying home,
And working parents are secure leaving them alone.

But what about the families where work is only found,
The current location, they can’t afford moving around,
And if they could what if it happens again in the new?
Okay, now what in the heck are they supposed to do?

Choosing instead to tutor in the evenings after work?
Where they are assured their children cannot be hurt,
Board of Education threatens to prosecute mom, dad,
But not the bullies, is not the BOE acting just as bad?

The AMA Journal reports 3.2 million kids every year,
Are victims of bullying, while even more live in fear,
Many are being targeted in the sectors of cyber-space,
Modern technology threats are no longer face-to-face.

Martha Revees, 'Nowhere To Run Nowhere To Hide, '
This is the Mindset and why many kids commit suicide,
To hold parents accountable whose kids fail to abide,
The only other current alternative to help save lives.

Meaning the incidents have grown beyond the actual act,
Mishandling problems along with a devastating impact,
Aggressors do not have anything except selfish reasons,
With Internet growth everyday has become open season.