Thank you so much, Anderson, for taking the time to examine this tragedy.

Harassment due to a student’s gender identity and/or sexual orientation often goes unchecked and unpunished in schools across the nation. It is highly unacceptable and part of what leads to the high suicide rate among GLBT teens.

I can’t thank you enough for the important work you do!

Yes, I think the other scenarios you mentioned would have gotten more attention. We are light years away from accepting people for what they are. People are born homosexual or heterosexual-it’s entirely genetic. But ignorance, stupidity and intolerance are qualities that are bred. You can call it bullying or a hate crime-I call it pre-meditated murder as well.

And Ralph Nader is a looney tune.

Anderson,

I think you bring up valid questions. I’m not sure as to whether or not we can say that if it had been a murder based on race or religion, it would have gotten more attention, but those questions are worth asking. All I can be sure of, is that there is a serious problem with bullying in our schools and we have to take these things seriously. Many school administrators are pushing bullying aside and saying it is just a normal part of growing up or it is just kids being kids, but we have to take each case of bullying as a potential foundation for hatred and more serious crimes. If school administrators are seeing this kind of behavior they have to talk to the students involved, talk to the parents of the students and figure out an effective way of dealing with the situation before it escalates to another hate crime like this one of Lawrence King.
We also have to teach children that if they hear something being said about another student which is hateful or has the potential of being a threat on someone’s life, that they have to tell a teacher or administrator, so that it can be dealt with. I also believe that change starts at home, and if we expect to end bullying we have to teach our children that while we may not agree with the religious or life choices that be have, we can co-exist with them.

I am really looking forward to tonights show. Oh, I also hope you enjoyed your nice two day weekend!! Your 60 Minutes piece was very informative. See you tonight!

this breaks my heart. there are far too many of these homophobic hate crimes and far too few stories about them. thank you anderson; for caring and for bringing attention to this horrifying phenomenon. i’m really looking forward to the story…maybe it will ensure that my annoyance tonight isn’t with ralph nadar alone…

Just when you think that maybe we’re getting somewhere, something like this is brought to our attention. I sat here trying to think of something to say that is worthwhile, but I can’t really. But I felt like I was ignoring the story, if I said nothing @ all. It is beyond sad. It literally makes me sick.

Hi Anderson,
I think not only are the schools still bad at tackling the bully problem, but all of society is too. Everyone is so afraid to trample on the rights of a bully that they forget a victim is in dire need of help. We all really need to make being a bully so socially unacceptable that he or she finds the shame of it too much to even try.

Lorie Ann, Buellton, Calif.

Anderson,
As a high school P.E. teacher, I am all too famiiar with bullying in the classroom. Kids can be down right cruel to one another. There is a fine line between teasing & bullying. School administrators are often overwhelmed with “more important” issues like tests scores & budget problems that oftentimes the “schoolyard teasing” is overlooked. School tragedies like Colombine etc. have drawn more attention to the problem but more needs to be done to ensure that each and every student’s voice is heard when they complain about being harrassed by others. There are many programs on campuses across the country that address these kinds of isuues. Having a life skills counselor has helped my campus a great deal. Unfortunately these counselors are on the chopping block because of the looming education cuts to the CA State budget. Until School funding is made a priority in this country, the Lawrence King’s of the world with continue to pay the ultimate price.

Anderson,

This is quite obviously a hate crime. I do think that the shooting of Lawrence King would have been given more attention if he had been a Black bullied by a skinhead or someone attacked for his religious beliefs. Everyone agrees that those prejudices should not be tolerated.

Sadly, crimes against gays and lesbians still seem to be taken less seriously than crimes against other groups of people. I hate to say it, but maybe it is because many traditional religions, and society in general, condemn and look down on gays and lesbians giving the impression that it is somehow acceptable to commit crimes against them.

I think that bullying in general is still not taken seriously enough. In the past it was dismissed as just something all kids do, and then there was Columbine.

Jo Ann
North Royalton, Ohio

Bullying is how one or more persons tries to use their strongest weapon against another, with whom they do not agree. Time was, when children bullied in school they were punished by the school system or the child’s parents. I cannot say that the punishment solved the problem but I can say that parents and school administrators were at that time the highest authority and took the “winner” factor out of the hands of the perpetrator.

Today it is much different. Weapons are easily found, parent’s often don’t know what is in the mind of their child. Parents sometimes express the “that’s my son!” pride, or just send the kid where ever, as long as they aren’t bothered by then.

You know, bullying and proper attention to the fact, have no favorites. Any race, any religion. any orientation. It just doesn’t matter. Just the normal childhood jealousy of one child over another is often enough.

The usual defense when the victim commits a terrible act is that the child was bullied as a child. Either way, someone usually is injured, if not physically, then emotionally. I don’t have the answers either, but I somehow believe we were all on one side or the other as children.

Maggie C

Hi Anderson, I saw your segment on Lawrence King. It makes you understand why more people don’t come out of the closet. He’s unusual in that he’s brave to do it at such a young age…but it had a cost…his life. The doctor you interviewed is right…more education needs to be provided to students of all ages, not only where this happened but everywhere in the country. Bullying at all levels is just wrong, especially when it takes away the life of another human being.

Lilibeth
Edmonds, WA

I work as an intervention counselor in an Appalachian school district. Tonight I heard your guest expert’s comments regarding homophobic hate crime prevention. I was stunned at his assessment that parents simply needed to be talking with their children. Surely this is important, but your expert’s comments ignore virtually every piece of empirical knowledge concerning bullying: Bullying is systemic. Intervention needs to be systemic. Effective intervention involves an educated and empowered staff and student body. The bystanders have the power to stop this nightmare — and will, if trained in how to do so. Whether it is bullying on the basis of special education needs, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, physical size, or the myriad of other bases on which power is abused, we have the power, the knowledge, and the absolute moral and legal responsibility to stop this violence. The programs exist, are effective, affordable, and accessible. Your expert’s inadequate comments provide an excuse for an education system’s inexcusable failure to protect all students. Were that it was only one school system’s failure.

Thanks for putting the spotlight on this tragedy. I couldn’t believe the story when I first read it and saw the photos of this young man. I hope that you continue to cover this story as it unfolds. Perhaps there is another “expert” ( rather than Dr. Sophy ) that would be willing to address the homophobia/bullying issue more directly.

Anderson, you have this one all wrong.

I work in the area (Camarillo) and spent some time recently hearing an upset friend of the shooter. There really are many sides to this complex story and I think you chose wrong.

Apparently, the shooter was the one being bullied. Thank you for mentioning that in your CNN story. He wasn’t one of the people bullying Lawrence. I believe school authorities have to accept some blame here.

Apparently, the school allowed Lawrence to wear stiletto heels and make up to school. You mentioned that in your CNN story too–thank you for that. My own kids’ middle school never allowed anyone (girls, boys, or teachers) to wear that to school. Apparently, the school allowed Lawrence to act outrageously and didn’t try to tone it down. For a middle school boy trying to deal with his own identity, allowing that type of behavior makes no sense. My kids’ school uses uniforms for just that reason.

Apparently, Lawrence had been harassing the shooter. The shooter complained to school authorities about it but apparently the school ignored his repeated and emotional complaints.

You mentioned Lawrence was in the foster care system and had no parents around to support him and be role models. You didn’t mention whether the shooter was also in the foster care system. Maybe that would be worth finding out as well.

I have a son who just turned 14. My kid can’t get up in the morning, likes cartoons and video games, and meanders walking home from school. I can’t imagine my son being tried as an adult. That is because he’s only a child–barely a teenager.

So, I ask you in this case, don’t pass judgment on the shooter because the victim is gay. Being gay doesn’t give you a free pass to behave erratically and harass others. On the other hand, nothing makes it right to take another’s life. Have some sympathy for a troubled, harassed child with no parents around who apparently was ignored by school officials who allowed another troubled child to harass him without punishment. He will have to live his life knowing he took another’s life. Maybe these two children had a lot in common.

And how did that gun get into the school grounds? Why was Lawrence allowed to wear stiletto heels to school? Why was Lawrence allowed to wear make up to school? Why was Lawrence allowed to (as you said on CNN) act out his deep crush on the shooter? Why did the school ignore the shooter’s complaints? If it were my kid being harassed like that, I would have taken my child out of school until the school got the kid in makeup and heels harassing my child under control. It helps to have parents around.

I’m not sure if this is a hate crime. Who at the Oxnard Police said that? You dropped a quote without citing a source. I see this as a school who apparently mismanaged two children in crisis. If they ignored it, it fueled the fire.

So next time, instead of one sided reporting in a complex story, take the time to look deeper, Anderson. Yes, the victim was gay. That doesn’t make this a hate crime. I believe it is an education management problem–it’s a story of two kids in trouble and apparently a school didn’t know how to handle their problems.

I think the parents are repsonsible because they influence how their children think and how they relate to others. I give my parents a lot of credit for raising me to be the person I am today. They taught me to not judge people “by the bookcover” and to be kind and tolerant- even if I did not agree with their viewpoints.

Many people have told my parents that they should not “expose their children to homosexual people, because then their kids (my brother and I) will become gay.” Well, we are now both adults and we are not gay- though we both have friends that are.

I think it is sad that there are still children who are raised to be intolerant and that incidents like this still occur.

Hey Anderson,

I think the public don’t adhere to bullying. They pass it off as it’s nothing. It is totally ridiculous and sad that no one would pay attention to this situation. Even though this guy is gay it’s still sad that no one would try to help find answers to the problem. Whether or not the person is gay, homosexual and others, these are still people’s lives we are talking about. School officials should take these crimes more seriously. To answer your question Anderson, school officials would have paid more attention if it had been a Christian leader or religious beliefs. I mean that’s a problem in this country at least. It’s good that you have brought this story up Anderson people should be more aware of these things, because it could happen to anyone practically.
Well Ralph Nader, I hope he has a better solution than what has already been said by the other candidates maybe a plan that might work.
Anderson sometimes I say wow to your work because it’s awesome, you always have something either funny or emotional to express.

-Lefianna ,NY

I think it is clear that it’s time for ordinary people to stop tolerating the hateful theology that marginalizes gays and promotes the notion that it is permissable to “hate the sin”. The church I grew up in promoted Christian principles that emphasized “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you”. It is unfortunate that the messiah who shielded an adulteress from stoning is considered to be the author of a credo that encourages hatred toward homosexuals. It is time to call the churches to account for this nonsense.

Most people have no such longing to see their own children hung up on barbed wire fences or take a bullet to the brain for being different. This lack of love is not what they truly want. They come to the church seeking mercy, not justice. That sword has a double edge. An argument could easily be made that as the body is the “temple of the lord” every fat person in America is in violation of God’s will and therefore undeserving of protection. And I sometimes wonder if the overweight aren’t next on the list. So long as our theology is dominated by fear, there is no love in it.

We need to ask just how long we will be dominated by the Republic of Falwell spreading hate speech in the name of a loving God.

Another sad story perhaps because of the lack of supervision by the adults (maybe because adults are afraid to take action because of the fear of geting in trouble?).
It also brings to mind how a child can bring a gun into the school without anyone preventing it from happening. There’s just too much hate in the world. It seems like a reality in our society how school shootings are becoming commonplace to the point that we are becoming desensitized. Scary thought.

It just goes to show that the educational system needs to give students a basis of knowledge at a young age. obviously, parents are too uncomfortable to discuss the matter with their children, and schools seem to shun the idea aside hoping that it will go away. wake up. its not going away. i attend east carolina university and in my sexual health class we openly discuss homosexuality and how to show equality among such a diverse campus. education systems should not wait to stress the rights that gay people possess. it should be taught along with any other information children receive at a young age. maybe then will our school systems do something progressive for a change.

After being a teacher for 30 years, I have seen bullying, but I never let it go. I stepped in and dealt with it. The school I had taught at adopted a zero tolerance from bullying.

This story just breaks my heart. Why in this day and age can people not accept others for what they are? Parents have to smarten up and do some parenting. That is so lacking these days.

Was this a hate crime? Yes it was in my opinion.

Stories like this are really a sad reminder of just how far we still have to go in terms of humanity and in particular when it comes to questions of homophobia and xenophobia. Thanks, Anderson for shedding light on this tragic story.

As an 8th grade student I was “outed” by my best friend upon confiding in him my confusion over my sexuality after being raped by a pedophile neighbor. The harrassment and bullying that followed led to the demise of my education. I dropped out of school midway through my 9th grade year.

The pain I endured emotionally nearly cost me my life through suicide.

The issue of sexuality was as difficult for the faculty to deal with as it was for the other students. They just did not want to deal with it. I paid the price for the lack of understanding and action.

Thank you for addressing this story and I encourage you on behalf of those who suffer in silence to continue this conversation.

Where there is school there will always be a bully. The problem in this case is not that one kid was open about his homosexuality. The problem is that one kid had easy access to a gun and was able to bring it to school and shoot another student.

Why is it so easy for some people to just pull out a gun and shoot someone?
And he’s only what? 15 years old?
When you reported on it just now, I thought it just happened, only to hear you say that it occurred in mid February.
I think it’s great that AC360 chose to honor this boy and tell his story. It’s so sad.

Lp Foong

when it becomes descrimanatory for no reason at all and becomes physically harmful.

Bullying is not the problem. Lack of love for oneself and ones fellow human beings is the problem. Bullying is symptomatc of that problem. It has been seen across the board from racism and prejudice practiced in America especially since the colonial days. and earlier. The armed forces training programs are grounded in bullying and that transfers down to their childrten, sports and clubs, fraternities and sororities, churches, and corporations.
Most Gay people I know, including members of my own family were victims of some form of abuse or horrendous atrocity of one kind or another. Yet if they were straight they would have a psychiatric label of one sort or another. Yet JUST because of a sexual prefernce, that is the end of any attempt at helping them reach a balanced emotional and spiritual and mental level.
American medicine and spirituality is from the outside in…treating symptoms…not cause…not blockages. We are headed for an abyss of more pain and agony and death amongst our youth because of it.

The real issue in this tragedy is not just intolerance and hate, but also gun control. Why is no one talking about gun control. We’ve had three gun related tragedies (probably more) since the start of this election season, and no one is talking about it!

As we all know, kids will be kids. Children are bullied at school every single day about petty differences that set them apart from their peers. Although millions of children are bullied, once a young person reaches a certain age they know the difference between right and wrong and should be held responsible for their actions. Elementary school teasing is a far cry from a hate crime which I feel is any sort of attack on someone’s religion, sexual orientation,gender, or race. In today’s society it’s not uncommon for minors to carry weapons to school or have the ability to gain access to weapons so I think that all bullying should be considered a hate crime because it’s impossible to differentiate between innocent teasing between children and a situation that could lead to violence. I feel that if people understood that they will face consequences for picking on others about things that they can’t change, it might force them to hesitate from inciting a situation that could cause innocent people to get hurt. When considering the effects of bullying, I think that we have to consider the impact that it has on the victim above all else. The constant belittling can lead to psychological problems for the victim and put them in a situation where they feel that they must retaliate. It can ruin someone’s life for a very long time by causing self-esteem and confidence issues, suicide, or prison if they decide to harm their bullies. I feel that the only way to possibly avoid the harmful consequences of bullying is to have strict laws in place to punish those causing the problem. A hate crime is still a crime, no matter how small the offense.

Bullying is always about hate. I was bullied in high school, first because I didn’t come from a wealthy family, then because I wasn’t one of the “popular” kids, and eventually because I’m gay. It isn’t just on the schools to stop this behavior, its on the parents, too. The worst bullies I had to deal with in school were sons of fathers who were once bullies. These same fathers actually taught their kids that it was ok to make the lives of those who were “different” a living hell because people like that deserved to be hated.

Children are not born hating, hate is a learned behavior, and often that behavior is learned at home first, so it has to be confronted first and foremost by the parents, and then the anti-bullying message can be effecitively reinforced by the schools. No one deserves what happened to Lawrence King, regardless of their age. That this young man was murdered at such a young age, before he ever had a chance to really live, is unspeakably tragic and is an endictment against our society and our inability to accept people for who they are.

And as a side note, Ralph Nader is a very bad joke and shouldn’t even be allowed to enter the race at this late date.

Thank you for shedding much needed light on this story.
There are so many arguments and angry accusations that come to our minds when something like this happens. It is important not to let those keep us from recognizing who is to blame for this and other hate-crimes: (besides the actually perpetrator of course) the onus is on society.
Even people who do not themselves answer individuals’ differences with violence or slurs can be culpable to some extent, if they foster an environment in which such conduct goes unchecked. The faculty members and students who turned a blind eye while the situation escalated, parents who did nothing to cultivate tolerance in their children and everyone who perceived King’s behaving outside of gender norms as an invitation of harassment–a part of me wants to put them all on trial, for they are each guilty of allowing this tragedy to occur.

Unfortunately things like that are no doubt far more common than anyone thinks. I wonder if the whole scenario plays out in the opposite manner also. How many youths who have committed school shootings have been afraid of going to school at some point because they were being threatened and bullied. I believe not only do their need to be strict policies in effect to prevent harassment of any nature but there also need to be resources in place for any student who has endured mental abuse at the hands of their peers also. Perhaps if faculty were trained to spot instances of such abuse and stop it that it would make an impact on the violence we hear about every day on college campuses and high schools. I believe some people can become mentally ill from being subjeted to harsh treatment by their peers.

It doesn’t help matters when we have radical Christian groups condemning the “gay life style”. They are supposed to teach compassion towards one another but instead they feed into these hate crimes.

Anderson….

Bullying is a HUGE problem. And I agree, the first defence in the fight against bullying and other hate crimes is TOLERENCE! Parents need to teach their children that all people are worthy of respect, life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Thanks so much fr covering this story. I hope 360 sheds some more light on the bullying problem.

On another note, I was delighted to see a report from Christiane AManpour on last night’s show. She is a personal ” idol” of mine, since I am also a journalist.

This most definately is a hate crime but does it just end there, I think there is more to the story and many students need help in this area and with all the many television(action) series then I think we might just not have had the last of all these hate crimes

“Suicide doesn’t put an end to the pain, it just passes it on to someone else.” This was said to me by a teenager whose friend had died by suicide. As an adolescent psych nurse working with teens at the local high school, I see the impact of bullying on our young people. If bullies were aware that the potential outcome of their choices & behavior could be the suicide of the individual targeted by their words and actions, perhaps they’d think again before saying & doing such hurtful things.

Parents are sometimes held responsible when their children destroy property. How about human life. If this young murderer is tried as a child,will his parents even be asked what they taught him? Too many religious groups mistakenly accept views that have nothing to do with real life. I believe that Jerry Falwell is roasting gently in Hell because of his hurtful teachings about homosexuality, women’s rights etc. Such authority figures also bear guilt for incidents such as this. Your guest expert was pussyfooting but I don’t blame him. An honest answer could have put his life in danger as well. God bless you all for sticking out your collective necks. (cj)

This is a heartbreaking story that I’ve been following on various internet sites and was glad to see it get some national attention on 360. Schools (and parents) should never take the attitude of “kids will be kids” when it comes to bullying–it can’t be stressed enough how that type of abusive behavior hurts a child and its negative effects can linger for years. Lawrence King was a brave kid and it is tragic that he couldn’t express who he really was without it triggering violence and hatred.

Thanks Anderson for this story. You always pay attention to stories that may have just been another statistic. This is such a HUGE problem in this country. As a survivor of childhood bullying I felt my heart break when I saw this story. I was lucky to have survived but many teens do not and this often can lead to suicide or self destructive behavior. What are the parents teaching kids in the home? That is the real issue here.

This story is sad on so many levels. It sounds like this boy was not only dealing with bullying, but also with rejection by family. I hope that he had someone who he felt cared for and accepted him, in his short life. While the reason for his death, in this case, appears to be that someone targeted him because of his sexual orientation, and as hateful as that is, there is also a broader perspective, I think. Kids are bullied every day just because they are different. in some respect… intellectually, socially, or physically. Often they come to believe what their bully says about them, and become quite depressed, seriously consider suicide, or, like this youngster, are attacked or even killed by a bully. Kids have little power in these situations, because adults in charge, despite all the discussion, often take the atttitude that kids will be kids, or that kids need to work out their own problems. Children have little choice about attending school and seeing their bully on a daily basis. The bullies themselves usually also need help because of difficult family situations or because they have been abused. We all need to take this issue much more seriously., and intervene much earlier.

The doctor you interviewed last night was absolutely right…it begins with parenting. It makes me think that a huge part of the problem is we don’t spend enough time with our children. Most families these days have both parents working to make ends meet. Sometimes they have to work late and by the time they get home, there’s hardly enough time to talk or spend quality time with the kids. Also, schools should have a policy of no-tolerance when it comes to bullying. Have some sort of punishment, detention for offending kids. If there are no consequences, the behavior continues and more kids suffer.

Lilibeth
Edmonds, Washington

Thank you for covering this issue. I volunteer on a Gay Crisis line. I am bisexual. You should hear all the pain and tragedy these poor poor misunderstood people go through. I am also a bisexual counselor too. Let’s give these people the human and basic rights they deserve. It very simple but people just doesn’t want to look in their direction. I was bullied in high school too. Kids are cruel. They did not do anything about it either. They need to act. I defended every person who was Gay there. Those are violent and harassing issues and we need a reality check. It is a hate crime. Sadly there are lots more against gays every day.

“If this had been an African-American student bullied by a teenage skinhead would it have received more attention?”

This is a ridiculous comparison, and one which leaves a false impression re: the level of media attention paid to the loss of black life. The fact is, hundreds (if not thousands) of nameless, faceless black children and teens are killed in random school violence each year (far more than in white schools) . But since it is primaily BLACK-ON-BLACK crime, the media is usually SILENT. Every senseless taking of young life should provoke remorse. The fact that this child was gay doesn’t make his death any more heinous than that of a black child in Compton or Brooklyn who has the misfortune of getting caught in a hail of bullets from rival gang members. Few seem to care about those deaths (in fact, the liberal white media lionizes and turns into millionaires the Snoop Doggs and 50 Cents who for years perpetuated this very violence). None of those innocent dead black children will ever receive the level of media attention of one white, blonde Natalie Holloway, now will they?

Anderson, I’m so glad you’re shedding some light on this subject- homophobia, bullying and parents needing to take responsibility. It all comes down to us- parents who are raising children. They need us to be present in their lives, to listen to them and guide them through childhood. They cannot be left to fend for themselves. Giving them “things” cannot replace you. With television and the internet at their disposal and other children whispering crazy things in their ears, they are at risk with out a grown up present to talk to them and monitor what’s going on in their lives. I know this first- hand, having a 9 year old son.
My son has asked me a lot of questions about what it means to be gay. Children at school talk about it a lot- even at this age… There are all kinds of jokes going around and misinformation, already. I believe tolerance needs to start at home, but it should be taught at school, too, since many parents refuse to talk about this openly with their children. At least children will hear positive messages from somewhere. It should be taught not only when they’re little but all the way through high school. Seminars, in the classroom, anywhere they can fit it in… Little kids with problems just turn into big kids with big problems, and access to guns! Keep up the good work Anderson and CNN. A lot of grown ups need an education in tolerance as well. My neighbor told my husband that he makes sure his boys of 9 and 11 (years old) will not be gay by leaving out his Playboy magazines for them to “happen” upon. Such ignorance is hard to believe, but it’s out there. Parents be aware…

Okay, I’ll step down off my soap box now. You hit a nerve today! I’m sorry I missed the show last night… Please keep airing stories like this one. People need to hear what happens when kids are left unsupervised or taught intolerance. Thanks again.

Anderson,

Whenver I see a report like this, it not only makes me heart sick, but incredibly angry, as well. How many school shootings, how many hate crimes do we have to endure before we finally get our heads out of our asses and stop this insane way of behaving? After every such tragedy we hear people saying “how could this happen?” “What can we do to stop it from ever happening again?’ Yet again, and again, it continues to happen.

As a parent, I’m all too aware of bullying problems in our schools and of administrators lack of seriousness in dealing with it. When my son was a student, I demanded that these issues be taken seriously. I was in the face of every administrator and parent when not only my own son was a victim of bullying, but when other children were, as well. I was told that bullying is ‘normal’ behavior. I was told that parents of bullies are often harder to deal with than the bullies themselves and to just back off and allow the children to deal with it on their own. It wasn’t until Columbine that my son’s own school district began to take these issues seriously. People died before anyone would really listen.

I don’t just blame our school systems for ignoring signs of violence and hate. Every day we see and hear viloence and hate glamorized on tv, in movies, in the music we listen to. We, as a society ,complain about this but do little to change it. Religious leaders see nothing wrong with telling us that it is not only okay, but morally right, to hate those who might have belief systems and values different than our own. Too many of us believe that it is honorable and patriotic to want to control or destroy those whom we feel might possibly, maybe, but we’re not really sure, be a threat to us. Hate and violence are bred in so many different ways. Until we, as supposed evolved human beings stop breeding this hate into our children and our every day lives, sadly, so, so very sadly, we will continue to see these senseless, needless tragedies occur.

Hi Anderson. It is a tragedy that schools do not have open discussions on issues of sexual orientation because of fear that parents in the communities will become outraged and will picket schools and school boards. However, sexual minority youth are being harassed and murdered due to the silence on this subject.

EVERYONE who could have assisted Lawrence King but refused to do so, for whatever reason, is as guilty of murder by omission as is the person who committed the heinous act! Shame on school administrators, faculty, staff, students, and parents who sit in silence and judgment while sexual minority youth and adults are hated, bullied, beat, and murdered!! On Feb. 12th a homosexual youth was targeted and killed…which group or category will be next? Eye color? Hair texture? Socioeconomic status? Political persuasion? Wake Up People!!!!!

Thank you Anderson for always bringing important issues to light but being fair on all sides. You are a true “reporter” of truth.

First of all, kids of age 14 shouldn’t even be having sex or even be thinking about it. At that age they are still going to a pediatric physican and being monitered in their growth processes. They should be thinking about what their next school assignment should be or whether to go to the beach, lake or the mall on the weekend. If they are to the point on a sexual level to be “coming out” that is a huge red flag that the child is in trouble, not because of sexual orientation, but because there is something deeper going on with that child. People keep blaming the school. If a kid has to defend himself and his personal space by shooting someone, that is a huge red flag yet another kid is in trouble. We all have to start paying attention the youth of today. Encourage good behavior. Be concerned by those who are trying to grow up to fast and teach then that they don’t have to take care of themselves just yet. When behavior becomes criminal, that’s when it’s too late for public outcry.

Hey Anderson, don’t you think your comment on “Would school officials have taken it more seriously if it had been a Christian campus leader attacked by another student because of his/her religious beliefs?” throw a little fuel on the fire?? Who deserves more sympathy or coverage??? And please don’t stereotype me as some bible belt Christian zealot. A TRUE Christian would be the first to condemn a hate crime. This beautiful young man deserved better than a horrible, violent death. Concentrate on that, not make it a competition for support.

Bullying is a crime from the moment it starts. Bullying preys on those whose are viewed as socially weak. Starting in the home and extending into our churches, and through our action or comments (deliberate or not), we are actively taught who is lesser or weak. This teaches kids that it is OK to treat others as second-class and it encourages kids to actively abuse others. Bullying is an abuse and a hate crime, no matter who is the target. As a child I knew this pain first-hand, physically and emotionally, and as a middle-aged man (in retrospect) I am still amazed I never committed suicide.

A story like this truly disgusts me! What kind of world are we living in today? Kids shooting other kids and all becuase he was gay!?!?! You know the experts are wrong.! The number one disease isn’t heart disease, it’s IGNORANCE! Unfortunately it seems to be hereditary!

Hi Anderson

Picked up your comments today about bullying (unfortunately, the time difference makes it difficult to respond at the time of broadcast).

Bullying is a major issue here in the UK as well. Not only is it prevalent in schools but it also a problem in the workplace.

I have worked in Human Resources for nearly 20 years and still see behaviour that is really unbelievable (from both corporations and individuals). Despite legislation being in place, many people continue to suffer intolerance because of their sexuality, religion, colour etc .

You would hope that people would learn and be taught about respect - I think we all still have a long way to go.

Sarah, Canterbury - UK

I seriously don’t know what our society is coming to these days, especially with our young people so seemingly out of control.

From personal experience I know how hard it is when you’re different from everyone else. Mine was a weight issue all throughout school. The name calling and jokes were hurtful, but I never had to worry about someone shooting me for being fat.

I remember when I was 13 and a bully in one of my classes started a rumor that a friend and I were gay. I was too naive at the time to understand the intolerance back then and I was fortunate to have parents and a teacher who got involved. The young man’s punishment was to get up in front of our class and admit that he had lied and publicly apologize to my friend and me.

There are always going to be bullies. That is just an unfortunate fact of life. But that doesn’t mean bullies should be ignored. Parents need to parent. And schools need to address the problem when they become aware of it. Bullying is not harmless.

Sticks and stones… we’ve all heard the saying. But you know what, when you’re a kid… words can hurt.

Mindy
Surprise, AZ

When churches stop teaching hatred in the name of God, maybe things will change. When the media stops showing programs that make fun of homosexuality and in essence says that’s ok, maybe things will change. When people stop referring to gay literature and movies as gay literature and movies and start just referring to them as literature and movies, maybe things will change. When people get over their homophobia and prejudices and love people because they are the way God made them and not the way they want them to be, maybe things will change. I’m a heterosexual woman, but I get the prejudice and injustice of this, too. I was in love with a bisexual man, I watched him die of AIDS complications for two years (I fell before I knew, and once I knew leaving wasn’t an option), and afterwards I was told all kinds of things that no heterosexual woman whose heterosexual boyfriend died of cancer would ever be told. I loved this intelligent, funny, talented, handsome, gentle man. That should have been enough, but because he was bisexual, it wasn’t. The “B” word overshadowed the rest of him. Is it any wonder people stay hidden in their closets away from the public eye?

Don’t blame Lawrence King’s death on other kids, his principal, other parents, or his teachers. Blame it on a society that doesn’t accept all of us as equal, that doesn’t believe we are all worthy of happiness and love, and that plays judge and juror on things it has no right to even begin to condemn. This case has nothing to do with bullying and everything to do with not loving all our neighbors as ourselves. That is the hate crime. And hopefully one day we’ll realize how wrong we as a society are.

Anderson,
As a parent of a gay child who is now an adult, I can see why so many kids wait until they graduate to come out. It is very traumatic to not be accepted by your peers.
Another thing that was mentioned on this story is that Larry was making it known that he was making unwanted advances toward the kid who killed him. So maybe Larry did unknowingly perpetuate the shooting that led to his death.
Also, did Larry’s foster parents not know about the bullying? Why were they not making the school aware of a problem?
The shooter’s parents are at fault for leaving a gun accessible to their child.
I thank you for your perspective on events.

I would like to thank you so much for giving this story national attention. Care and kindness were two things that Larry King didn’t get enough of in his short life. If attention to this tragedy can make one kid’s life easy, please keep talking about this story. Bullying hurts every one.

Thank you for drawing attention to the very real problem that is bullying in our schools. Regardless of the targeted demographic, no bullying can be tolerated in our schools. I know that often one of the largest challenges administrators face is getting to the root cause of the bullying and creating a way to gauge the emotional vital signs of students before tension erupts into violence. My company MindOH!, (www.mindoh.com) works to create preventative solutions for schools, and also has free bullying resources for classrooms and families.

My greatest sympathies to the King family as I know they cope with a tremendous, tragic loss. I hope this tragedy will be a wake up call to parents and educators everywhere.