As Cruel As School Children

Dane Cook Takes A Stand Against Bullying

Every celeb and their mom (literally) is coming out with their own childhood traumas about bullying and being made to feel like an outsider.

It's devastating that it has taken the recent tragedies in the media to shed light on something that's been happening for decades. Though we are told to embrace our differences and appreciate what makes us each unique and beautiful, there are thousands of kids everyday who are being teased relentlessly for not shedding their individuality for the sake of being accepted.

Nowadays you can be teased for having red hair, wearing colorful socks, being too tall, being too fat, being too thin, being too short or - heaven forbid - being gay. Shows like Glee work to bring attention to the schoolyard "misfits" of the world to tell them that it's OK to be different. But a popular show with catchy ballads isn't enough to eradicate the pain that is being caused everyday by the bullies who take out their own insecurities on people who can't defend themselves.

And bullying isn't limited to recess and walks home after school. Just this week, two Staten Island men attacked a 34-year-old man in the restroom of NYC's Stonewall Inn, known as the birthplace of the gay rights movement. The victim, Benjamin Carver, fought back and the men are now facing assault charges as hate crimes plus attempted robbery.

But not many people are as brave or prepared as Carver to defend themselves and win and that is when we learn about the Matthew Shepards of the world.

All of these acts can be broken down into one simple word: SENSELESS.

In the video above, Dane Cook calls for everyone to take action and stand up for someone else who may not be able to stand up for themselves. And that is a great call to action from one of my most beloved entertainers. But it's simply not enough.

These kids and poor excuses for adults will not stop until we take action. No innocent person should have to look over their shoulder when walking down the street for fear of being persecuted for being themselves.

Prevention is worth more than the cure. If parents won't take responsibility for their kids' bad behavior, then the onus must fall on the teachers, principals and support staff to engage in regular dialog and stop this nonsense before it starts. Once a person falls victim to bullying, the damage is already done. We must mobilize our friends, our families and everyone we've ever met to stamp out this moronic behavior.

And we must do so before it results in more irreparable harm and senseless deaths that an "I'm sorry" will never be able to fix.