JAHEEM HERRERA WILL BE MISSED

It was reported that 11 year old Jaheem Herrera asked his best friend the day he took his own life that "If I were dead, do you think I would be missed?"

The answer is, yes, more then you will ever know Jaheem. It's so unfair what you were put through. I, and too many others, know this to be true, first hand.

Because this is not a new or recent problem. I had to deal with some form of harassment or threat throughout my school years. In fact, one of the reasons I choose not to go to college to become an interior designer, was the 4 year school requirement. Not realizing it might have been different, I just felt I couldn't take another four years of what I'd been through.

Cosmetology school on the other hand was only a 9 month commitment. But would you believe, even there I was threatened. I was the only male in the school and there were some tough ass girls there. Ha! Even my beauty school teachers were not that encouraging back then.

In my case it gave me all the more reason to prove to them, my parents, and the world, that I was talented and valuable. And for me it worked.

Others are not so lucky. Like Jaheem and Carl and so many more kids we never hear about. I only hope that they haven't died in vain and that the schools will start taking the responsibility to put an end to this cruel behavior.

When I think back to my childhood and teen years the only real problems I had were because I was different. I stood out and therefore became a target.

My Father's advice was to just punch them "right in the nose" while my Mother said "just smile and act like you don't hear them". I chose my Mother's advice. To this day I can't imagine hitting someone. It's just not me.

It's amazing how serious school life is for a young person. Looking back on it now, I wish I had been able to call the bullies bluff sometimes.

Of course these days you could get shot.

While researching for this post I came across a blog written by a young person named Justice, and here is his quote "Mom, Dad, older siblings, I'm sorry, but I don't like the world that you've handed over to me and my younger brothers and sisters, and I am respectfully relieving you of duty. I'm sorry, but I no longer want you speaking for me, or deciding the moral climate of this country. Your divisiveness, separateness, religiousness; your capitalism, greed, and competitiveness; your intolerance, and hatefulness has created an environment where we attack a child for being the person he is, and leave no room in his world for hope, love and life. You should learn from your mistakes and look into the eyes of the child you have had a part in killing."