Posted on 03/14/2014 10:40:04 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WRIC)—A North Carolina mother whose son has been bullied for bringing a “My Little Pony” bag to class says school officials now won’t let him bring the bag to school.
Grayson Bruce is a big fan of “My Little Pony,” a cartoon that emphasizes to children that “friendship is magic.” But his interest has caused the 9-year-old to be bullied at school; his classmates say his favorite toy is for girls.
“They’re taking it a little too far, with punching me, pushing me down, calling me horrible names, stuff that really shouldn’t happen,” Bruce told WLOS News13, an ABC affiliate in Asheville, N.C. “Most of the characters in the show are girls, and most of the people put it toward girls, most of the toys are girlie.”
Noreen Bruce supports her son’s love of the show saying, “It’s promoting friendship, there [are] no bad words, there’s no violence; it’s hard to find that, even in cartoons now.”
Grayson even has his own following on Facebook, after a friend created a support page for him. Profile pictures of a gray pony with glasses and the message “<3 for Grayson” are circulating on Facebook.
Last week, Grayson’s school asked him to leave his Rainbow Dash bag at home, because officials felt it was a distraction and a “trigger for bullying.”
Noreen Bruce disagrees with the school’s request and wants her son’s bullies to be punished for their actions.
“Saying a lunchbox is a trigger for bullying is like saying a short skirt is a trigger for rape,” she said. “It’s flawed logic; it doesn’t make any sense.”
Buncombe County Schools declined an interview with WLOS News13 but said in a statement, “an initial step was taken to immediately address a situation that had created a disruption in the classroom. Buncombe County Schools takes bullying very seriously, and we will continue to take steps to resolve this issue.”
Grayson Bruce isn’t the only North Carolina “Brony”—a popular term used to describe male “My Little Pony” fans—to make headlines for being bullied about his interest in the show. In January, 11-year-old Michael Morones, of Wake County, tried to commit suicide because he was tormented at school for his love of “My Little Pony.” Morones hung himself off the side of his bunk bed.
“Eleven to 15-year-old boys are very much at risk for thinking about suicide when they’re perceived as being gay,” bullying prevention expert Nancy Mullin told WTVD.
According to ABC affiliate WTVD in Raleigh, Morones has been moved out of the intensive care unit at WakeMed; he will eventually be transported to a facility that can assist with brain trauma and neurological rehabilitation.
“The missing piece here is what the school is doing about this,” Mullin said, adding that while North Carolina is one of 49 states with bullying prevention laws, she doesn’t feel enough is being done to implement successful programs.
They attacked but I ignored them which really got their dainty panties in a twist.
LOL. Too funny.
That’s one particular thing I’ve never understood about lesbians. They supposedly hate those things but then use them...but somehow that’s different.
preventing the kids from ever developing into adults.
thats exactly the point.
cradle to grave coercion.
I stirred them up and walked away but watched the fight from a distance.
One of the best responses was a guy who complained about the time change and all that sammich makin time they lost. LOL
Bullying (being picked on) serves a purpose. It sends a message to the weak, strange, anti-social, difficult, BRONY LOVING kids that their actions are not acceptable.
Sure, bullying can get out of hand, but on the average, being teased and laughed at (bullying - by today’s definition) is not a problem.
Exactly. I read that by C.S. Lewis, too.
We are in a homeschool group where I honestly don’t think parents talk about homosexuality to their kids a whole lot. They mostly ignore it.
At our very large co-op, my son will sometimes be so happy to see another boy that he’s missed that he’ll give him a big hug. And last week two girls in my class held hands the whole time because they’re friends.
My M-I-L who is 85 said that when she was a teenager, girls who were friends loved to hold hands when they were out and about, and thought nothing of it.
We honestly just avoid public-school bullies by homeschooling. Sure - my kids and the other homeschooled kids have problems and work them out, but it’s not to the same extent, and the parents are usually in the know. When we’re adults, we have that choice. We left the bullies behind in high school. I extend that choice to my kids - they’d rather not be cooped up in school with unimaginative bullying kids.
There are “My Little Pony” clubs across the nation at College and University campuses that are just for guys. At least two of the three state Universities where I live have the clubs. I saw their “Facebook pages” and public information.
I’m more on the kid’s side here. Sure, it’d be wiser just to avoid tempting the bullies, but it’s a bag with a cartoon pony on it. Point being, the bullies need to learn not to bully.
Yeah, those kids who grow up to actually do something exceptional with their lives, like Ben Carson. Those kids.
You're seriously a conservative and you think group-think is the way to go?
Pfff. My kids are out biking on a beautiful day and their public school peers are stuck inside.
Go smoke that in your "acceptable" pipe.
Inane? I reviewed that post and looked for anything I could find fault with.
I. Found. Nothing.
Sure, we could soften up some of the language for the more delicate and prissy people out there. But the message of that post is spot on.
Posting it again for emphasis....
Ridiculous.
He needs to be bullied. Someone needs to take that my little pony horsecrap and burn it and give this kid an Aqua Man and a BB gun... couple Tonka trucks and some GI Joes.
If you paint your hair orange and dress up like a clown and walk down the street... do you think everyone will just ignore you?
His parents are setting this kid up for a lifetime of therapy for his ‘mental problems’.
“Be yourself” OK... be yourself. But don’t come crying when NORMAL people tell you that you are an idiot.
My Little Pony is a great favorite of pedophiles.
Gifted ones do, though.
I was six and I told some boys not to "demolish" my snowman. They went right over and kicked it to pieces and laughed because I'd had the audacity to use the word "demolish." I was not acting, you know, like NORMAL kids.
Oh I’m sorry. Which part hurt your feelings? I can try and reword it.
You realize - of course - that by taking exception to post by making your kids the standard, that your kids are... “weak, strange, anti-social, difficult, BRONY LOVING kids that their actions are not acceptable.”
Guess what Sunshine. Even your homeschool kids bully others. Hell, YOU just bullied me by telling me to “Go smoke that in your “acceptable” pipe.”
Cause - you know - that really hurt my (sniff) feelings.
This is kind of sad.
My Little Pony is appealing to my 9-year-old son, but his sisters teased him without mercy so he gave it up.
Maybe we could all learn to live and let live a little.
so why does mother not intervene and direct her son to be less controversal?...less a target?....
this is petty nonsense and why put the kid in such a predicament.....its not like its standing up for Jesus...its just a stupid show about pretend pink ponies.....this is NOT the hill one should die on....
I suspect mommmy has her own "issues" like maybe she wants a big settlement and to go on the Ommpa show or something..
Dodge ball is nature's way of separating life's victims from the victors. :)
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