Stuff that moves me/ Scott's letter to the Editor

Elana's comments
As a victim of bullying from first grade through twelfth, I was really moved by the following letter to the editor. I have edited it for clarity!

"Bullying's effects last a lifetime"

7/25/08 U.S.A. Today Letter to the Editor

Cut Bullies Down to Size

I found Turley's piece about the horrific mental and emotional scars that bullies leave on their devastated victims-scars that often last a lifetime-very enlightening.

I'm a 46 y.o. man who as a child experienced serious trauma @ the hands of bullies. During my high school years I was bullied, teased, tormented, persecuted and beaten up.

To this day, I still get flashbacks and wake up in the middle of the night with the sensation that I am fleeing from my tormentors. I have trouble concentrating and suffer acute anxiety and panic attacks. I'm unable to trust anyone. I'm hostile. I do NO socializing for fear of being bullied again and don't expect marry.

Psychiatrist have failed to help me over the years as have drugs. I'm bitter , hurt, damaged and lonely. I do not work because I can't hold down a job.

I'm in favor of taking bullies to court where they can be cut down to dize by the law. "Our childre do not just hae to take it."

You can't just ignore a bully and hope he'll dissappear. Eventually, a bully must be confronted and hopefully defeated within the confines of the law.

Scott Wolfe
Mashpee, Mass.

Elana's note

Scott may be one of the lucky ones. Not only was he only bullied in high school but he hasn't had to go thru the horrid emotional, and verbal abuses of girl on girl abuse. Not to mention the fact that bullies are in every facet of our society, and they continue to bully no matter their age. In the workplace, etc. Recently, I was asked in a survey, if I thought I'd be treated differently in the workplace because of the color of my skin. I responded, based on years of experience, yes.