At the same time I was reading that book the news filled with the rash of teen aged suicides of kids who had been bullied again to the point that they could no longer take it and they killed themselves! One of these youngsters was Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers University student who was outed on line by his room mate and another young college student who video taped him during an encounter with another young man and streamed it for all the student body to see.
Tyler could not handle this humiliation and he jumped off the George Washington bridge to his death. He was 18 years young.
So needless to say, I was moved deeply by these incidents and those of several other young people aged 13-18 who also took their lives for similar reasons (Bullying) around the same time in the month of September 2010.To them I dedicate this quilt.
I hope the message gets out that bullying is extremely harmful.
And that people who do it will stop and think about the repercussions of their actions.
I went into a personal funk for several days while working on the foundation of the quilt.But by the time I got to the writing the words with my sewing machine I felt a release
and was energized to put on cloth what this behavior did to people
the need for everyone to be respected no matter what
photos are printed on organza giving them a ghostlike look
and hopefully to alert people to the need to be part of the solution by talking and listening to kids.
I finished the last bit of work on the quilt today by hand quilting the borders with turquoise thread. Then I took it in my car to Suisun City to the Lawler House Art Gallery where it will hang in the show until the end of January.The woman who took my art work in said she had just seen a show on TV about bullying. She said my quilt made her cry.
That's good.
I have made my statement and reached at least one person.
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This is what the quilt says: (the words just came out in a steam of consciousness and I sewed them as they came...)
Bullying leaves life long emotional scars, bullying doesn't make you look good.
Bullying only creates hate Stop hurtful behaviors End hate now
Think --- Everyone Deserves to be treated with respect
humiliate, respect, bully (the first and third words are sewn over as if scratched out)
Stop mocking gossip shunning critizing dress disablity religion
Embrace acceptance equal rights diversity differences stop tormet
Cease Intimidation pain coercion psychological manipulation
exclusion jealousy peer pressure push shove target shame fear cry help
Stop bullying prevent teen suicides stop humiliation stress
related illnesses cease tormet cyber abuses peer abuse stop now
cyber bullying passive agression taunting loniness
lies rumors silent treatment laughing at victim staring Choose
hate love mean nice hurtful kindness
Stupid ugly gay whore demean kill spirit depression
Acceptance exclusion Caring Helping Include
Be part of the solution Talk X Listen to kids
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