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Take Action: House Vote on Bullying This Week!
The School Violence Prevention Act was just scheduled for a committee vote tomorrow morning, and could go to the full House for a vote as early as Wednesday.
Planned Parenthood is working with Equality NC and other coalition partners counting votes. We need your help to make sure every legislator knows that people in their district support this bill.
The right wing is outspoken against us and is trying to scare swing legislators into voting against protecting children from violence.
Please take action today to let your legislator know that you want every North Carolina student to have a safe place to learn!
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Support SB 526 and give kids a safe place to learn!
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I urge you to vote for SB 526, the School Violence Prevention Act so that all children in our state can have a safe place to learn.
As one of your constituents, I know that bullying faces kids in your district each and every day. We know that all children should be treated with dignity and respect and that our schools should be free of harassment and violence but this is sadly not always the case.
SB 526 would go a long way in protecting North Carolina's school children. Perhaps that is why the overwhelming majority of North Carolinians support the School Violence Prevention Act. I hope that I can count on you to support this bill, too.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
June 15, 2009
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Here are some key reasons to support the School Violence Prevention Act.
- Students have a right to a sound, basic education, but too often bullying and harassment interfere with that right.
- Bullying that goes unaddressed also contributes to more severe violence, like school shootings. A study by the U.S. Secret Service indicates that a history of bullying was a factor in three-quarters of school shootings in recent years.
- Because they feel unsafe, victimized youth are pushed out of schools and into high-risk behavior. These youth are more likely to skip school, drop out, engage in substance abuse, or worse.
- Every student deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Physical appearance, sexual orientation, and gender identity are the three most frequent reasons for bullying and harassment in schools, yet these types of bullying are often overlooked by school personnel.
- This bill protects ALL students from bullying, and its inclusion of enumerated categories will provide clear direction to teachers, administrators, and students about the scope of the law. Teachers want clear policies that will give them the backing they need to address problems in the classroom and on the playground.
- While harassment of any kind is unacceptable and should be dealt with quickly, firmly, and with appropriate consequences and remedies, certain groups of people have suffered systematic institutional prejudice, and discrimination and as a result are at a disproportionate risk of being the target of harassment and violence.
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