Earlier this week, the internet erupted with a video of 68-year old Greece, New York bus monitor Karen Klein being viciously bullied and berated by a group of four middle schoolers. The unseen students poked and prodded Klein while dropping every four letter word imaginable in between repeated comments on the woman’s hair style, appearance and family situation. The appalling video has become more of a sensation than last year’s Casey Heynes video, where an Australian teenager fought back against a bully–and won.
Since the New York bus video shot to popularity, Klein has done interviews with all of the major cable networks and umpteen national newspapers to share her side of the story. She’s honest, not particularly eloquent, and does not seek revenge. All she wants is an apology.
Whether or not Klein will receive the apology she seeks is still unknown, but she will be receiving a large, as-of-yet undetermined sum of money for her ordeal. On Wednesday, a Toronto blogger put a fundraising goal of $5000 on Indiegogo.com, hoping to raise some money for Karen Klein to take a vacation. In 24 hours, $340,000 had been raised, with the number still rising.
Neither Klein nor anyone in her family requested this money, and it is her choice as to what she does with it, but she doesn’t deserve it.
The more-than-16,000 strangers that have donated to Klein in merely a day are hopping on a bandwagon that made the bus monitor the overnight postergirl for bullying. However, Klein’s reality is just as real to countless young children and teenagers who endure this ridicule on a daily basis. Those youngsters aren’t blessed with six-figure donations for their troubles.
Every epithet and threat Karen Klein had to endure on her fateful Monday afternoon bus ride was one of the many that I heard on a daily basis. I’m not alone.
Nearly all of the bad words in my vocabulary today are there because they passed through my ears as I cried my way through elementary school and high school for years. I’m not jealous of Klein’s receipt of such a substantial gift–although, if such a campaign were started for me I doubt I’d complain. My issue is with the thousands of people who found it so easy to put their credit card number into a website to help a woman unknown to them a week prior rather than taking action on the broader bullying epidemic.
Parents of bullies are often ignorant to their children’s schoolyard behavior. Parents of the bullied are usually kept in the dark by their children. Parents of the bystanders are just happy their children aren’t in one of the other groups. Everyone has a responsibility to take an interest in bullying. Writing a check is not taking an interest.
What happens when Karen Klein cashes her check and the world moves on? Until another video gets posted, likely nothing.
We shouldn’t need to wait for evidence of one person’s troubles to be blasted across televisions and radios around the world to be aware of an issue that will outlive the hype of Karen Klein.
I guess someone had to point this out. I think everyone following the story, even people who donated, in the back of their minds, know what will most likely happen in a few weeks, maybe even days, when this blows over.
I wish there would be a way to get people awareness of bullying on a more consistent basis, rather than anytime something devastating happens, but majority of humans don’t operate that way.
Andrew, I get your point. No one person should benefit, perhaps there’s something grander we can do to stop bullying. But your article, albeit with the best intentions, did nothing to offer an alternative. If I had kids, I’d be talking to them about bullying (I spent many years on the receiving end). But I don’t. So, what to do? Wear a pink shirt once a day? Done. But what else, if your call to action is to “do something else to stop bullying”?
If this woman could not prevent herself form being bullied, what would she do if one of the children were being bullied? She was in the wrong job.
You make some great points, Andrew. It’s really Kony 2012 all over again – people tossing money at something then forgetting about it moments later. The best possible thing I can see her doing with a big chunk of the cash is donating it to a charity that focuses on ending bullying. That would be great to see.
And how much of that money to unsaid charity would actually GO to “bully prevention”? Seems to me that this incident is making us, an entire nation and world, look at bullying. We’re all horrified by it. This is part of the process. When we talk about “bully prevention”, this is what we mean. It doesn’t take much to call attention to something. We don’t need bully prevention programs to teach kids how horrible bullying is. (though these won’t hurt and I do encourage them) We learn by relating with others and being affected by the lives of others. Not via some generic program that will talk at kids. THIS is how people learn.
We were all thinking it. Thank you for saying it.
Ur a pathetic fat cunt, u just wish people gave a fck about you like they do about Karen. Go kill yourself again.
I don’t understand, are you for or against bullying?
Isn’t it great that you can hide behind anonymity to make callous, baseless remarks? You are pathetic,
Who let Anon out of the basement?
Andrew Lawton, are you serious? Why don’t you explain to us a better method on addressing the “bully epidemic”? Seems to me that the 16,000 people who pulled out their credit cards and donated what they could to this woman’s vacation/retirement have taken the “bully epidemic” (which is nothing new) to an entirely new level. Look at how much attention this story is getting? Sorry, but it’s the experiences of the people and human emotion that inspires and motivates people to do something. Watching this video of this woman has affected millions for personal reasons. Are you saying that we should put our dollars into some generic agency that promises to create programs for kids on bullying? In your lifetime, what has been most valuable? What you learned in a learned in a classroom with people who are talking AT you, or what you learned in life via relating and experiencing? People like you drive me insane. You twist the well-intentioned efforts of many coming together for a common good and make it that we “just don’t do enough.” Screw this mentality and get inspired. You want to see bullying addressed on a broader- guess what- your article is right now a part of that due to this incident and the reactions of the people. We are doing what you are accusing of us of NOT doing. Wake up!
Well I donated and I have no regrets for doing so. The story touched my heart like few things ever do. I would rather give a poor old lady, that has to work a crappy job to support herself in old age, enough to retire in comfort. I didn’t blindly donate, I thoroughly researched before I gave, as I think many others did as well before they gave. Giving the money to some bullying prevention charity would be the waste to me, as I feel many charities actually accomplish nothing.
Hi, can anybody able to give information on good free eBay application that can auto-bid just as the auction finishes? (I cannot remember the correct term for this. Thank-you
a lot of people get this type of bullying daily. I work in a public high school and I hear it all day every day, fifty percent of teaching is behavior management. I;m just tired of hearing the F word every sentence, let alone the rest of the verbal abuse. It’s just out of control and really sick. there are good kids who want to learn, and I don’t want the bad behavior to take away from their rights to an education. I am heartened that so many people felt compassion enough for this bus monitor to help her out, all the funds go directly into her bank account tax free. it would be nice to have donations for some sort of ending bullying. her son who lives with her is already talking about buying himself a car with the money, though. It’s a good sign that the whole world is fed up with lack of respect and bullying, and this time of adults.
Nena, I feel compelled to correct one thing you said. Why do you think she’ll get the money “tax free.” I’m sure the IRS will treat it as regular income. It’s not as if she has 501(c)(3) status as a tax exempt charitable institution. She’s just a regular citizen who will be getting a windfall, no different from a lottery winner. You can be sure the IRS is going to be scrutinizing her 2012 tax return to make sure every cent is reported and taxes to the tune of around 35%.
Andrew, I was bullied when I went to school but it has no effect on my thinking about this woman receiving money, I guess I am what you consider a left winger. I really think you resent her receiving the cash whether you admit it or not. You like your friend David Menzies love to be crap disturbers.
I donated and do not care what Mrs. Klein does with the money. The point is a national focus on bullying that she has become the focus of. She did not ask for any of this, but she has behaved with grace that this author certainly does not possess. The snide criticism in the article and following comments are further bullying that has now stooped to blaming the victim and even resentment of the victim. Sadly–not at all surprising.
HI JM, Are you one of those left wingers also?
The author has definitely dropped the ball on this one. He obviously misses the point about humility and also the fact that the act of kindness has perpetuated others to understand and to be aware that things like this is unacceptable in life. It has spawned more than you will understand author. Go and do a good deed please.