Religion shaming is wrong, despite White House example

Tuesday night I lay awake for a long time because I could not stop thinking about a conversation I had with a woman at the check-out line at the grocery store. After complimenting me on my RESIST HATE, RI button, she told me about how distressed she was because her son’s friend was being bullied at a Bristol Warren school by his peers for being Muslim.  

I was sympathetic, but with the distraction of gathering my groceries, the moment passed without offering my name and support. And so that night I lay awake thinking about the boy being picked on because of his religion and about his tormentors who have been taught to hate. I also felt grateful to the woman in the check-out line who cared. I asked myself what I could do and decided to reach out to a friend who is Muslim and to write this letter.

I know that bullying is common and I am sure this is not an isolated incident. But these are different times because we now have a president who models bullying and who has singled out Muslims and immigrants as bad people. With such a role model in the White House, it is no wonder that the incidence of hate crimes has risen sharply and children are imitating what they see by bullying their peers on the playground. 

As a psychotherapist, I have witnessed the damage that bullying can do to the victim and the bully. I believe that now more than ever, we adults, parents and teachers, have a responsibility to model respect and compassion and to interrupt such negative behavior. I hope that the Bristol/Warren Schools are paying attention to this issue and are teaching/modeling respect for all religions, races, nationalities, etc. and showing no tolerance for bullying.

Nancy Hood
Bristol