One way to bring attention to a cause is to have a celebrity act as a spokesperson for that cause. This is especially true if the celebrity has a personal connection to the cause. Actress Lauren Potter is the spokesperson for the “Disable Bullying” campaign that AbilityPath is trying to bring awareness to.
Lauren Potter is on the incredibly popular television show “Glee”. She plays Becky Jackson, a character who tried out to be on the Cheerio’s squad, and was selected by the often mean and nasty Coach Sue, (played by Actress Jane Lynch). If I remember that episode correctly, Sue chose Becky from the group of people who tried out for cheerleading because Becky reminded Sue of her sister, who also has Down’s Syndrome. Sue sees something wonderful in Becky that some of the other characters don’t see.
The high school situations depicted on the show “Glee” are very different from what things are like in reality. When Lauren tried out to be a cheerleader at her high school, she didn’t make the team. Lauren joined Timothy Shriver, (Chairman and CEO of Special Olympics), and Abilitypath CEO Cheryl Young, among others, at a press conference recently. Lauren has been speaking out about her experiences as a victim of bullying that occurred throughout her time in school. Lauren was targeted because she has Down’s Syndrome.
Lauren Potter has also spoken to members of Congress about her experiences recently. There is a new bill being debated in Congress that, if passed, would require schools that receive funding from the federal government to report the number of incidents of bullying and also to note if the victims were children who had special needs. Parents and teachers need to do more to protect those who are being bullied, especially when the bullying is due to something beyond the control of the victim.
According to information on the AbilityPath website, children who have a special need are 2 to 3 times more likely to be bullied than are kids who have no special needs or disabilities. We cannot continue to allow people to do nothing when bullying occurs, assuming someone else will take care of it. AbilityPath has statistics that say that 85% of bystanders do nothing when they witness bullying. It also said that half of their respondents who has special needs reported feeling afraid of their peers.
If the anti-bullying legislation is passed in California, it could lead the way for other states to pass similar measures. Lauren Potter is in a unique situation where she can use her voice, and her experiences, to stand up for other kids like herself. I think she is very courageous to share such personal experiences with the world like she is doing, in the hopes that it will lead to laws that protect other kids.
Image by Kristin Dos Santos on Flickr