Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

I suffered either bullying, or intimidation, and back then, the consequences were not as easily understood as they are today


Photo: Global News 
Okanagan RCMP Superintendent Jim
McNamara and Inspector Gord Stewart

Today is Pink Shirt Day - a day to recognize bullying, in all of its' forms and everywhere it occurs - in public, in the workplace and at home.  My nephew, Steve Forseth, posted the following comments on Pink Shirt Day, which I have asked to be able to share here.

Here is what he had to say:

The history of this day goes back to Nova Scotia in 2007 when local Grade 9 student Charles Mcneil was bullied for wearing a pink shirt during the first day of school. Subsequently, David Shepherd and Travis Price of Berwick, Nova Scotia then bought and distributed 50 pink shirts to support Charles Mcneil.

Since then, it has grown all across the world. It is also referred to as "Anti-Bullying Day". in 2012, the United Nations declared May 4th as "Anti-Bullying Day"

2018's Pink Shirt Day theme is "Nice Needs No Filter" and a focus on "Cyber-Bullying".  More details can be viewed at http://www.pinkshirtday.ca

And if I might - a little personal testimony here:
From 1993 - 1997 was the period of high school for myself.  It was where I suffered either bullying, or intimidation, and back then, the consequences were not as easily understood as they are today.


A couple of years ago an individual, whom I won't name here, reached out to me.  He asked for forgiveness for his actions when we were both in high school - Columneetza Senior Secondary from 1995-97. After so many years, I felt it was important to forgive him as I knew in my heart, he had regret for his actions.

I did so primarily because most, in their teenager years, don't appreciate the consequences of their actions; generally many years later.

This situation reminded me of a story I heard at an economic development conference, I attended in Salmon Arm in April 2015.  The story centred around how poorly Nelson Mandela was treated in South African prisons.  Later of course, Mandela became the President of South Africa.  This same man asked the same guards, who treated him poorly in prison, to attend his presidential inauguration.  It was noted at the end of the story, "That is forgiveness"

Now ... here are some tips, I've learned over time, through experiencing bullying and / or intimidation in school, in the workplace and elsewhere:

1) Take time for yourself ... allow a period to cool down ... take a holiday to achieve balance

2) Build support networks in your workplace - also important for those serving in local, provincial or federal governments -- your friends in the workplace will be a form of coping measures to protect your health

3) If you have a Code of Conduct in your workplace (like the Cariboo Regional District) and suffer humiliation, bullying or intimidation -- make use of it and try to get the behaviour corrected... it may take time but it does work.

I hope for the day that bullying, in all its' forms, will be something left in the past -- and where everyone is accorded respect, feels safe in their workplaces / homes, and where difference of opinions are welcomed.

~SF
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FORSETH -- Focus on the nine things I mentioned. That’s what will allow the Conservative Party to win the next election

IMAGE CREDIT:   Darryl Dyck, the Canadian Press. I thought I had already made up my mind who I would be ranking on my ballot, in the Conservative Party of BC leadership race; now I am not so sure.  That means that, at least for me, and perhaps many others, it’s a good thing voting hasn’t already taken place. There were initially only one or two of the candidates that I thought might be a little too right of centre for my liking, now it seems that list is growing. I consider myself more closely aligned with what used to be called a Progressive Conservative, regardless, I feel more than comfortable within the Conservative Party of BC.  Some, however, in messages to me on my political Facebook page, have been rather, shall we say, a bit mean-spirited in comments they’ve made about my ‘purity’ as a conservative. To tell you the truth, I really don’t care! Some leadership candidates, in comments made online, have also been raising the issue of who is a pure enough conservati...
Post a Comment
Read more

WARD STAMER -- Those are REAL forestry numbers, not just made-up numbers

The following is a condensed version of remarks Kamloops – North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer’s made, regarding Forestry, in the BC Legislature, on Tuesday afternoon (02/24/2026)   Let’s talk a little bit, when we talk about Budget 2026, about the forest industry, which is near and dear to my heart. Forestry remains one of British Columbia’s foundational industries. It’s a pillar that built this province. Entire communities depend upon it. Interior towns, northern communities, Vancouver Island regions, the Kootenays, the Lower Mainland, with manufacturing facilities in Surrey and Maple Ridge, just to name a few — everywhere in BC is touched by forestry. One word that was not mentioned in Budget 2026 was forestry. That’s a shame, an incredible shame. It wasn’t an oversight – it was intentional. This government has driven forestry into the ground .... INTO THE GROUND! We can talk a little bit about some of the initiatives that this government has brought forth, to try to resurrect ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Your government has a gambling problem (Troy Media)

Provinces call it “revenue,” but it looks a lot like exploitation of the marginalized The odds of winning Lotto Max are about 1 in 33 million. You’re statistically more likely to be struck by lightning than to win it. But your government is betting that statistics won’t hold you back; they’re counting on it. Across Canada, provincial governments not only regulate gambling, they also maintain a monopoly on lottery and gaming by owning and operating the entire legal market. That means every scratch card is government-issued, gambling odds are government-set, casino ads are government-funded and lottery billboards are government-paid. And these are not incidental government activities. They generate significant revenues that governments have powerful incentives to expand, not constrain. It would be one thing for our governments to encourage us to engage in healthy activities. We can quibble about whether the government should be trying to convince us to be more active or eat more vegetabl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more