That bullying needs to be addressed with greater attention than it actually is is crucial. The number of people, especially children, who fall victim to this form of violence is huge, and sadly, schools fail to put a stop to it.
Giada Oates is a young girl who had the courage not to stay silent when a seventh grader placed her in a chokehold and told her he was going to kill her. “He said ‘You will die a silent death,’” she told CBS New York. “He was holding on so tight I think he actually meant you will die.”
The incident took place at Hackensack Middle School.
Needless to say, Giada was terrified. But despite her fear, she kept telling herself to stay strong and not to cry, but it was easier said than done.
The good thing is that Giada didn’t stay silent. Once home, she shared the terrifying story with her mother.
Hearing what had happened, her mother, Toni Imperiale, said: “My heart sank. I burst into tears. And then I became angry.”
They talked and thought a lot and then they came up with a useful idea. Giada decided to start carrying a whistle with her while at school in order to use it if she gets bullied again. The whistle is meant to diffuse dangerous situations and bring them to the attention of anyone nearby so they can intervene.
“It made me feel like I had more power over the bully, and it made me feel empowered,” the girl said.
Toni said that she had no idea if other students in the school were bullied, but a number of other students, mostly girls, started carrying whistles at school themselves.
While it is great that all these children now know how to protect themselves, it is a sad fact that they feel the need for it while at school, the place where they are supposed to feel safe and protected.
Giada’s parents purchased 90 whistles for her to hand them to her classmates. “They told me, actually some of my friends told me, that without the whistle they would be lost, and they feel more safe with the whistle,” she said.
Besides that, this brave girl is trying to draw the attention of the media because she knows what it feels like to be bullied. She says that she still sees her bully at school sometimes and still feels scared.
The school on the other hand released a statement which said they cannot give a comment on the matter.
“While the Hackensack Board of Education cannot speak on this matter due to student confidentially, student safety and security is an ongoing critical priority,” they wrote.
For more on the story go to the video below.
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One of the shelter staff, Patricia Inman was sad when she learned that this precious dog was about to be put down. She worked hard trying to train the rough dog, hoping to find her a loving home.
The dog was actually making progress in her training, but it wasn’t yet enough. Only hours from his euthanization, she didn’t give up on him and decided to act fast. She then called Matthew Zarella and begged him to adopt the dog named Ruby. Little did she know that the story would take an unexpected yet incredible turn of events.
When Zarella met Ruby for the first time, he instantly fell in love with her. Although she was a bit wild, he discovered that she’s very smart. He immediately contacted fellow officer Daniel O’Neal, and made a proposition he couldn’t refuse.
Dog lover himself, O’Neal had been asking for a K-9 partner for years. It was a lifelong dream of his, so when Zarella offered that he keep Ruby as his own, he was thrilled to get to know his new partner. Devoting the next four months to training, O’Neal set out to turn the “unadoptable” dog into his K-9 partner. Not only did he succeed, but as he would soon find out Ruby was about to serve a much bigger purpose.
Four years after becoming his K-9 partner, the pair set out on a patrol in the woods to search for a missing teen. As they made their way along the path, Ruby suddenly veered off course, barking urgently at the officer as she pointed him towards a mysterious sight. O’Neal told Providence Journal:
“We were a mile and a half into the woods when Ruby all of a sudden quickly darted.”
The officer was stunned to discover the missing young man, severely injured and in need of critical care. Little did O’Neal realize at the time, but Ruby and this stranger shared a deep connection. Once he realized who this man was, his heart instantly dropped in his stomach.
Can you believe how this story unfolded. It is just another proof that everyone deserves a second chance. The chance Rudy got ended up saving someone’s life.
Watch the video below to see how this stunning story unfolds – what an incredible coincidence!
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“Dear Woman in Target-
I’ve heard it before, you know. That I “spoil that baby”. You were convinced that she’d never learn to be “independent”. I smiled at you, kissed her head, and continued my shopping.
If you only knew what I know.”
“If you only knew how she spent the first ten months of her life utterly alone inside a sterile metal crib, with nothing to comfort her other than sucking her fingers.
If you only knew what her face looked like the moment her orphanage caregiver handed her to me to cradle for the very first time–fleeting moments of serenity commingled with sheer terror. No one had ever held her that way before, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do.
If you only knew that she would lay in her crib after waking and never cry–because up until now, no one would respond.”
“If you only knew that anxiety was a standard part of her day, along with banging her head on her crib rails and rocking herself for sensory input and comfort.
If you only knew that that baby in the carrier is heartbreakingly “independent” –and how we will spend minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years trying to override the part of her brain that screams “trauma” and “not safe”.
If you only knew what I know.
If you only knew that that baby now whimpers when she’s put down instead of when she is picked up.
If you only knew that that baby “sings” at the top of her lungs in the mornings and after her nap, because she knows that her chatter will bring someone to lift her out of her crib and change her diaper.
If you only knew that that baby rocks to sleep in her Mama’s or her Papa’s arms instead of rocking herself.
If you only knew that that baby made everyone cry the day she reached out for comfort, totally unprompted.
If you only knew what I know.”
“‘Spoiling that baby’ is the most important job I will ever have, and it is a privilege. I will carry her for a little while longer–or as long as she’ll let me–because she is learning that she is safe. That she belongs. That she is loved.
If you only knew…”
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Peace and Love
Bored Daddy
