Rep. Richard Littlefield: Schools should address bullying before it's too late

To The Daily Sun,

This is not going to be my typical letter to constituents.

This is a letter I'm writing with a tear in my eye thinking about the very worst situation a parent can find themselves in.

Their child has committed suicide, and the doctor says we did everything we could.

This nightmare is a reality for so many parents of school-aged children, I fear the day one of my constituents loses a child due to daily instances of bullying and violence. Laconia is not immune.

Sadly Laconia schools mainly Laconia Middle School and Laconia High School are on the long, dark road to tragedy. A completely avoidable tragedy.

I'm going, to be frank, and speak openly, and I'm going to spit some uncomfortable truth.

Those children who have decided to bully others are ruthless and have no idea just how much they are affecting the lives of chosen victims.

Laconia schools have always been a breeding ground for bullies and victims who slowly fall through the cracks, which I can attest to personally as a graduate of adult education and a once 410-pound student with a gnarly speech impediment.

As bad as those days seemed to be they don't compare to the savage and possibly felonious bullying and harassment I see students going through today.

There are many causes of bullying, the biggest and most important being an unstable home life, which can cause depression, anxiety, and even the feeling of hate. This needs to change.

Love your children. Hold your children. Reassure them they can be anything in life with hard work. Teach your children to love and respect others the way you love and respect them.

To close I want to speak directly to LMS administrators.

I have a very simple question: when you get the call that one of your students unnecessarily ended their life because of constant daily bullying are you going to implement prevention and deterrence policies to stop this or are you going to stay the course?

Please don't let personal feelings, opinion and ideology stand in the way of saving an innocent life that doesn't need to end.

Stand up for the kids who come to you everyday. Stand up for the families who sit in front of you with valid concerns. Stand up for successful educations for all students.

You have a community outside of your walls begging for change before it's too late.

Rep. Richard Littlefield

Laconia