Hello from the newest ABC contributor!

Hello everyone! My name is Amy and I am a new contributor to ABC: Anti-Bullying Coalition's blog. I am excited to be here. I am the creator of the facebook community, "Standing Up For Victims of Bullies (Child or Adult)" and the girls at ABC have been very supportive. We have collaborated together, as we share similar values and beliefs. I am honored that they have asked me to be a part of their writing team, and I hope I can be a positive writer for this cause.

I am 42 years old, happily married with two beautiful children. Our daughter is 10 and our son is 6. I have a degree in Special Education from Texas, and I also have a degree in Human Services in Iowa, which I just completed today (I had to put that in there, because I am extremely happy to be finished). The next goal for my education, is to take the summer off to spend time with my kids, and then I plan on going to Graduate School to get my Master's in Mental Health Counseling.

When I am not in school, or spending quality time with my family, I am a very active supporter for victims of bullying and in raising mental health awareness. Unfortunately, those two things can sometimes go hand in hand. I have depression and anxiety, so I am aware and understand completely the complexities of having a disorder that many may not understand. The stigma of mental health disorders is getting better, but we still have a long way to go.

I believe in diversity. We are all unique individuals who come from all walks of life, and I believe that our values and integrity can help shape the world into a more compassionate one. At least, that is my hope.

We need positivity in this world. With bullying issues that sometimes lead into suicidal tendencies, and with people who do not understand the differences that we all have, we have become a society of negativity, war, and hate crimes. I believe that creating a positive environment and raising awareness to the issues at hand, starts with us...the adult. Children learn from their parents and other role models. Children are not born to hate and to discriminate. They learn those things from what they see adults doing, and they emulate those behaviors. It is up to us to teach them how to be productive and compassionate citizens in this world. Our children, by all standards, are the ones who will be running this country. They are the ones we will look up to in the years to come to run this country with compassion, honesty, integrity and the values our forefathers taught us.

It's time to stand up. It's time to stand up against the ones who find it necessary to tear others down. It is time to make our voices heard, and teach our children that it is not ok to be discriminatory. We need to educate and we need to teach. We need to be proactive individuals, not be reactive after something terrible has already taken place.

It is time, and the time is now.

Thank you.

~Amy~