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Think First

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“You’re a waste of human skin.”

I’ve thought that about several people I’ve met over the years, but I certainly wouldn’t say it to them.

It’s not because I fear their reaction; rather, it boils down to self control.

Think before you act; in the end, it could prevent a lot of unnecessary drama.

Too bad parents in Berlin, Maryland, couldn’t exercise the simple rule. Doing so, would have kept them out of the headlines.

Unfortunately, now, the entire world knows the small town is home to a bunch of bullies.

You can read all about the bully war thanks to a full-page ad Tony DiBuo ran in Berlin’s weekly newspaper. The irate dad placed the advertisement in an effort to solicit an apology from a high school baseball coach he claimed bullied his son.

What he got instead was a firestorm that attracted media outlets from around the globe.

According to reports, Stephen Decatur High School’s assistant baseball coach Garrett Magaha cursed at DiBuo’s son, James, a senior pitcher, on at least two separate occasions.

When Dad DiBuo caught wind of the bullying incidents he met with the school’s principal, who in turn, told Magaha that he would be suspended for two games.

“Once Magaha knew he was going to be in trouble, he was remorseful,” DiBuo told news reporters. “He came in, apologized and knew he was getting a two-game suspension. I felt he was remorseful and maybe he would learn from this. I told them, I’d be willing to waive the two-game suspension. I just asked that what we said would stay in the room. We also asked that there not be any retaliation to my son.”

Turns out, James was benched for ratting out Magaha.

That’s when DiBuo decided to take matters into his own hands by placing a full-page advertisement in the Maryland Coast Dispatch of Ocean City. It included Magaha’s alleged behavior and asked other parents concerned about bullying to come forward.

Ironically, the anti-bullying ad only added fuel to the fire.

According to J. Steven Green, publisher and editor of the Dispatch, parents who support the school and Magaha have been bullying him for allowing DiBuo to place the ad.

Green maintains that he looked into DiBuo’s concerns before agreeing to run the advertisement and determined the dad was well within his First Amendment rights.

Still, Green says some parents in the community are angry that he ran DiBuo’s ad, and have retaliated by bullying him in public places, including the local grocery store.

And people wonder why bullying is so out of control among today’s youth. Take a look at the example their parents set. Monkey see, monkey do.

Related Articles:

Is Your Child a Bully?

Study Shows Most Bullied Kids are Overweight

Is Your Toddler Destined to be a Troublemaker?

This entry was posted in Parenting in the News by Michele Cheplic. Bookmark the permalink.

About Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. She spent the next ten years as a television anchor and reporter at various stations throughout the country (from the CBS affiliate in Honolulu to the NBC affiliate in Green Bay). She has won numerous honors including an Emmy Award and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism. In addition, she has received awards from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for her reports on air travel and the Wisconsin Education Association Council for her stories on education. Michele has since left television to concentrate on being a mom and freelance writer.