Candlelight vigil in Surrey for Amanda Todd
Posted October 19, 2012 9:15 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS1130) – Students, police officers and Surrey’s mayor used a candlelight vigil for Amanda Todd Friday night to offer up a message: You don’t have to suffer alone.
Over 200 people, some wearing pink t-shirts, formed a ring around the fountain in Holland Park, to remember the 15-year-old girl who took her own life last week.
“The death of Amanda Todd is a heartwrenching case of exploitation, torment and ultimately suicide. No child should feel such pain and helplessness. To those suffering in silence, there is help available, you are not alone, you need to reach out,” Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts told the crowd.
Surrey RCMP officer Tad Milmine addressed the gathering to explain how he managed to fulfill his dreams, despite being bullied himself, which is why he launched bullyingendshere.ca.
“I just remember everything about it. So I know what it’s like to feel alone, and I know what it’s like to feel isolated and different and unique. I’ve had very dark moments in life, struggling with my own sexuality and not knowing really who I was. And now all of a sudden it’s come full circle.”
Amanda’s death has shed light not only on bullying, but also on the dangers lurking on the Internet. That lesson wasn’t lost on one young girl in the crowd. “Whatever you post on the Internet, it’s out there forever. Even though you think you deleted it, it’s not. It’s still out there, everywhere. Everyone’s going to see it.”
In Amanda’s case, the bullying was linked to pictures she posted online which came to haunt her time and again.
Amanda’s death has spawned similar vigils around the world
Mourners gathered at Olympic Plaza in Calgary to remember all victims of bullying.
One Medicine Hat teenager says he has been a bullying victim, and while he doesn’t see much of it at his own high school he says the subtleties are still a problem that need to be addressed.
“Sometimes I do get called names but I just ignore them,” he says. “Usually if someone’s bullying it’s because they have problems at home.”
And he’s not alone; another grade 11 student says there is no easy solution.
“When I’m the one being bullied I don’t feel very good – and then when I’m the one bullying someone else it feels good for a bit but then you remember that you’ve had that happen to you – and you just feel bad, really bad,” he says.
One Calgary student says local high schools have done a good job in addressing the problem.
She adds she was a victim at her high school, “just being excluded from everyone else and being labelled,” she explains. “It’s definitely not a good experience.”
A student by the name of Curtis says he experienced it like a lot of other Canadians.
He would rather people focus on addressing the situation than trying to find an end. “It’s a social solution that’s going to occur no matter what,” he says. “But it’s your response that’s the most important part.”
“If we can solidify people’s confidence and self worth, that’s the difference between being crushed and moving forward,” he adds.
By focusing on the response, Curtis feels more kids will be saved.
Helpful Links
The Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre
Stop A Bully (a national anti-bullying reporting system)
Kids Help Phone is available anytime for youth of all ages. Call toll-free 1.800.668.6868
