Dear Editor,

I would like to personally thank Kim Van Meter for her column, ‘The Price of Popular’ (Oct. 19 issue).

Bullying is a very serious problem that, sadly, most people underestimate. Kids can be cruel and with all the technological advances these days, it’s easy to reach a large audience. The internet and cell phones make it commonplace to see videos of teens fighting and harassing each other. It is easy to forget there is an actual person being hurt when you see these things repeatedly. People become desensitized to the issue, especially when they have no personal connection to the children involved.

Society needs to wake up and address this problem before their family is the one grieving. Awareness is the first step in stopping bullying and because of Ms. Van Meter, the Oakdale community is being informed.

We all need to have more compassion and respect for each other. Hopefully, my family’s loss will serve as a wake-up call.

I cannot express how much my family appreciates Ms. Van Meter bringing this issue to light and not letting it get swept under the rug. We all need to pull together and take action to protect our children and ensure that bullying is not tolerated. Lets’ all work together to save another family from having to survive a needless tragedy.

Thank you again, Ms. Van Meter.

Sincerely,

Giovi Zwald