Political Quotes

“I rise this afternoon to speak in favor of the Franken amendment, which we will be voting on shortly. I want to start with the story of Chandler, who was a 9th grader in Arkansas who experienced daily bullying and harassment. At school, his classmates harassed him based on his perceived sexual orientation. His mom described him as a good kid. She said all he wanted was to fit in, but Chandler couldn't walk down the hall between classes without kids harassing him. He wrote to his school counselor saying he couldn't handle ``being an outcast for four more years.'' And while teachers knew about the bullying, the school district never put a plan in place to address his concerns. And one day in 2010, Chandler took his own life after enduring endless bullying and tormenting at his school. Chandler's story is more than a tragedy, it feels like an all-too- common trend for students across the country. As a mother, grandmother, a former educator, and as a citizen, I believe Congress has to act to protect kids such as Chandler. When kids do not feel safe at school, when they are relentlessly bullied because they are different, when they endure harassment simply because of who they are, we have failed to provide them with the educational opportunities they deserve. We have failed them. As we debate our Nation's K-12 education bill, we need to do everything we can to prevent bullying, harassment, and discrimination and provide students with a safe learning environment.…”