The Right Way To Combat Bullying

Of late, many steps taken to combat "bullying" seem like poorly concealed end-runs around First Amendment protections of speech and religion.

Via Towleroad, however, comes an uplifting story about private citizens coming together to right a wrong without abrogating anyone else's rights:

A gay man in Roanoke had his car vandalized repeatedly, and he could not afford the cost of repairs. The manager of a local garage, Quality Auto Paint and Body, got local businesses to chip in and cover the cost of not just repainting the car, but pimping his ride with $10,000 worth of other improvements.

As I think about it, I'm not sure "bullying" is the most accurate term for the offenses committed. I think of bullying as something done primarily by children to each other. This seems more like "vandalism," "harassment," and probably some other longstanding criminal offenses.

In any event, here is a feel-good story about a group of typical Americans coming together on their own to fix a problem:

"Jordan Addison told WDBJ-TV that his car was vandalized four times between March and May of 2012. And someone even keyed “dye” into the side of the vehicle because he is gay.

Addison said no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t completely get rid of the slurs. Plus, the lowest estimate he received to fix the car was $2,500, which he said he couldn’t afford.

Some Roanoke businesses heard what happened and pitched in to fix the damage for free.

“Once I saw the vandalism that was done to it, I said ‘that’s uncalled for. We’re gonna fix your car.’ That’s the least we can do,” said Quality Auto Paint and Body’s Richard Henegar Jr."

Video here.