Wisconsin's Hero

Jennifer Livingston: "No More Bullies!" She Says

 

In today’s world, it is no surprise that bullying has dominated most schools yet most people immediately assume that bullying only exists within schools and that no other groups of people besides students can be victims of verbal abuse. Unfortunately, this is not the case; not only are students the victims of bullying, but now, so are adults in public workplaces.

 

Such a horrible event transpired around the first week of October, when a Wisconsin news anchorwoman, Jennifer Livingston, was more or less attacked due to her weight. It turns out that a young man, Kenneth Krause, wrote an email to Livingston, stating that she is an unsuitable role model for young girls because she is overweight. The email details further by informing Livingston that she has had many years to improve her physical condition, yet has simply chosen not to.

 

At first, Livingston simply ignored the personal attack since she has always been a strong person, but since she is a mother to three adorable children, she realized that they might interpret the situation differently and others might as well. Due to this, Livingston then discussed the incident for about 4 minutes in a small segment on her news channel, WKBT-TV in La Crosse, in which she acknowledged the fact that she was indeed overweight, but realized it was cruel and unfair of Krause, a complete stranger, to actually attack her for it and deem her worthless because of it.

 

After her husband, also an anchor person in WKBT-TV, posted the email in Facebook, an overwhelming support hugged Livingston, praising her for her courage and dignity in handling the situation. Jennifer Livingston was also hailed as a hero and as an inspiration for young kids fighting bullies and abuse for daring to be different.

 

And I have to admit I fell in love with her when at the end of her segment, Jennifer Livingston looked straight at the camera and stated: "To all of the children out there who feel lost, who are struggling with your weight, with the color of your skin, your sexual preference, your disability, even the acne on your face, listen to me right now: Do not let your self-worth be defined by bullies.”

 

I felt this article was extremely important because once again, the grave issue of bullying was brought up, especially since October is national anti-bullying month. This event also shone light on the fact that bullying happens everywhere and affects everyone, including adults at professional work places. This article also caught my eye because I enjoy reading about good things that happen in the world because with the high gas prices and depressing economy, such inspiring events seem rarer so they should be cherished greatly. This article also attracted my attention because it made me realize that heroes are ordinary people with extraordinary hearts that do not need to stop a burning building from collapsing, but simply need to motivate others to be better, if at least for one day.

 

As a high school student, this article impacted me because it made me want to be a better person by helping anybody that I can, even if it is something quite small because it can truly make a difference even though I may not be aware of it. I am sure when Jennifer Livingston and her husband posted the hurtful letter, she did not expect to receive such an overwhelming positive response, nor did they imagine the many lives she inspired that sparked YouTube videos and interviews on popular daytime shows.

 

As a future filmmaker this piece of news affected me because it serves as a warning of the possible events that can transpire by being a public figure in the entertainment industry. It taught me that my movies or tv shows will not be the only elements criticized, but I will be scrutinized as well, along with my personal life. Yet, it shows me that I can also be superior and rise above such comments just like Jennifer Livingston which is what truly defines her as a person.

 

As a consumer, this article affected me because now I will want to watch Livingston’s news channel (if possible) to determine how she will further handle the situation if it is brought up again. It also encourages me to look at other public figures to discover if they have been attacked in a similar manner and if they managed to handle the situation as well as Livingston did.

 

After reading this article, I was flooded with many questions regarding the thoughts and emotions of Kenneth Krause. In the article, he stated that he did not intend to hurt Livingston nor act like a bully, yet in this case, words happened to be louder than actions which made his statement seem false. So I wonder Krause is feeling right now; does he truly realize the impact of his role in bullying Livingston? I also wonder about the young daughters of Livingston; how did their parents let them know of the situation revolving their mother? I would like to think that the three girls are very proud of their mother for standing up for herself and for the all the children that are victims of bullying every day.