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The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly. State Representatives In Kentucky = The List.
House Bill 336, an anti-bullying law for our children was turned down (not passed) by the House Education Committee lead by a group of our “State Representatives,” because some of them are bullies themselves. The House Bill 336 would require schools to ban bullying because of a student’s race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or learning disabilities. The bill was turned down, so now it cannot become law until it is re-introduced next year – which means, in short, bullying is ok with Kentucky State Legislators.
HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW (PDF) | HB 336 PDF | Legislature Record
If you are a parent, teacher, or a Kentucky voter then you are going to want to know who opposed this bill so that you can make the effort to keep them from being re-elected as our State “representatives.” If we elected a person into office who says that it’s ok for a child to be bullied, isolated, and hurt to the point of possible suicide then they need to FIND ANOTHER JOB.
The list below was provided to me by the Fairness Campaign, whom I contacted after reading about this Bill not being passed. For one, I believe that there should be accountability and so I am providing a list of those “representatives” who said “aye,” or yes for the bill and then those who “passed” on the bill, and those who said “nay.” Those who want to know, there were a couple of representatives who were absent, and the vote was very close! In short, if your elected to a job (and do not have a valid excuse to be absent) then you should show up to do your job. Accountability is the key here.
For those that “passed,” I can only assume that they didn’t want to raise a stink in their cushy positions to make a wave, which means that they don’t care that your child may one day go to school and be bullied or tormented for “insert discriminating reason here.” Therefore, they do not care about the welfare of your child, the safety of your child, or the ability for your child to concentrate on LEARNING while in school.
In short, the issue is not important to them.
So here is the list, and I URGE you to contact each of them and let them know that they are OUT OF TOUCH. Let them know that they SHOULD NOT BE RE-ELECTED, and that bullying and suicide go hand in hand. Let them know they will be HELD ACCOUNTABLE for their actions, and that YOU HOLD THE ENVELOPE to their re-election and future paychecks. After all, it’s your children and it’s your tax dollars that feed their children.
HERE IS THE LIST:
Rep. Carl Rollins [Chair]–Aye
Rep. Linda Belcher [Vice Chair]–Aye
Rep. John “Bam” Carney [Vice Chair]–Nay
Rep. Ted Edmonds [Vice Chair]–Aye
Rep. Charles Miller [Vice Chair]–Aye
Rep. Tom Riner [Vice Chair]–Aye
Rep. Wilson Stone [Vice Chair]–Aye
Rep. Regina Petrey Bunch–Nay
Rep. Hubert Collins–Absent
Rep. Leslie Combs–Aye
Rep. Jim DeCesare–Nay
Rep. C.B. Embry–Nay
Rep. Bill Farmer–Pass
Rep. Kelly Flood–Absent
Rep. Jim Glenn–Aye
Rep. Derrick Graham–Aye
Rep. Donna Mayfield–Nay
Rep. Reginald Meeks–Absent
Rep. Rick G. Nelson–Pass
Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo–Aye
Rep. Ryan Quarles–Nay
Rep. Marie Rader–Pass
Rep. Jody Richards–Aye
Rep. Bart Rowland–Nay
Rep. Rita Smart–Aye
Rep. Ben Waide–Nay
Rep. David Watkins–Aye
Rep. Addia Wuchner–Nay
Rep. Jill York–Nay
That is a lot of ignorance from people representing us in Frankfort, and that is WAY TOO MUCH ignorance for those representing your children. It’s almost nauseating to think, but the “naysayers” influence is completely bigoted, based on the fact they believe this is a GAY RIGHTS ISSUE and not a protective measure for our children.
Rep. Ben Waide, R-Madisonville, called the bill an attempt “to achieve equality by making some people more equal than others, and the measure was not about bullying but “about gay rights in our schools.” (Source)
It is time to remove the bullshit from Frankfort, and hold these political leaders accountable. Here is how you can contact them, and let them know how you feel. Don’t hold back, because I certainly am not going to. It is important to note that while voicing your disdain for their ignorance, you should not resort to being a bully yourself in the process. Be an adult, and don’t be ignorant. The corrupted bigots in Frankfort who are responsible will one day meet their maker, and they will have to answer for the suffering of many children, and unfortunately answer to those who suffered until they saw no way out other than to end their own lives.
HOW TO CONTACT THE BIGOTS:
You can leave messages for any of them by calling 1-800-372-7181 . Please mention House Bill 336 when you call, and you can find further contact information on our ignorant legislators here: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/
Let’s Make Right Decisions & Hold Bigots Accountable,
Jake A. Wheat
Teen Suicide & Bullying Hit Home To One Independent Artist
On the heels of Kentucky’s blasphemous dismissal of House Bill 336, which would ultimately “require schools to ban bullying because of a student’s race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or learning disabilities,” comes another story from an Independent musician who read my blog post about Max Adler, who plays the character Dave Karofsky in Glee who attempted suicide on the episode “On MyWay.” As the State of Kentucky becomes more and more absorbed in ignorance, and less interested in educating and protecting our youth – we have a majority of artists, advocates, and parents who know all too well that any law that would prevent our children from COMMITTING SUICIDE is a no brainer.
I received an email from Mully, a Independent musician who writes:
Greetings, Jake. I was reading your post about Max Adler and “It Gets Better.” I’m an Indie Musician and just wrote a new song this past week that ties in with that energy. I wanted to share it with you and maybe you’d like it enough to share it with your visitors. You can find more info on this page of my website…. http://www.mullymusic.com/change.html : ) Thanks for listening ! Have a great day. Peace, Love, & Candy, Mully
I wrote back in response to his email and stated that:
Thanks, yes I will share this with my readers in an upcoming feature. Right now we are battling opposition of an anti-bullying law in Kentucky, and trying to get protection for our kids. The details are my most recent post on my site. Let’s talk, and let me know what motivated you to write this song - and I will get this out there to my readers.
Thanks Mully, Sour Gummy Bears are the bomb!~ Jake
In reply to my message, Mully hit home about the reason behind his song “It’s Going To Change,” which was inspired by the efforts of the “It Gets Better Project,” whose goal is to prevent suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth by having adults convey the message that these teen’s lives will improve. They currently have more than 30,000 video entries from people of all sexual orientations, including many celebrities.
What hit home to me was that Mully experienced first hand the tragedy of teen suicide, and his musical project was one of a charity effort to raise money to help The Trevor Project & the It Gets Better Project in their efforts. Mully’s response was a touching one, which is as follows:
Motivation has been building on this one for a while. My cousin committed suicide many many years ago, so it’s been something i’ve wanted to write about. I’ve touched on it a bit in some of my others songs and have also struggled through some dark times in the past. I understand how that mindset can become so consuming to some folks and how easy it can be to lose focus and give up.
Then things like ItGetsBetter.org and The Trevor Project helped remind me how important it is to talk about. If you add in the “On My Way” episode of Glee and it was all these things coming together in my life at the right time urging me to do something.
The music was written last Tuesday morning and was initially going to be just another instrumental piece for the mullymusic archives. Thursday rolls around and with it came a melody to go with it. The first lyrical trek was in a different direction, and then something clicked and I discarded all the words I’d been working with and locked onto the current idea of “It’s Going To Change”. Within 20 minutes the words were all there and suddenly this quirky little piece of music had evolved into a powerful positive message.
Friday I sketched out a rough vocal demo session to make sure everything was working, and Saturday I recorded all the vocals properly for the final version in just over 2 hours. It was more than a coincidence that it was St. Patrick’s Day, as that is also my departed Cousin’s birthday. The rest of the weekend was spent working on the mix and adding a few final elements like the reverse keyboard part between the 3rd and 4th verses.
This Tuesday being the first day of Spring also seemed to be too coincidental to not take advantage of. Spring being a time of growth and awakenings, it all tied in with the positivism and a message of hope and moving forward conveyed by the song.
I’ve also contacted ItGetsBetter.org and offered the song to them for whatever purposes, free download or selling it on their website, etc. and I’m going to offer it on my website for free or for sale with 50% of the proceeds going to ItGetsBetter.org which in turn helps TheTrevorProject.org as well. I’ve also got a video in the works and will get that out on YouTube and my website when it’s completed. I am just trying to tap into as many avenues for propelling this message onward and upward.
Please let me know if you have any other questions or require anything from me. I greatly appreciate your interest and assistance.
: )
Sour gummy bears are indeed the bomb !
Have a great day !
Big Hugs,
Mully
We don’t have anything else to say, because the message that Mully communicated to us is a strong one…. we need to take action, because this is a REAL issue. Bullying, isolation, and self-loathing with today’s youth is dangerous considering the amount of massive social media exposure and technology, which can spread “hurt & hate” faster than wildfire.
This is why the “State Representatives” who turned a blind eye to House Bill 336 should be removed from office, because they do not care about whether good kids, regardless of their individual differences, are bullied in schools which could ultimately lead to suicide.
It happens. Kentucky’s leaders didn’t care. They should be held accountable.
As a writer and advocate for human rights, and as an advocate for GAY RIGHTS in general – I believe that the efforts and behaviors displayed (from what I read) during the House Bill 336 decision were misdirected by bigotry and hatred, which in turn made those “State Representatives” bullies themselves.
I would like to personally thank and applaud Mully for creating this song, and putting out there his efforts to make sure that he can do his part to raise money for advocates against teen suicide and bullying. I urge you to visit his page for “It’s Going To Change,” and donate to his cause – to help the efforts that are doing GOOD to save OUR children from bullying and suicide.
If you are a parent, you should be outraged…. this could be your child, and we need to do everything to keep them safe from harm. We cannot hold the safety of our children in the bigoted hands of our State Representatives any longer, and they should suffer repercussions for their negative actions.
GET “IT’S GOING TO CHANGE” | MULLY ON FACEBOOK
It Gets Better, It’s Going To Change, & I Am OUTRAGED At Our State “Representatives,”
Jake A. Wheat
