A My Little Pony backpack is at the center of what has become a national firestorm, reviving the ever-present issue of bullying. 9-year-old Grayson Bruce of Buncombe County, N.C. was banned from bringing the backpack to school after it became a “distraction” and caused him to become an object of torment, according to ABC.
“The principal told me that we could no longer bring the bag to school,” Grayson’s mother, Noreen Bruce, said. “That he as a principal had the right to ban anything that he believed was a distraction.”
Whether or not the principal took the right course of action or simply the path of least resistance is the controversy. Should he have held yet another assembly on bullying, sought out and punished the bullies, or perhaps nothing at all?
Noreen Bruce says that Grayson is not the one who should be punished here. “Saying a lunchbox is a trigger for bullying is like saying a short skirt is a trigger for rape. It’s flawed logic.”
The reaction has triggered an incredible amount of support for Grayson, like the 50,000 likes on the “Support for Grayson” Facebook page. There is also a Change.org petition reaching more than 10,000 signatures and counting, calling for the school to allow Grayson to bring his Pony backpack.
“It made me feel devastated,” Grayson said of the fiasco he has endured. “I didn’t think I was going to get the reaction that I got.”
He was so devastated that he is now homeschooled for the time being, where he is allowed to bring whatever backpack he chooses. Is banning the backpack the answer? Should mama have perhaps warned her little man that the backpack would probably garner unwanted attention and ask if he was prepared to deal with it? And if his answer was in the affirmative, let him deal with it with his head held high?
As parents, we are often faced with difficult decisions when it comes to raising kids, as this situation has shown. There are many opinions out there as to what the correct course of action would be, but one thing is for certain. There is a ton of support out there for Grayson and his right to Pony it up. What is your opinion on the matter?
Image Via YouTube