By Bryan Bellamy
Her name is Whitney Kropp. She's a sophomore at a small town high school who was surprised to learn that she had been chosen by her classmates to be part of the homecoming court... as a joke. For weeks, she has walked down the halls of her school as students pointed and laughed. Kropp said, “I felt like I wasn’t worthy. Why even be a part of this community - this world - if I’m just going to be tossed around like basically a piece of trash?”
It is a story that resonates with many of our own experiences during our teenage years - the cruelty and harshness that all of us are capable of causing during adolescence and adulthood as well. Kropp's story takes it to new levels.
If the story simply ended there it would be a powerful example of the pandemic of bullying that has existed in the educational system since the beginning of time but has moved to the forefront of the media.
But the story does not end there. Kropp has decided to go to homecoming, to stand in front of all those who tried to humiliate her, with the support of her local community and now the nation. I am impressed by her bravery - to stand in front of the same people who tried to humiliate her, to face the very people who tried to oppress her is an incredible testament to her strength and resilience.
But I am most moved by the community who has rallied around Kropp, buying her dress, paying for her dinner, doing her hair and make up - and the Facebook community who has embraced her as well, writing multiple uplifting messages of support - all to ensure she has not only a night she will remember but also will know that she has value and worth far beyond any of our understanding.
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