"I want you to understand that you are not being left alone."

Those are the words of Japan's Education Minister Bunmei Ibuki after receiving anonymous letters from a student being harassed so much by bullies that he intends to commit suicide on Wednesday November 8th. A desperate cry for help? Attention-grabbing scheme? I see it as an extreme measure to resolve a never-ending problem...

I wish I had the bright idea when I was in highschool to send a letter to my Education Minister at the time so I could have perhaps had some sort of reprieve from the taunting and teasing I endured. Even today I see some despicable behavior from students when it comes to their classmates. Some of it is obvious and some of it is very subtle and only noticeable by those who have gone through a similar situation: the slight laugh or chuckle when you ask a question in class, the "accidental" bumping in the hallway, the sudden silence when you walk into a classroom... sure, it could have been my paranoid mind working overtime and it could just have been a coincidence, but I don't believe coincidences can occur repeatedly over a 5 year period, day in day out.

I applaud Mr. Ibuki in his efforts to help that student and I hope more educators, administrators and politicians act in a similar fashion.