Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Truly a "suitable example"...



Don't know if you've seen or heard about this, but Jennifer Livingston, a news anchor for Wisconsin television station WKBT, recently confronted—while on air—a viewer email accusing her of not being a "suitable example" for people because of her weight.

Said Livingston: "To the person who wrote me that letter — do you think I don't know that? That your cruel words are pointing out something that I don't see?...You don't know me. You are not a friend of mine. You are not a part of my family. And you have admitted that you don't watch this show. So you know nothing about me but what you see on the outside. And I am much more than a number on the scale."

Livingston tells her bully that the bad things he's doing will likely be passed down to his kids: "If you are at home and talking about the fat news lady, guess what? Your children are probably going to go to school and call someone fat."

She concludes: "I will never be able to thank you enough for your words of support, and for taking a stand against this bully. We are better than that email. We are better than the bullies that will try to take us down."

The video has gone viral since it showed up on YouTube, and has already caught Ellen DeGeneres' attention (among others), so I'd expect to see Jennifer Livingston making the media rounds soon. And deservedly so.

People, no one gives you the right to judge anyone else. It's fine if you don't agree with a person's opinions or beliefs. But once you criticize a person's appearance, you step into unacceptable territory. We are all human beings. It's time we all act like that.

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