A wave of reactions was sparked by a 6-minute video posted, which showed a 9-year-old boy with dwarfism begging with tears in his eyes to be given a knife to kill himself. The 9-year-old boy from Australia, named Quaden Bayles, was driven to this point because of the bullying he receives daily at school by his classmates. His words in the video are causing shock and awe in the international community: “I want to die, give me a rope, give me a knife to do it. Nobody is doing anything, not even you! I want someone to kill me.”.
This video, with more than 19 million views, moved and troubled public opinion. In fact, there are many celebrities who expressed their support for 9-year-old Quaden Bayles. For example, Australian actor Rob Shehadie uploaded the video on Twitter with the following comment: “This is the hardest video I have ever seen. A 9-year-old boy wants to commit suicide because of bullying at school. What is happening in our world? Let's support Quaden and show him that not everyone is against him”. Australian actor Hugh Jackman, in turn, said: “Quaden, you are stronger than you think. And no matter what happens, I am your friend. Let's all be kinder to each other. Bullying is not right. Finally. Life is already difficult on its own. So let's remember that every person in front of us is fighting some kind of battle”. American actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan shared the following comment: “I want you to know that you have friends, including me. You have friends out there that you haven’t met yet. We’re here, we’ve got your back. You need to know that. Things will get better with time.” Eric Trump, Donald Trump , said the video was “heartbreaking.”
“This is one of the most heartbreaking videos I’ve ever seen,” Boston Celtics basketball player Enes Kanter tweeted. “There is no place in the world for murderers.” A GoFundMe page started by American comedian Brad Williams has raised more than $140,000 in an effort to send Quaden Bayles on a trip to Disneyland in California. “This isn’t just for Quaden, this is for anyone in their life who has been bullied and told they’re not good enough,” said Williams, who is also dwarfed.
The video was initially shared on Facebook by 9-year-old Quaden's mother, Yarraka Bayles, who said she filmed her son to inspire other parents to take action against bullying. Specifically, his mother's words were as follows: "I just picked up my son from school and saw with my own eyes the bullying he is receiving. I want everyone, parents, educators and teachers, to know what the result of bullying is."
According to NITV, 9-year-old Quaden Bayles has since changed schools and is likely to continue homeschooling. This video is yet another example of how inhumane and racist the behavior of some minors or even adults can become due to a lack of education and a refusal to accept what is different. We must not forget how many people have been driven to suicide or attempted suicide because they could not be accepted by those around them. Finally, appropriate measures should be taken worldwide, both in society in general and in schools in particular, so that similar incidents are avoided, that is, there should be appropriate education and information that what is different should be accepted in any form and not condemned. It is an important step to making the world a better place.
