This boy's plea to his bullies is heartbreaking
Updated | By Nkhensani Manabe
On his way home from another difficult day at school, Keaton James just had to speak out about his experiences with bullying.
For too many children, going to school is made incredibly difficult by their encounters with bullies.
Daily, children are victimised at the hands of their peers, and they are too afraid to speak out. Often, nothing is done about the bullying until it is too late.
Keaton Jones, a middle school pupil from Knoxville, Tennessee, has been unable to stay at school for lunch on most days, because he is afraid the bullies will take the opportunity to harass him.
On his way home from another difficult day, Keaton asked his mother to film him venting his frustrations about the situation:
Meet Keaton Jones a very smart little boy who is being bullied at school. This video is heartbreaking!! I want to bring Keaton to Vegas and hang out at UFC Headquarters. If anyone knows how i can reach the family please let me know. Thank u everyone pic.twitter.com/BR8c4ldDFc
— Dana White (@danawhite) December 10, 2017
Keaton is in tears, and asks over and over again: "Why do they do it?"
"People that are different don't need to be criticised about it. It's not their fault", the young boy says.
Since the video was first posted, it has received an overwhelmingly positive response.
In an effort to show Keaton that the world is not all bad, a number of celebrities have reached out to him:
Hey Keaton Jones, I’d like to invite you to be my guest at any show of mine of your choice. I’ll cover ur flights and accommodation.
— Zedd (@Zedd) December 11, 2017
Big up for speaking up, buddy!!! 👍
Hey Keaton, unfortunately you aren't alone. A lot of kids are bullied, but they will be so uplifted by your courage. You're a hero, young man. You are treasured and valued. Let me know if you'd ever like to visit ESPN. You can be my special guest. https://t.co/N8mkUTYnEy
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) December 11, 2017
Keaton's video is also a reminder that there are many other kids out there who may not get the recognition on an international level, but who are in need of help:
There are so many kids like Keaton. Most of them won’t hear from celebrities. Most won’t be invited to movie premiers or football games. But we can all do our part to see people, to step in and show up and respond in love. Your life matters. Your voice matters.
— Jamie Tworkowski (@jamietworkowski) December 11, 2017
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