Whereas, Several reports of verbal harassment were made by students during
the past year; and,
Whereas, In many cases, unaddressed, verbal harassment leads to physical and
sexual harassment; and,
Whereas, Verbal taunts based on real or perceived race, religion, sex, gender
identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, disability
or any other personal characteristic contribute to a decrease in grades, dropout
rates, absenteeism, self-destructive behavior and other negative consequences;
and,
Whereas, Though often dismissed as “harmless teasing”, name calling
is verbal bullying that can have the power to make students feel unsafe to the
point to where they are no longer able to perform in school or live normal lives;
and,
Whereas, Name calling reinforces unhealthy peer hierarchies and a rigid social
order, especially over time as individual incidents accumulate to become a pattern;
and,
Whereas, More than 40 major national education related and professional organizations
and their local affiliates are coordinating with schools to heighten the awareness
of consequences resulting from bias-based harassment; and now therefore be it,
Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan,
do hereby proclaim the week of March 1, 2004, as No Name Calling Week in Michigan.
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