Letter to the Editor from Officer Olsen
February 20, 2020
To whom it may concern-
My Daughter(s) brought home a copy of this month’s BroncWriter- They were both in complete shock of the content in the Valentine Section a paid section of the newspaper. They showed me Valigram. I have to admit I was also in complete shock, and I was also a bit ticked off that this was allowed to be printed.
The Valigram was directed at a teacher of Blackfoot High School
In the Self Love section it stated
You are gross
I dislike you
Nightmares
No Moral Compass
Signed the guy who is better than you (Which could be literally anyone)
It was Anonymous
I believe in the Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Speech, but what I have an issue with is signing your Valagram Anonymous. If we have something to say, say it, but we need to stand behind our words and be identified. In a court of law an accused has the right to face their accusers. So how is this different, it isn’t.
What we say matters- I have grown fond of a quote I found
In a world where we can be anything, be nice- Being nice doesn’t cost anything. A simple smile to someone in the hall, holding the door, a text to someone we haven’t spoken to in awhile (Well wishes)
The last three funerals I have attended in Blackfoot were all by suicide- One of them was a Student. I played Basketball, and Hackysack with him almost daily, so when I got the message that he died, I was heartbroken. I have no idea what led up to his death, but I instantly started thinking about- What more could I have done, should I have knocked on his door when he dropped the block. I know ultimately it was his decision, I didn’t know his demons, or his struggles- He is not here anymore, and there are a great number of people with a hole in their Heart. At the funeral his Mom came up to me and asked, are you the one who played Basketball with my son. I replied yes, she thanked me for being there for him. I will forever be grateful for this simple interaction- He obviously spoke about this with his Mom.
Someone I am very close to came to me last week in tears and told me about a Snapchat she received- It was from someone she thought was a friend. The Snap told her that she was ugly, the “snapper” went on to tell her that he liked her as a person, but she was ugly. At least this person didn’t sign it anonymous.
I graduated in 1998- Cell Phones and Social Media were not really a thing then. Cell phones were just starting to make a scene in Idaho Falls. They were super expensive, and all you could do with the phone is talk on it. There was no Snapchat, Facebook, internet access, Texting, or even a camera.
If there is a fight at the high school, I can almost guarantee I am going to see it. I will have a full 360 degree angle of the fight. I see and hear everything, SNAPCHAT, FACEBOOK, and the other 20 social media sites out there. I am willing to bet that if we were to count the number of cameras right now at Blackfoot High School there would be over 1300. I have three on me right now, two on my cell phones, and my body camera.
KEYBOARD WARRIORS-
It’s easy to sit behind a computer or cell phone and make a comment about someone- You don’t have to stand toe to toe and defend a comment, you can say whatever you want from the comfort of your bedroom and without regard to another’s feelings. As your SRO I’m asking you if you don’t have something nice to say then don’t say it all. Just be nice! Just be good!
Be the difference you want to see in the world
Officer Olsen
Joseph • Feb 28, 2020 at 1:57 pm
First off I have to say thank you for all you do Officer Olsen!
I was surprised to read that in the newspaper as well. I’m glad that it was a joke and not serious, but what could happen if it was and it was a student to a student. The simple act of trying to humiliate someone is just rude to everyone. Now everyone has to act and react to what someone said to humiliate that person. As well as try to help the person that is getting bullied.
We should all try to help each other and get through high school together!
Kailynn • Feb 24, 2020 at 2:28 pm
I too was shocked with this announcement when I read it in the newspaper, and I’m on the newspaper staff. I too wondered why we let that be printed in our newspaper, even if it was a paid for shoutout. It wasn’t until I asked another newspaper staff member about it that I found it was written by a teacher and was meant as a joke. I’m still not sure I agree with our printing it in our newspaper, even after knowing who it was from and why it was written. I feel that if a joke like that is to be printed in our newspaper then we shouldn’t leave it as anonymous or at least put a disclaimer in there that it isn’t serious. What we say to people does matter and always has an impact on them. Even just joking with someone could hurt them, whether you know it or not.