Why (Score 1)

Good points, Lee. I think we really need to take a look at our educational system, because for all the talk about embracing diversity, multiculturalism, etc., there's still an awful lot of petty hate in high school directed at anyone different. I don't have any answers for this, obviously, except to share what helped me. I transferred from a large public school to a much smaller private school where all the teachers knew my name, and I knew all their names. At the time, this seemed like a horrible fate, but because of the smaller size and increased interaction the teachers had the time to get past my attitude and learn about who I really was. Also, I had to wear a uniform for several years, which I violently protested to my parents, but actually ended up liking. For one, I could sleep later each morning. Also, it eliminated snide comments like "nice shirt, loser" (seems minor, but it's much nicer to live without static like that) and forced me to find other ways to express my individuality like (gasp) sharing my opinions. Now, obviously, there was a lot more to my surviving adolescence than just these factors, and it was still no cakewalk. I was in and out of mental hospitals several times. Being female, I directed my rage at myself (as is most common in female adolescents). And I owe my parents an incredible debt of gratitude for their emotional and financial (private school ain't cheap) support. So, no answers here, just my 2 cents worth...