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JOINT RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE THE FIRST WEDNESDAY IN APRIL AS EVERYONE MATTERS DAY
WHEREAS, judgment and discrimination against others may be based on many factors and may be due to a person's accent, age, disability, height, weight, nationality, race, religion, sex, gender, gender-identity or sexual orientation; and
WHEREAS,  bullying includes harassment that may occur in the workplace, at schools, in families, in social settings and online; and
WHEREAS,  bullying is the harassing display of discrimination; and
WHEREAS,  discrimination and bullying have direct effects on the physical, emotional and mental health of an individual, on organizational stability in schools and businesses and on the well-being of society as a whole; and
WHEREAS,  a disproportionate number of disabled individuals, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Native Americans and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community report experiencing daily discrimination; and
WHEREAS,  37% of Americans report being bullied on the job; and
WHEREAS,  160,000 children around the nation stay home from school each day because of bullying and fear of bullying; and
WHEREAS,  in 80% of school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had histories of being bullied; and
WHEREAS,  90% of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered teenagers reported being bullied at school; and
WHEREAS,  more than 50% of adolescents and teenagers report being bullied online and bullying others online; and
WHEREAS,  everyone of all ages, groups and backgrounds may be victims of bullying, marginalization and discrimination, and it is reported that half of all suicides among young people are due to bullying; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That We, the Members of the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Legislature now assembled in the First Regular Session, on behalf of the people we represent, take this opportunity to support the first Wednesday in April as Everyone Matters Day; and be it further
RESOLVED: That We urge all residents of the State to support the ideals of Everyone Matters Day in order to acknowledge the harmful impact of bullying and of judging others based on appearance or group affiliation and to promote respect and support everyone's right to be who he or she is without being shamed, judged or attacked and we invite everyone to remember the first Wednesday in April as Everyone Matters Day and that April 2, 2014 is Everyone Matters Day in the State; and be it further
RESOLVED: That a suitable copy of this resolution, duly authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to the national Everyone Matters organization.