Editor:
Last week, I was about to enter the Sechelt Aquatic Centre and a female teenager was walking towards the parking lot when I heard her call out “hey, bitch.”
I was in the Aquatic Centre for a brief moment, went out to the parking lot and continued towards the library. There were three or four teenage girls standing on the parking lot sidewalk, including the one who had shouted the phrase. They were having a conversation, smiling and there didn’t seem to be any issues.
My 14-year-old niece attends high school in Coquitlam and I asked her if this is an acceptable term these days when addressing someone. Apparently, this term and other phrases are commonly used in a joking way.
With Pink Shirt Day at the end of February, the optics when using this type of terminology just don’t look right to me. It may not bother some who are on the receiving end, but it could bother someone else.
Bullying and the potential for bullying have been around schools, playgrounds and the workplace forever. Based on my recent observations, I don’t see it going away anytime soon.
Richard Austin, Halfmoon Bay
