14 DAY TRIAL // Jennifer Livingston of CBS WKBT is the latest television figure to speak out against bullying. Seeing how October is National Anti-Bullying Month, Livingston is using her own example to tell other victims of bullying that they should never let bullies define who they are.
As Livingston explains in the video below, just recently, she received a letter from a man who went to extreme lengths to let her know that he considered her too overweight to be on camera, and definitely not a good role model for girls who might be watching her morning news show.
Mrs. Livingston, mother of three, admits that she’s overweight and stresses that she knows better than anyone else that she should take action about it.
However, that doesn’t give anyone the right to judge her based on her appearance, let alone someone who doesn’t know her personally and who, as per his own words, doesn’t even watch her show.
“To the person who wrote me that letter – do you think I don't know that? That your cruel words are pointing out something that I don't see?” Livingston says.
“You don't know me. You are not a friend of mine. You are not a part of my family. And you have admitted that you don't watch this show. So you know nothing about me but what you see on the outside. And I am much more than a number on the scale,” she continues.
In the end though, she wants to use her example as a lesson for anyone who might end up in her situation, no matter their age, gender, race, or preferences: bullies should never be allowed to define one as a person.
Moreover, Livingston stresses, such behavior as that displayed by the man who penned the letter is learned and, even worse, passed down from adults to children.
“[It’s] passed down from people like the man who wrote me that email. If you are at home and talking about the fat news lady, guess what? Your children are probably going to go to school and call someone fat,” the newswoman says.
Watch her brilliantly worded response below.
