In a tasteless attack against local Wisconsin anchorwoman Jennifer Livingston,
health-conscious attorney Kenneth Krause admonished the television personality for her weight — a criticism that Livingston could have ignored. But instead of brushing it under the rug, she took time from her program to address the audience and turn the negative comments into an opportunity to advocate against senseless bullying.

We applaud the stand that Livingston took in handling this matter. As she made clear, October is National Anti-Bullying Month, and by selflessly making an example of her own experience, she demonstrated that bullying is a large-scale problem that needs to be fixed.

Livingston also struck at what she perceived to be the root of adolescent bullying: parents. By reprimanding adults who bully or who allow their children to do so unabashedly, she made an attempt to stop it at its core. More than anything, Livingston sought to communicate that parents have a role in creating a nurturing atmosphere of acceptance to combat insecurity — insecurities that are both the byproduct and cause of bullying.

Further, Krause struck a chord by referring to Livingston as an unsuitable role model especially for young girls, insinuating that a woman’s physical image is what females should model themselves after. By dismissing the entirety of Livingston’s character and reducing her to what she called “a number on a scale,” Krause is limiting the scope of young women’s aspirations while ignoring the important character traits that individualize a person.

This also serves as an example of how the Internet and social media can be used to not only harass others from a safe distance, but also spread small, isolated issues into
national conversation.

While empathy can be drowned out by the typing of a keyboard, it can also be
resurrected to serve as a moral lesson, in as little time as Livingston’s four-minute segment.

A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, Oct. 4 print edition. Email the WSN Editorial Board at [email protected].