Enough is Enough

Enough is Enough

Bullying is everywhere. I have witnessed it in all aspects of my life. Sometimes it’s happened to those closest to me. And I am experiencing it myself.

I love connecting with my supporters online…but it’s not always positive. Over the last year I’ve read harmful, offensive, and untrue words written about me. Would you actually say these things to my face?

This isn’t just about football. I feel like my moral character – which I value above all else – has been attacked. Not only have I been targeted but my friends, family, and teammates have also been included. I will no longer allow those who don’t know me try to bring me down. I’m standing up – not only for myself but also for many others.

Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. It includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.

Cyberbullying is one of the easiest and most common ways to bully someone. It can happen at any time and to anyone. It can be in public or in private, sometimes known only to the person targeted and the person doing the bullying.

This “Keyboard Courage” needs to stop.

Prejudicial bullying is based on biases people have toward those of different races, gender, or sexual orientation. It happens at school, work, and in communities. It even happens in sports. And LGBTQ and those perceived as LGBTQ are at an increased risk of being bullied.

Enough is enough. I won’t stand for bullying of any kind.

It’s useless to try to bring people down and spread hate through bullying actions, comments, and aggressive behavior.

I’m sick of sitting back and not taking action. So I’m getting involved with an amazing cause, fighting for what’s right, and helping people help themselves because bullying is unacceptable.

Through positivity, I know that I can help change lives by empowering others and helping them build the self-confidence needed to feel secure in who they are, who they want to be, and how they want to live their lives – all without judgment.

We need much more love and a lot less hate in this world. And maybe it’s the bullies who need the most love of all.

I’m committed to using my platform to build a better future – to build something bigger than myself. I want to put a stop to bullying. But I need all of your help. Let’s stand strong and make a difference together. This is only the beginning.

So what do we do in this exact moment? We start by spreading kindness.

More soon,

Ali

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”— Maya Angelou