VIDEO: Brian Camenker of MassResistance testifies against H3909 - radical update to "anti-bullying" law.

TEXT OF TESTIMONY BY BRIAN CAMENKER
OF MASSRESISTANCE:

Back in 2009 we all heard pretty much the same groups, who were very, very well organized, come up with much of the same stories about how there's a terrible bullying problem in Massachusetts that needed to be fixed.

In 2010 it was passed unanimously by the Legislature -- the bill that was the most powerful bill in the United States of America according to the Governor.

Right away the gay groups said, "we're going to fight for 'enumerated categories.' And in the same weekend that it was passed the Boston Globe's magazine" had a big article from some experts saying that "this stuff isn't going to work" -- mainly because what really works in fighting bullying wasn't used in drafting this. It was mostly special interest groups.

So now we are three years later and we're being told the same stories: it's not working, horrible things happening. Well, what's going on here? I think that before we rush into the same people saying, "Oh, well we didn't do it because we didn't have this stuff."

You know, Massachusetts went through an emotional trauma over this. I think there needs to be a reason publicly why this isn't working if it's not working, and a real study of what needs to happen if it's not working rather than just the same kind of testimony from special interest groups. Or else, I think you're going to run into a lot of trouble with the public.

I think the real problem is that this is a terrible, unworkable law that was pushed through in a climate of hysteria.

But I think that's what you have to do. You can't just add more stuff and say "that's really what's going to happen."

[NOTE: Camenker continued his testimony discussing another bill, H452, which is MassResistance's bill to protect children from intrusive school surveys on personal issues.]