INJUSTICE comes in all forms – personal post of Emily Guido Author

 

PERSONAL BLOGS ARE NOT MY THING BUT I HAD TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT BULLYING!
In my life, I have lived with bullies.
Bullies come in all forms and with hideous intentions.

From my experience, my mother rallied against prejudice in a town riddled with racial conflict.
Also, I have dealt with being the only Hispanic family in a town.  ”Wetback” was a common racial slur used under the breaths at people in the grocery store or even school teachers, and I went to Catholic school (wow… is the word you are thinking now) .
I was always considered stupid or dumb from the teachers because I was fat. I had to fight to be allowed into Marching Band, and my uniform had to be tailored to fit me.
Even in job interviews as a teenager, I would be passed over because I wasn’t the cute or pretty one.
None of this was as incessant or as hateful or even as detrimental as the name calling and prejudice I experienced being overweight since I was a young girl.
I had a medical condition which I didn’t find out about until I was older but by that time the “stuffing my mouth with my hurt” syndrome had overcome me.
No diet, exercise would be successful.  While everyone in my class was beautiful and thin.  I was the fat girl who used to make up my own jokes to compensate.  I wasn’t able to wear normal kid clothes. I had to shop at the 1970′s big women’s shop and looked like a 90 year-old grandmother.
So, I made a decision this year since my medical problems were getting worse and worse to have bariatric surgery. I’m not happy, but I’m proud that I will start to be healthier with an extreme diet and exercise.
However, even now, I get the bullies (adult women friends of mine) who say, “If you are going to diet and exercise after the surgery, why can’t you just do it right now and lose the weight?”  Of course this is my favorite, ”Oh Emily, you are taking the easy way out.”
Easy? Really?
If easy means going to doctor after doctor and tell you time and time again that you are morbidly obese, okay.
If easy means being so poked and prodded internally for pre-op testing, okay.
If easy means going to Nutritionist counselling  appointments, okay
If easy means going to Psychiatric counselling appointments and Bariatric support groups every week, okay.
If easy means taking a Sleep Study, Endoscopy, and Colonoscopy before surgery, okay.
If easy means having major surgery, being off work with restrictions and possible complications, okay.
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BULLIES are in all forms.  
BULLIES pick on people who are different.  
BULLIES pick on people who can’t help themselves.  
BULLIES pick on people with mental and physical disabilities.

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I heard about this, last night at my bariatric support group.
The more and more I thought about it, the more I boiled.  
I said my peace, and if I ever do become healthy, I will fight the good fight against the BULLY below…
May 9, 2013 (NEW YORK) (WLS) http://naesnest.me/2013/05/23/ambercrombie-fitch-just-another-bully/
Mike Jeffries of Abercrombie and Fitch is on the hot seat after the popular style chain is accused of discriminating against overweight customers, making clothes only for the thin.  An exam of the Abercrombie flagship store in New York City found mostly double-zeros, and extra-smalls and a couple of large tops and size 10 pants. Sales people there confirmed Abercrombie doesn’t carry XL or XXL for women.  
“He’s been very, very successful, so he doesn’t want anybody in the store that doesn’t fit that cool, young and sexy definition,” said Robin Lewis, co-author of “The New Rules of Retail.” Lewis says it’s all part of Jeffries’ master plan to cultivate what he considers cool.
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All I have to say to this is retail 
means dollars being spent at A & F…
I just know my money or
my big XXL body
will never darken their doorstep
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Related articles

Abercrombie and Fitch CEO: Proof Monsters Really Do Exist (fourtuitous.com)
Ambercrombie & Fitch , Just Another Bully (naesnest.me)
Teen activist to meet with Abercrombie CEO (salon.com)


Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Abercrombie, Abercrombie & Fitch, Bariatric, Bullies, BULLY, Catholic school, Difference, Hatred, Mike Jeffries, New York City, Prejudice, Surgery, WLS