I'm listening to the feed from the NC House as they debate the School Violence Prevention Act (the so-called anti-bullying bill) — full text here — and some moron is up there saying that the problem with the bill is that it is centered around the victims, rather than the bullies.  According to this idiot, anyone can be victims, so rather than having a bill that singles out "special protections" for "certain" victims (he means gay kids), he thinks the bill should focus on the bullies.

It's a stupid argument on its face.  First of all, we all went to high school, and no, some kids weren't picked on.  Not everyone was a victim.  Secondly, the bill, as written, doesn't create "special protections" for gay kids – it applies to anyone who is bulliled on account of "race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, socioeconomic status, academic status, gender identity, physical appearance, sexual orientation, or mental, physical, developmental, or sensory disability, or by association with a person who has or is perceived to have one or more of these characteristics".

Now another idiot is getting up there and trying to stop the bill by complaining that it doesn't protect kids whose "sexual orientation" includes pedophilia and S&M.  That's called being a "concern troll" — he's not actually trying to keep pedophiles and sado-masochists; he just is trying to kill the bill.  Those things are not sexual orientation, and even if they are, the bill covers ALL "sexual orientation" without limitation.

Now another concern troll is up there, complaining that the bill only requires that schools set policies and procedures to deal with bullying, but it doesn't actually punish the bully. Uh, what?  If you set up the procedure to deal with the bully, then you ARE dealing with the bully.  And now he's trying to add a corporal punishment amendment so that teachers can beat up bullies.  Now he's backtracking and saying that corporal amendment can only be allowed in constituancies that allow corporal punishment.

Well, they sure are right about laws and sausage-making.

UPDATE:  If I heard correctly, the bill passed the House by one vote!  All amendments failed.  Senate has already passed, so now the bill goes to the governor.