By Mary Whitfill

High school is supposed to be four of the best years of our lives where we get to relax, make great friends and learn things that will continue to help us as we progress through life. What is often left out is the number of ‘mean girls’ lurking behind every corner.

I hadn’t noticed the extent of what was happening, but my eyes were snapped open today as I watched the girls around me interact with each other. There are a few girls in one of my classes that I focused on today, and I was completely appalled at the way I saw them acting.

I don’t want to go into specifics, just to protect the people involved, but I have seen some utterly horrifying things that people do to one another.

I, as I am sure everyone has, have seen people stand not 5 feet behind someone and start whispering, giggling, eyeing and laughing at the person in front of them. Maybe it has never happened to them, but you aren’t as quiet at you think you are. It isn’t hard to figure out what the muffled giggles and perfectly clear words coming from behind you are about.

I have also seen a person videotaping someone who isn’t a top performer with who-knows-what plans for the tape. I’ve seen blogs and notes written on Face Book blatantly bashing someone or something about them. I don’t think that anyone, whether they deserve it or not, should be thrust into the spotlight in such a negative way.

It truly disgusts me that so many people feel the need to tear other people down. As corny as it is, my life question at the moment is: why can we all just be nice? My personal philosophy is: Kill them with kindness. I am rarely mean to people, not denying that I have my moments, but I have watched people get 10 times more frustrated with me as I treat them with respect, than any amount of payback could ever give.

It takes a lot more effort to be mean to people than it does to be nice and mind your own business. Awful things can come from such acts like that and I don’t know why we can’t all just be nice.