Today we see a common theme in the news headlines, another horrific and tragic school shooting is becoming more common place. My heart drops when I hear and see these types of events occurring, it almost makes me feel helpless as I try to reach for the “why” someone would actually think of doing such a heinous and revolting act against their own fellow man. Anger is also another emotion that seems to envelope my thoughts and dominate my irrational state of mind as I try to make sense of the inhumanity. Harming countless innocent lives, what would drive another person to act out in such a mindless fashion? Bullying was a factor in two thirds or seventy-five percent of the thirty-seven school shootings reviewed by the US Secret Service ("Bully Statistics”). Bullying is the most common form of violence in our society; between fifteen percent and thirty percent of students are bullies or victims. As a country we need to address this widespread problem before it is too late. Education is the perfect weapon to combat this mindless behavior. By implementing bullying programs into our public school systems, and educating our future generations, we can begin to put a stop to bullying and it’s direct and indirect negative side-effects. The main direct negative side-effect of bullying is suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC (“Bullying and Suicide”). For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it (“Bullying and Suicide”). In a recent headline stated by CNN, “A 15-year-old Connecticut boy who shot and killed himself last week with the family shotgun had sustained years of bullying, friends said Monday. Bart Palosz committed suicide August 27 after attending the first day of his sophomore year at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, Connecticut. Friends who knew Bart, a Polish immigrant, told CNN he was the target of bullies due to his size -- the teen was 6 feet, 3 inches tall -- and Polish accent. The friends described him as "a little awkward in his body" but said he was a "giant sweetheart" who related more with adults than his peers. Lisa Johnson's 13-year-old son Izzy was good friends with Bart and the Palosz family. She gave one of several eulogies at his funeral Friday, saying, "Bart was one of the kindest kids I had ever met. ... It was a life-changing friendship for Izzy. "He's always been a quirky kid...really sweet but really awkward. And that's also why he and Izzy clicked so well. Even though they were different, they were similar in their manner. They were a little outside of the lines," Johnson said. Johnson confirmed to CNN that Bart had indeed been bullied for years and said that his family had done everything they could to inform the school district of the situation. Kim Eves, communications director for the Greenwich School District, said the district is "looking at the entire history in his experiences in our school that is an ongoing investigation." "He was a very quiet kid -- truly one of t