Today is anti-bullying day - so wear some pink and get involved

CKNW talk show host Christy Clark says she never imagined so many people would sign on to her anti-bullying campaign and pledge to wear pink today.

"I'm astonished," said Clark on Tuesday. "It's something that speaks to an experience that most of us have had."

The former provincial cabinet minister said more than 100,000 people have signed on to her wear pink Facebook event page.

The host of the Christy Clark Show said her anti-bullying campaign has touched a nerve.

"I can tell you that from the phone calls and e-mails we've received, I wouldn't be surprised if 80 per cent of people have been bullied, or watched someone be bullied, or been a bully," Clark said.

"I just think it speaks to a universal human experience."

Premier Gordon Campbell, at Clark's request, urged British Columbians to wear pink to work and school today to mark what has now been proclaimed provincial anti-bullying day. The day is being marked in schools with discussions and other forms of awareness raising.

Several Lower Mainland municipalities, including the City of Vancouver, have also declared today to be anti-bullying day. Many unions are also supporting the campaign.

Clark said the roots of the wear-pink protest go back to a call from a listener last year who confessed to having been a bully when she was young.

The woman, now in her 40s, talked about breaking a young boy's clavicle and about taking a young girl, placing her in an abandoned car and threatening to drive her away from her family.

"This woman felt so much shame and guilt and so she came on our show and talked about it. She told us that we had to do something about bullying."

Then Clark heard about how two students in Nova Scotia organized a school protest last year to wear pink in solidarity with a classmate who had been bullied for wearing pink to school.

The Nova Scotia protest inspired the CKNW talk show host to begin urging British Columbians about six weeks ago to join her wear pink anti-bullying campaign.

"It's so incredible the power that one small seemingly insignificant act can achieve."

Clark, mother of a Grade 1 student, said every parent is "dead scared" their child will be bullied or become a bully.

She added that bullying is a habit that can extend through life.

"If we don't deal with bullies when they are kids, they will still be bullies when they are older and go into workplaces."