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The
San Diego Union-Tribune, October 28,
1999: Eleven-year-old Bryce Dockendorff hung himself in 1998 while trying
to re-enact a scene from "South Park" in which one character,
Kenny, dies by hanging. (Kenny is violently killed in every episode of
the series.) Bryce’s mother said, “The day before my son’s death, he was
acting like the character, and they said, ‘Well, if you’re Kenny, then
you have to die.’ And he said, ‘That’s okay, I’ll be back next week.’”
PEACE4BRYCE
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Bryce Dockendorff is a victim of the violence which is so prevalent in
our media today. Yes...violence in the media may be "old news",
but it continues to inspire new news. Our children are acting out the
violence they see on TV, in the movies, and in video/computer games. They
copy-cat it and in the process they harm themselves and others. Some die.
These are not stupid children. They are bright and intelligent spirits,
like Bryce, sent here by God to give us a message with their lives. And
we must listen.
Bryce's mother is. She has channeled her grief over the loss of her son
into an effort to raise awareness and to provide alternate activities
for kids. Her Peace4Bryce Foundation offers funding for athletic camps,
marine science camps, dancing and music lessons, arts and crafts, swimming,
roller skating, and other activities that let children be children again.
The foundation also provides college scholarships. She says: "Children
are curious, impulsive and want to be entertained. Boy, do they want to
be entertained. They want Disneyland in their backyard and a circus in
their bedroom. It can be difficult to find ways to occupy your child's
time." But it is so very important to try. It is one thing to complain
about media violence, but until people quit paying to watch it, the media
will be slow to change. So it is so very important to focus energies in
a positive direction, and this is exactly what Bryce's mom is out to do.
"I am asking that you join me in my effort," she says, "to
build healthy young bodies and nurture young minds and assist in promoting
self-esteem and alternate forms of entertainment for the positive growth
of our children."
She will yet see Bryce again, who is in God's loving arms. Until then,
she is doing what she can to prevent the similar loss of other children.
We end with her memorial of her son: "Among all the extraordinary
qualities that Bryce had, his most valuable was his honest and caring
heart. He befriended those who had no friends. He would give his allowance
to those in need and share his school snack with those that didn't have
one. He was an unselfish child who always thought of others. I will never
know what Bryce would have become. I do know that we all should feel honored
that he was here with us for a little while and as you go through life
I wish that you all may think of him and know that he would have brought
knew dimensions to our world. The week that Bryce died he had been graded
on a 6-week project on the Rainforest (of course). He earned an A+ (of
course). He writes within the report, 'when I grow up, I will travel the
Rainforest and see all the splendor that it has to offer, I hope that
it will still be there'. I would like to think that he is traveling there
now..."
Visit
the Peace4Bryce website
Parent's Television Council
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