Ft. Worth City Councilman Joel Burns’ very powerful message to gay teens appears below. He was incredibly brave to put himself out in such a personal way. But it was so important. Kids are committing suicide because of bigotry and bullying.

This is a must-see for everyone, especially teens and their parents. Bullying has to stop.

As Burns says, we can not look away. We must take personal responsibility. If you have kids of any age, I hope you will talk to them about bullying.

So why does bullying seem to be epidemic today? Well, here’s a thought. Every day on TV and the internet, we see people arguing in the nastiest of ways. Insulting one another. We see name-calling, especially on Fox News. We see terrible bigotry and judgment. And that’s just from those who are supposed to bring us “the news.”

It’s pervasive.

So why wouldn’t kids think it’s appropriate behavior?