Hat Not Hate

We live in difficult times. News reports detail racial incidents, vehement political disagreements and hate crimes, including bullying with its tragic effects. Sadly, bullying, especially among children, is nothing new and on the rise. A 2018 USA Today article stated that in a report released by a nonprofit group, YouthTruth, 1/3 of students say they were bullied in the 2017 school year. That’s an increase from 2016, when over one in four students had been bullied. A 2019 Washington Post article cited the rise in online bullying among middle and high school students. Technology is a big factor in this troubling behavior as evidenced by cyberbullying.

- Randy Cavaliere

There seems to be no universally accepted solution to the problem. If you’ve been a victim or someone has bullied a family member or friend, you understand how vicious and damaging bullying can be. This pervasive problem can lead to depression, anxiety and suicidal behavior.

In an effort to raise awareness of this crisis, Lion Brand Yarn Company launched an anti-bullying campaign in 2018. Founded by Shira Blumenthal, Lion Brand’s Brand Ambassador who was bullied as a child, the campaign encourages people to make, wear and post handmade blue hats, adding #HatNotHate when sharing on social platforms.

Blue hats are Lion Brand’s symbol in the “craftivist” movement to eradicate bullying. (As defined by www. craftivism.com, “Craftivism is a way of looking at life where voicing opinions through creativity makes your voice stronger, your compassion deeper and your quest for justice more infinite.”)

Why was blue chosen as the dominant color? According to the Hat Not Hate website (https://hatnothate. org), “The color blue represents awareness, peace and solidarity. Blue is the color to wear in support of anti-bullying.”