Student ends up on high school's 'Ugliest Girls' poll, shuts bullies down in epic way
High school is hard enough without people deliberately trying to make it even worse for you.
Unfortunately for Lynette Cantwell, her male classmates seemed to lack the basic human decency to understand that when they posted a poll on Ask.FM prompting fellow students to elect who the ugliest girl at their school is. Cantwell, along with two of her friends, was on the list.
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"I saw that I was fourth and I was like, wow." Cantwell told BuzzFeed Canada. "I felt hurt, like really really hurt. Not gonna lie, it tore me apart a little bit." Along with poll, there were anonymous comments, and a supplementary poll of the "prettiest" girls.
Refusing to let the bullies get the best of her, Lynelle took to her Facebook page to shut them down in the most eloquent and mature way imaginable:
To the person that made the "ugliest girls in grade 12 at hth" ask.FM straw poll. I'm sorry that your life is so...
Posted by Lynelle Cantwell on Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Rather than stoop to the poll creator's level and simply sling insults back, Lynelle gave them, and the "12 people who voted her up to 4th place" some insight as to why they might have felt the need to attack other students in that way. "I'm sorry that your life is so miserable that you have to try to bring others down," she began. "I'm sorry that you get amusement out of making people feel like [this]."
"I'm sorry that you don't get to know me as a person. I know that I'm not the prettiest thing to look at. I know I have a double chin and I fit in XL clothes. I know I don't have the perfect smile or the perfect face. But I'm sorry for you. Not myself."
Then, she drove it home:
I'm sorry that you'll never get the chance to know the kind of person i am. I may not look okay on the outside.. But i'm funny, nice, kind, down to earth, not judgemental, accepting, helpful, and i'm super easy to talk to. Thats the same for every other girl on that list that you all put down. Just because we don't look perfect on the outside does not mean we are ugly. If thats your idea of ugly then i feel sorry for you.
Her mind-blowing maturity in the face of such a cruel prank has not gone unnoticed, either. According to a Facebook post made by Lynelle's mom, since she spoke out, she was interviewed on The CBC Morning Show, and also offered an an all expenses paid trip to attend the "Count Me In" Leadership Conference in Toronto, Ontario.
Just to let everyone know, Lynelle was interviewed on The CBC Morning Show again this morning and while there a...
Posted by Brenda-Lee Bennett-Cantwell on Monday, December 7, 2015
AND, on top of that, Lynelle posted on Facebook that her and two of her friends were treated to a day of pampering at "The Hair Strand salon and spa", a complimentary outfit at "Eclipse", and a free meal at "Jungle Jims."
Thank you to Sheldon, Julie, Dynamite Dillion and Mr Fantastic for an amazing day! Thank you to the girls at The Hair...
Posted by Lynelle Cantwell on Sunday, December 6, 2015
Lynelle said she's also been bombarded with texts, calls and messages ever since the post, one person even going so far as to send her flowers. "Everyone is coming up to me and saying, 'Oh my gosh, your Facebook status, it's so beautifully written and doing such a good job and I'm so proud of you.'"
Bullies: 0. Lynelle: 100.
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