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A southwestern Michigan boy’s online video in which he stood up to cyberbullies has earned him messages from prominent figures, appearances on news stations and now a private tour of the White House.
Logan Fairbanks of Hartford, 11, and his family received the invitation from White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett, who set up the visit to highlight the issue of bullying and encourage others who are trying to stop bullies, she told WOOD-TV.
“I think part of the reason why what Logan did resonated so well is he could turn the tables and he, in a sense, said to the bully, ‘You’re not going to hurt me, but let me let you hear your words right back so you can imagine how you might feel if those words were directed at you,'” Jarrett said.
On Tuesday, Logan was able to see firsthand where President Barack Obama makes televised speeches and important phone calls.
“I went in the Oval room, and got to sit in the president’s chair,” he said. “I was kind of shocked that I was sitting in the chair at this age. And then there’s a doggy door at the bottom of his desk, and I got to peek out of it.”
He and his family also got to take in other sights around Washington, D.C., and they plan to meet with U.S. Rep. Fred Upton of St. Joseph on Wednesday.
Logan gained national attention earlier this month by confronting cyberbullies who posted hurtful comments on YouTube videos he and his father made. The video, which was posted on July 7, has nearly 1 million views on the popular video-sharing website.
“I want to make a stand not only for people that are being bullied, but I want to also help bullies not bully anymore,” Logan said on Tuesday.
Since posting his video, Logan has been interviewed about 20 times by different news organizations, including CNN and the Boris and Nicole Show, the Kalamazoo Gazette (http://bit.ly/1TRlav8 ) reported.
Logan and his father, Josh, also plan to start a nonprofit organization, called Take the Power, to empower victims of cyberbullying, hate speech and other forms of hurtful language. (AP)
