that it does get better. here's a little bit of my story. december 2010, i thought i was bi, and then i always got made fun of because i virtually have no guy friends. and i only have friends that are girls. and it bothered me because we would be like faggot and they would taunt me in the hallways and i felt i never could have escape it. people would constantly send me hate telling me gay people go to hell. >> he said he got hate messages on the site formspring which allows kids to post anonymous comments about each other and to each other. but back then, as you hear, he said he rose above the negativity. >> i promise you it will get better. i have so much support from people i don't even know online. i know that sounds creepy, but they're so nice and caring and they don't ever want me to die. >> two weekends ago after saying good night to his sister, jamie rodemeyer took his own life. he was only 14 years old. his school in williamsville, new york, does have a bullying prevention program. you'll hear a bit from the local superintendent shortly. a lot of schools have similar programs and more states are enacting new anti-bullying laws. some are facing resistance from groups saying that it promotes tolerance of a gay agenda. but jamie was above all that for a while and seemed to have pushed past the prejudice and past the hate. >> and i just want to tell you that it does get better. when i came out for being bii got so much support from my friends, and it made me feel so secure, and then if your friends or family is even there for you, i look up to one of the most supporting people of the gay community that i think of that i know, lady gaga. she makes me so happy. and she lets me know that i was born this way. and that's my advice to you from her. we were born this way. all you have to do is hold your head up and you'll go far because that's all you have to do. just love yourself and you're set. >> he tried. whether he knew it or not, jamie rodemeyer left friends and fans behind. this weekend the performer he called mother monster, lady gaga, paid tribute to him. >> so tonight, jamie, i know you're up there looking at us. and you're not a victim. you're a lesson tulle of o all . i know it's a bit of a downer but sometimes the right thing is more important than the music, isn't it? let's do this one for jamie. >> jamie was a high school freshman. he'd only been in high school for nine days. his sister alyssa is a high school junior. earlier tonight i talked to her about what she witnessed and what she heard at a homecoming dance the night of jamie's wake. what would people over the year, what were people calling him? >> they were making fun of him for having so many girl friends. and they were calling him a girl and just calling him names and saying harsh things about him and just ridiculous things. >> you actually found him? >> yeah. >> i mean, i can't imagine what that was like. >> it was -- it was rough, but like, i don't know. i didn't really have time to soak it all in because i was in a state of shock and i was trying to do everything to call 911, get my parents, try to save him. and i don't know. it didn't all fully reg start ti -- register at the time, i guess. >> it was a hanging in the backyard? >> yes. >> it was important to your parents that you go to the homecoming dance the first day of the wake. >> yes. they let me leave early from the wake and the dance was at 7:00. they didn't want me to miss out on any homecoming things and they wanted me to get my mind off stuff. so they told me i could go. i went with a whole group of friends from the wake and we all went together. >> and what was that like? >> the beginning of the dance, it was really great. like we were all having a good time, and we -- you know, we were dancing around. some kids were just like -- some kids were just kind of sitting there, i don't believe i should be having fun. and we're just like, you just got to -- just this time let yourself be happy and just imagine he's with us just dancing along with us and you been just can't like let yourself be in pain for just like these two hours and just try to enjoy yourself because i don't want to see his friends in so much pain that they're going through. i was trying to encourage people to have fun. and then things just started going bad. >> they played a lady gaga song. >> yeah. and we all started chanting for him. >> you started chanting jamey's name? >> yeah, we had so many people chanting it and we were jumping around and singing to it. it started off great. >> then what happened? >> then a little group of like three of his prior bullies, as we were chanting, they started yelling things back at us. they were saying that they were glad he was dead and just basically that and like some obscenities and things. >> so they were actually saying that? >> yeah. >> you know the kids who were saying this, they were saying they were glad your brother's dead. >> later after the dance, i found out that some kid was videotaping the dance, and he actually got it on tape. and it was so cruel. >> was that one of the kids who was one of the bullies who was videotaping? >> no, he's actually a really nice guy. >> could you hear them when they were saying this? >> yeah. >> i can't imagine what that is like. >> i didn't honestly know what to do about it. i was just kind of struck in awe. and we all kind of stopped. and everyone started like breaking down and crying, and we all just kind of got in a little group and we were all crying. and the teachers came and tried to like comfort us. then administration came. and we tried to tell them what happened. i ended up having a really nice talk with one of our vice principals who is trying to do something about this. so i give him credit for that. >> according to what happened at the dance, did the teacher tell them to stop? >> no, they stopped after a while just because eventually chanting has to stop. and they basically ran from the dance because they knew they were going to get in trouble. >> you went home. and i talked to your mom before on my show earlier and she was very upset. she was angry. >> yeah. how could you not be angry at this? i don't understand who would have the heart to disrespect someone even after they're dead. it's mind blowing. >> it's been important for your folks and for you to speak about jamey, even though it's only been what, nine days now? >> yeah, nine days. >> why is that so important to speak? >> it's important because jamey, while he was alive, was trying to get out this message of everyone should be treated equally and no one should have to be bullied for any kind of way that they're different. to me, that's a really important message, too, because no one deserves to be bullied. everyone's different and that's what's great about everyone is everyone's uniqueness. we just want to keep that message going because we don't want to see another teen that comes to this decision because they're being bullied because no one deserves to feel like they're worthless, because no one's worthless. everyone's worth the life they're living. >> what do you want people to know about jamey, to remember about him? >> i want them to remember his smile and his caring heart and his love for lady gaga and just -- he was such a sweet, sweet kid. >> you're incredibly strong. >> thanks. >> and i hope you find peace in the days ahead. thank you. >> thanks so much. >> jamey's sister. digging deeper now rosalind wiseman is the author of "queen bees and wanna-bes." it's extraordinary to me. i've heard other stories of this where kids are taunted in death, but the kids would, in front of jamey's sister alyssa, say things about him at a school dance i just find unbelievable. how do you explain that? >> i know that so many people are looking at this and saying what is wrong with these kids, what's wrong with society, what's wrong with those people? i really want to say, even though people don't want to hear this, it could happen in any community. i'm so transfixed by alyssa's words, really they're just so incredible. really what's so important here is that we really think about as adults is that we have a sacred responsibility to take ownership, not only when our kids do things that make us proud, like winning trophies, but when they do things that are shameful and when they do things that are hateful and where they do things like you're talking about, where they celebrate someone's death. they not only failed themselves and their school and jamey and their family, they failed themselves, their community. and what i think is so important is that adults realize that. they say we have to take responsibility and we have to hold these kids accountable in ways that don't degrade them. but hold them accountable. make them responsible. and at the same time say this is part of us. and kids can do unbelievably bad things in groups. and we are going to address it in ways that they will not forget and that we are going to take responsibility so that jamey's death is really not in vain and that it is celebrated in the way that his sister is talking about. this is really the test for the community, to stand up for what it really -- what it really wants to believe in. >> we talked to the superintendent of jamey's school earlier. listen to a little bit of what he said. >> certainly we have now turned our attention to the huge societal issue of bullying in our schools. and we are reviewing all of our procedures around that, how we handle bullying issues, the training for all of our teachers, all of our adults who work with children, reviewing our disciplinary protocols to make sure that we're taking appropriate action in bullying cases and taking a number of steps to educate our children and our parents in regards to bullying and how we can all work together to prevent it. >> is that enough? >> well, i mean, one of the things that really strikes me is that those three kids who by alyssa's -- you know what she's saying, that they were his tormentors before. they believe, for whatever reason, that they could get away with doing what they were doing, by screaming that he should die or they were happy he was dead in a public forum of a dance. there is no more public forum in a high school than at a dance. they thought they could get away with that. what we're hearing also is that, yes, the teachers got involved, it sounds, pretty late to me. the second you would hear something like that, as the teachers, you would move and you would silence those kids. so i've got to wonder really what went on that those kids felt they could get away with it. there must have been some children who might have been absolutely stunned but could not figure out a way to speak and to stop them. and that's really the important thing that we've got to do. because we've got to look at ourselves and not society. because when we talk about society, we stop taking responsibility for our own behavior and the behavior that goes on in our communities. it's about what we can do with the kids we know in our own families. honestly, people will say those were some bad kids. if you're part of that community, talk to your children even if they weren't involved. even if they sat there and they were stunned and they wanted to do something and they couldn't because those are the conversations that matter to kids so that things like this do not continue in the future. >> rosalind, i appreciate your expertise. we'll continue to follow this issue here on 360. we teamed up with cartoon network and facebook to try to look at this from all angles. there's an app on facebook, you can pledge to do everything you can to stop this bullying epidemic. go to facebook.com/stop bullying speak up. you can join us for a series of special reports, bullying: it stops here. that starts october 9th on cnn. we're on facebook, follow me on twitter @andersoncooper. a tuning admission from the man who will help obama get re-elected. sarah palin may be getting ready to make a big announcement. and late word from chris christie about his possible presidential plans are, if any. crime & punishment, day one of the michael jackson trial. a remarkable disturbing picture of jackson shown today in court. that and an audio tape of him unlike anything you've ever heard before of him. you will hear more of that ahead. first, let's check in with isha sesay. >> we'll have the latest from italy's own trial of the century. american amanda knox appealing her murder conviction. closing arguments thursday. striking new testimony today. that and much more. [ male announcer ] this is coach parker... whose non-stop day starts with back pain... and a choice. take advil now and maybe up to four in a day. or choose aleve and two pills for a day free of pain. way to go, coach. ♪ the healthcare law gives us powerful tools to fight it... to investigate it... ...prosecute it... and stop criminals. our senior medicare patrol volunteers... are teaching seniors across the country... ...to stop, spot, and report fraud. you can help. guard your medicare card. don't give out your card number over the phone. call to report any suspected fraud. we're cracking down on medicare fraud. let's make medicare stronger for all of us. so how is this for a pep talk? david axelrod said today it will be a titanic struggle to get his boss re-elected. a titanic struggle. over on the republican side they're going through a titanic struggle of their own. they're looking for a candidate that can win next year. that's not unusual. but this time republicans are struggling titanically to find a candidate they actually want to win. we've seen michele bachmann rise and fall, rick perry stumble. then new jersey governor chris christie who has been on a fund-raising swing through missouri. fund-raising for others not himself. perhaps not ever. he'll speak at the ronald reagan libra library. his brother todd tells the "new jersey state ledger" i'm sure that he's not going to run. if he's lying to me, i'll be as stunned as i've ever been in my life. the national review said that christie was thinking about it. a source says no. but someone tells politico he's considering it. christie says the answer is no. >> i don't feel like i'm ready to be president, i don't want to run for president. i don't have the fire in my belly to run for president. i don't feel ready to be president. >> that sounds pretty definitive. the star ledger said he's not running to a group of influential fund-raisers at a steakhouse in orange county, california. sarah palin, people have been waiting for months for her to make some sort of decision. "the new york times" reporting the announcement could come within days. in just the last few days her facebook page has grown quiet. some believe getting ready for the moment. is she, will he, should they? ari fleischer former press secretary to president bush. his latest post it's too late for chris christie to run. and ron kerry. you think it would be a mistake for chris christie to get in the race? >> i just think it's too late. too much time has passed by. it is hard to build a successful campaign. the scrutiny he would be under, every mistake he would make and every candidates makes mistakes, it would be piling on. candidates need an a on ramp. especially in the instant era we live in with the internet. i think it's too late for him. >> it's interesting, dana, because people say i'm not interested in running, then they turn out running. he's actually saying i'm not ready to be president. that's pretty definitive. what's behind all this talk? wishful thinking on the part of some republicans? >> well, the word choice that chris christie uses is really interesting to me because he's always said, i'm not ready to be president yet. i'm not ready, not yet. at some point it might be in the cards, but not 2012. i don't think he'll do anything until 2016. he still needs to fill his obligations to his constituents. he said, i don't have the fire in my belly. if there's one thing we can count on from him is not to mince words. >> we're still hearing for what has been forever now that her decision is coming soon. take a look, though, if our viewers this week our cnn orc poll. palin is neck and neck with rerman cain and ron paul. >> i think sarah palipalin's a smart person. she has such high negatives, she has a real image problem. he'll look at those numbers and say as much as i think i can offer to the debate, i'm not going to be electable this year and the last thing we need to do as republicans is to put a candidate forward that's really provocative and ruin the chances to win with a candidate that's too provocative. i look back at harry reid was behind and was going to be a loser in every poll. but then republicans put a very provocative candidate up and he was able to make sharon engel into the issue and not harry reid. they'll do the same thing to the republican nominee. we need to have somebody who is experienced, seasoned and doesn't have open wounds that the obama campaign can really take advantage of. >> dana loesch, if michele bachmann -- she's declined in the polls lately. does that make it more likely for sarah palin to think, okay, i have an opening? >> possibly. i look at how the president does in the polls as well. some of the polls they've released, they haven't even bothered naming a republican candidate. so at this point, quite honestly, it can be anyone's game for a number of the candidates. as to what palin's going to do, she'll make an announcement by the end of september. it's getting close. we'll have to sit back and wait and see. i know that it's kind of difficult to measure how she stands against other candidates because she hasn't actively gotten out there and campaigned in the way that we would see other candidates do. i know ari mentioned an on ramp to the presidential campaign. we haven't seen her kind of use that. there's a lot of stuff in play here, a lot of moving pieces, but a matter of days. >> sarah palin can kind of create her own on ramp. it doesn't seem that whatever she decides to do, she's not needing necessarily to go the traditional route. she's been on fairs bus tours although she says she's just on vacation. she just happens to be vacati vacationing in spots where there's lots of media. >> because she didn't have an on ramp when named as mccain's vice presidential candidate, she couldn't handle all the scrutiny. candidates need that time. nothing is like a presidential race. the amount of scrutiny, the amount of work, the pressure you're under, the way you have to prove that you're capable of sitting in that chair in the oval office. people are harsh in their judgments. you have to be ready for it. that's what doomed her last time. if she goes this time, it would be a dream come true for mitt romney. many of the social conservatives, the sarah palin wing base of the republican party, which is an important powerful base, is really split. they'll have bachmann, santorum, perry, palin to choose from. it creates a bigger gap for mitt romney to run through as more or less the centrist businessman, more traditional republican candidate. so it would set him up nicely at a time when things are breaking in mitt romney's direction in the last week. >> what do you make of rick perry's stumble in the last debate. who benefits from that? is it just a temporary stumble or how bad is he hurt? >> well, i think one thing we can be certain of is that mitt romney will get to the finals. the question is who will get there with him? we build these candidates up to be the second coming of ronald reagan. then their numbers start to come down. rick perry is going through this. he still may become the chief competitor to romney. but ari makes a good point. i remember back in 2008 how demoralized the republican base was here in minnesota when john mccain became the c