: : bullys the bullies : :
♫ Be Aggressive - Faith No More
♦ Causin' scenes in supermarkets since 1985. Okay, here's the deal: I think I'm havin' a ¼ life crisis! Or maybe it's just indigestion. ::belches agen:: It's a conundrum is what it is! I am not a violent man, never have been. I mean, I were the kinda' kid who DIDN'T fry ants with a magnifyin' glass. So how come is it I got this... reputation? Always treated the times I got... physical to solve problem as unavoidable & justified, but after an event yesterday... well, now I ain't so sure. ::troubled::
Were in an unremarkable department store buyin' Wishing Tree presents ('cuz poor kids need to read ROBOTS!) when I spotted a snotty nosed brat badgerin' his beleaguered dad for toy after toy. The guy looked at me with tired eyes & I smiled sympathetically, or so I thought. He musta' suspected I were laughin' at him or somethin' cuz' he snapped & walloped his son in the side of the head. ::enraged::
Without thinkin', I grabbed evil dude by his shirtfront, pushed him so hard against the shelves the whole aisle shook then roared with anger "Touch that kid agen & I'll break both your arms.". The guy turned white as a sheet, trembled like a leaf & it all went silent, apart from Annie Lennox chirpin' Walkin' in a Winterwonderland for muzak! I thought 'Woah! - surreal.' but stood fast & loomed over the weedy creep who'd cottoned on quick it weren't exactly gonna be a fair fight. ::clenches jaw::
He meekly mumbled 'Sorry' & I gotta admit, looked mighty ashamed so I let go of him. Couldn't see any bruises on the kid nor other signs of neglect & his still stunned reaction suggested the attack weren't a regular occurrence. Gave his dad the benefit of the doubt & as they scurried away, I looked around at the folks (mainly women) who'd witnessed the drama. A couple gave a gently reassurin' smile but for the most part, I saw only fear. ::shocked:: That ain't who I am. Then I remembered, I'd seen that look before... & had revelled in it. ::guilty::
One school I briefly attended, had a zero tolerance policy towards violence which sounded sensible enough. However, it made for a wretched place full of unpunishable bullies that used skillfully honed humiliation to belittle any target. My size offered no protection. Those who protested to teachers were met with the hollow refrain: 'Words will never harm you'. ::unconvinced::
Personally, I saw no difference. We use the weapons we are dealt, be they words or fists & as such, fed up with a particular bully's incessant jibes, I unleashed a vicious assault... beyond vicious. As he lay there wimperin' in a pool of his own blood & tears, I placed my foot upon his chest & bellowed: 'Sticks & stones will break your bones & so can I!' He got the message. ::loud, clear::
Then, as now, I looked to the crowd for approval & though I thought I saw respect, now see it as horror. Still, I had a peaceful time for the next few days until my expulsion. I walked tall (more than usual!) with a righteous swagger, sure of my decisions & feelin' nigh on invincible. For though it be right that bullies should fear me, when so do the innocent - then what have I become?
Dunno what the answers are, ain't even sure of the questions. Maybe I've taken action, disproportionate at times & ignored the more civilized course but I ain't no pacifist. And although I try not to harm folks who wish me no ill, I recognize cruel ignorance & malicious cruelty taste just as bitter. Guess at the end, I am who I have always been & flawed like any other. But I will try to do better. ::promises::
♦ Causin' scenes in supermarkets since 1985. Okay, here's the deal: I think I'm havin' a ¼ life crisis! Or maybe it's just indigestion. ::belches agen:: It's a conundrum is what it is! I am not a violent man, never have been. I mean, I were the kinda' kid who DIDN'T fry ants with a magnifyin' glass. So how come is it I got this... reputation? Always treated the times I got... physical to solve problem as unavoidable & justified, but after an event yesterday... well, now I ain't so sure. ::troubled::
Were in an unremarkable department store buyin' Wishing Tree presents ('cuz poor kids need to read ROBOTS!) when I spotted a snotty nosed brat badgerin' his beleaguered dad for toy after toy. The guy looked at me with tired eyes & I smiled sympathetically, or so I thought. He musta' suspected I were laughin' at him or somethin' cuz' he snapped & walloped his son in the side of the head. ::enraged::
Without thinkin', I grabbed evil dude by his shirtfront, pushed him so hard against the shelves the whole aisle shook then roared with anger "Touch that kid agen & I'll break both your arms.". The guy turned white as a sheet, trembled like a leaf & it all went silent, apart from Annie Lennox chirpin' Walkin' in a Winterwonderland for muzak! I thought 'Woah! - surreal.' but stood fast & loomed over the weedy creep who'd cottoned on quick it weren't exactly gonna be a fair fight. ::clenches jaw::
He meekly mumbled 'Sorry' & I gotta admit, looked mighty ashamed so I let go of him. Couldn't see any bruises on the kid nor other signs of neglect & his still stunned reaction suggested the attack weren't a regular occurrence. Gave his dad the benefit of the doubt & as they scurried away, I looked around at the folks (mainly women) who'd witnessed the drama. A couple gave a gently reassurin' smile but for the most part, I saw only fear. ::shocked:: That ain't who I am. Then I remembered, I'd seen that look before... & had revelled in it. ::guilty::
One school I briefly attended, had a zero tolerance policy towards violence which sounded sensible enough. However, it made for a wretched place full of unpunishable bullies that used skillfully honed humiliation to belittle any target. My size offered no protection. Those who protested to teachers were met with the hollow refrain: 'Words will never harm you'. ::unconvinced::
Personally, I saw no difference. We use the weapons we are dealt, be they words or fists & as such, fed up with a particular bully's incessant jibes, I unleashed a vicious assault... beyond vicious. As he lay there wimperin' in a pool of his own blood & tears, I placed my foot upon his chest & bellowed: 'Sticks & stones will break your bones & so can I!' He got the message. ::loud, clear::
Then, as now, I looked to the crowd for approval & though I thought I saw respect, now see it as horror. Still, I had a peaceful time for the next few days until my expulsion. I walked tall (more than usual!) with a righteous swagger, sure of my decisions & feelin' nigh on invincible. For though it be right that bullies should fear me, when so do the innocent - then what have I become?
Dunno what the answers are, ain't even sure of the questions. Maybe I've taken action, disproportionate at times & ignored the more civilized course but I ain't no pacifist. And although I try not to harm folks who wish me no ill, I recognize cruel ignorance & malicious cruelty taste just as bitter. Guess at the end, I am who I have always been & flawed like any other. But I will try to do better. ::promises::