Beakdip's Banter

Banter? I just met her...

6.26.2003

We truly live in a violent world. Even our kids are emulating us, fighting like adults. I headed home last night and took a different bus, the 31 Balboa because i got off late and it was the first form of transportation that came. I got on. I read. Halfway home a gaggle of 4-6th grade boys got on the bus. Rowdy. Cuss words flying to impress their circle. They get off at the next stop. Only they don't get off the bus. I look up and for no apparent reason one of the kids cold cocks a early high school aged man right in the face. He was reading too. He knocked his glasses off, sitting across the isle from me. Reading. The high schooler gets pissed and reacts. He lunges to return to the kid what he gave him. As he does this he is swarmed. Mob rules. Beaten down. Kicked. Punched. Blood. What is happening? I now know what an angry mob is. Lawless. Violent. I jumped up and had to do something. I grabbed several of the young group and held them back. I used my body to shield off the cheapshot kids while a grown man tried to pull the main two agitators off the victim. I watched, my shirt being pulled and kids draped angrily all over me, as the leader of the mob finally walked off the bus, lip bloodied, but full of pride for kicking some ass. After he walked off the rest of the kids followed. I stood at the top of the stairs, trying to look as big and intimidating as my little frame would allow, as the kids pecked at the victim behind me. "Come on out pussy, step off the bus." they yelled as we all saw the line in the sand as the first step off the bus. I was hoping this nonsense was over. A crowd gathered on the sidewalk. Kids on bikes and skateboards came out of the woodwork. Two parents came on the bus and acted concerned. "Who did they get?" I assumed they meant the victim, I said, "Him." They then just walked off the bus and walked away. No wonder the kids act like monsters. Their role models act the same way. I was so appalled. I felt like I was in the twilight zone. What is happening to this world? After about 5 minutes when everyone on the bus had calmed down and the police were on the way, we were told to switch buses so the police could question what happened. One witness stayed behind. I believe it was the kids grandfather, pure speculation. As I walked off the bus I put my hand on the kids shoulder and said, "I'm sorry this happened to you man. It's so wrong." He said thank you. His grandfather then rose to his feet and took my hand and placed his head on it and said,"May God bless you son." Wow. I walked off the bus. As we walked to the next bus a British woman says to me, "Thank you for stepping in. Not many people do that anymore. Thank you." I was a little uncomfortable. When I told my friend Mat this story last night he asked, "Were you proud of yourself, did it make you feel good?" I guess it did to some extent, but I was completely overwhelmed with anger and the unbelievableness of the whole situation. I was mad. I kept asking myself, "Why?" Why did this happen? Why are people so violent? How did these kids have such rage inside them and how did they learn to use such force and enjoy really hurting another person? How could it come to this? Is there any innocence left? At all? This world is a violent place. So full of hate. Blind hate, that is syphoning off our children at such a young age that they see violence as a way to get ahead. We are a sad, sad bunch. "A virus in shoes." I agree with Ian Mackaye, "YOU DO NOT HIT PEOPLE!!"

sez jefe on 10:06 AM link me

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