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Casey Haynes: Champion of the Bullied
14 years ago
█ Google the name, or You Tube it. As the video is being repeatedly taken down by You Tube, there's little point in me creating a link here.
For those too lazy to do the above, it's simple this: A small kid is being recorded picking on an older, fatter kid. This small kid has a larger friend (taller than the fat kid) backing him up, and someone else holding up the camera. The small kid hits the victim in the head a few times and verbally harasses while his buddies laugh and record it. No doubt to post up a "Tiny Kid beats up Fat Fuck" video for You Tube.
Then it happens, the kid being bullied snaps, grabs the bully, lifts him up and slams him down into the concrete floor. His bigger buddy starts to advance on the fat kid, but a third party steps in. The bully gets up and limps about.
█ I smiled. A lot from that video. I think a lot of people did as well, because many people at some point or another was picked on. Casey Haynes was picked on most of his life, and he reached his breaking point.
To the devils advocates out there who say "The bully could have been killed" or "This is going to haunt that bully for the rest of his life" a bit fat screw you.
Know what? Bullies kill a lot of kids with their actions. You can argue the bullied took their own lives all you want, but being bullied is a pretty damn big part of that suicide.
Know what? Being bullied haunts people for the rest of their damn lives. Even people who think they got over the bullying can just get a huge wash of negative emotion if they try to explore those memories.
That bully could have his neck broken, or out right killed and I still wouldn't give a damn about him. Generations of bullied kids suffered at the hands of the bullies and people want to feel sorry for the bully? If you're thinking on the "He could have been killed" scenarios for the bully, but yet no one entertains the "Well that bullied kid could have gone home quietly and killed himself." The disgusting part about that reality is that it would be more acceptable to people! It HAPPENS more often than the times some kid was killed by a throw-down into pavement from a bullied kid who had enough; which was how many times again? Oh wait, NONE! No sympathy for the bully, I don't care how messed up his life becomes because of HIS stupidity. It's called CONSEQUENCE! I can't believe how consequences never seem to matter for the asshats in life. Not to mention that when consequences are dished out, it's against the victim! That's justice for you, Casey exercises self-defense and he gets suspended along with his attacker.
This is why I hate society. It's why I hate people in general.
Casey has probably been picked and teased the majority of his life in a school that has a 'zero-tolerance' for bullying, yet this happens under their watch. People are somehow 'shocked', some people say that he should have talked to a teacher, or that he should have just punched back instead of going all Zangeif on the bully. People who are shocked and say those idiotic things need to shut their damn pie and or cake holes, because they have no idea of what it's like to be in that situation; let alone be in that situation in where you snap.
Casey's father in an interview said that he taught his son not to hit others, and that he guessed other people didn't do that. Such is the reality of the silent sufferers. There's a lot of quiet, self-reserved people who just want to be left alone; yet they're the ones who get picked on because they won't fight back. They won't fight back verbally or physically because they weren't brought up like that, they don't have it in them and it's not who they are. Easy targets, and the only way it ever, ever, ever stops is when they start to fight back. No parent or teacher ever, ever, EVER solved bullying. Well maybe not ever, but they are near damn useless 95% of the time.
You're my hero Casey, I thank you. I know you were not the first to stand up to their bully, and I know you won't be the last. I know that some who stand up to theirs only end up getting the crap beaten out of them because like you were outnumbered. I also thank the girl in that video for stepping in to make sure the bully's friend wasn't going to inflict some revenge right then and there.
To the bully: I don't care what suffering the Internet will inflict on you. I don't care if you have to endure threats on your life from random strangers around the world. I don't care that your leg got messed up. As far as I'm concerned you are what's wrong with the world today, and I don't care you got the short end of the stick. People like you have been giving the short end of the stick to others for EVER. It's pricks like you that is the cause of the total and complete lack of sympathy for what happened to you.
I'm not going to say "It's going to get better" because that's not true for everyone, but for the majority it does help to fight back. It did for me when I fought back because it took a damn trip to the hospital before the 'adults' turn their heads and noted "Oh, maybe we should be doing something about this behavior". Yeah I was one of those kids who asked a teacher for help and got the "Well I need to hear his side of it" and then guess what? They do nothing because the bullies travel in packs and who are the teachers going to believe? The one bullied kid who said "They are picking on me" or the half dozen bullies who say "He started it"
Casey was DAMN lucky his attackers were recording the whole thing. If there wasn't video evidence he probably would have been expelled. Why? Because the bully could have said that he was attacked by him and slammed into the ground unprovoked. His friends could back him up on that, and said that it was Casey who started the fight to begin with. That's the damn "justice" of the world. That's how the world treats the 'quiet' decent people.
Such is how embittered I am in where the bully could die, and I'd still be able to say "He deserved it." and still say "It was one of the most awesome things I have ever seen in my life."
For those too lazy to do the above, it's simple this: A small kid is being recorded picking on an older, fatter kid. This small kid has a larger friend (taller than the fat kid) backing him up, and someone else holding up the camera. The small kid hits the victim in the head a few times and verbally harasses while his buddies laugh and record it. No doubt to post up a "Tiny Kid beats up Fat Fuck" video for You Tube.
Then it happens, the kid being bullied snaps, grabs the bully, lifts him up and slams him down into the concrete floor. His bigger buddy starts to advance on the fat kid, but a third party steps in. The bully gets up and limps about.
█ I smiled. A lot from that video. I think a lot of people did as well, because many people at some point or another was picked on. Casey Haynes was picked on most of his life, and he reached his breaking point.
To the devils advocates out there who say "The bully could have been killed" or "This is going to haunt that bully for the rest of his life" a bit fat screw you.
Know what? Bullies kill a lot of kids with their actions. You can argue the bullied took their own lives all you want, but being bullied is a pretty damn big part of that suicide.
Know what? Being bullied haunts people for the rest of their damn lives. Even people who think they got over the bullying can just get a huge wash of negative emotion if they try to explore those memories.
That bully could have his neck broken, or out right killed and I still wouldn't give a damn about him. Generations of bullied kids suffered at the hands of the bullies and people want to feel sorry for the bully? If you're thinking on the "He could have been killed" scenarios for the bully, but yet no one entertains the "Well that bullied kid could have gone home quietly and killed himself." The disgusting part about that reality is that it would be more acceptable to people! It HAPPENS more often than the times some kid was killed by a throw-down into pavement from a bullied kid who had enough; which was how many times again? Oh wait, NONE! No sympathy for the bully, I don't care how messed up his life becomes because of HIS stupidity. It's called CONSEQUENCE! I can't believe how consequences never seem to matter for the asshats in life. Not to mention that when consequences are dished out, it's against the victim! That's justice for you, Casey exercises self-defense and he gets suspended along with his attacker.
This is why I hate society. It's why I hate people in general.
Casey has probably been picked and teased the majority of his life in a school that has a 'zero-tolerance' for bullying, yet this happens under their watch. People are somehow 'shocked', some people say that he should have talked to a teacher, or that he should have just punched back instead of going all Zangeif on the bully. People who are shocked and say those idiotic things need to shut their damn pie and or cake holes, because they have no idea of what it's like to be in that situation; let alone be in that situation in where you snap.
Casey's father in an interview said that he taught his son not to hit others, and that he guessed other people didn't do that. Such is the reality of the silent sufferers. There's a lot of quiet, self-reserved people who just want to be left alone; yet they're the ones who get picked on because they won't fight back. They won't fight back verbally or physically because they weren't brought up like that, they don't have it in them and it's not who they are. Easy targets, and the only way it ever, ever, ever stops is when they start to fight back. No parent or teacher ever, ever, EVER solved bullying. Well maybe not ever, but they are near damn useless 95% of the time.
You're my hero Casey, I thank you. I know you were not the first to stand up to their bully, and I know you won't be the last. I know that some who stand up to theirs only end up getting the crap beaten out of them because like you were outnumbered. I also thank the girl in that video for stepping in to make sure the bully's friend wasn't going to inflict some revenge right then and there.
To the bully: I don't care what suffering the Internet will inflict on you. I don't care if you have to endure threats on your life from random strangers around the world. I don't care that your leg got messed up. As far as I'm concerned you are what's wrong with the world today, and I don't care you got the short end of the stick. People like you have been giving the short end of the stick to others for EVER. It's pricks like you that is the cause of the total and complete lack of sympathy for what happened to you.
I'm not going to say "It's going to get better" because that's not true for everyone, but for the majority it does help to fight back. It did for me when I fought back because it took a damn trip to the hospital before the 'adults' turn their heads and noted "Oh, maybe we should be doing something about this behavior". Yeah I was one of those kids who asked a teacher for help and got the "Well I need to hear his side of it" and then guess what? They do nothing because the bullies travel in packs and who are the teachers going to believe? The one bullied kid who said "They are picking on me" or the half dozen bullies who say "He started it"
Casey was DAMN lucky his attackers were recording the whole thing. If there wasn't video evidence he probably would have been expelled. Why? Because the bully could have said that he was attacked by him and slammed into the ground unprovoked. His friends could back him up on that, and said that it was Casey who started the fight to begin with. That's the damn "justice" of the world. That's how the world treats the 'quiet' decent people.
Such is how embittered I am in where the bully could die, and I'd still be able to say "He deserved it." and still say "It was one of the most awesome things I have ever seen in my life."
Actually, I do meet my ex-bully occasionally. We stare at each others eyes for a long second that seems to be minutes. I don't know what she thinks - got what she deserved form me in the past - but I send her this silent message: You were bad! I will be forever hold a grudge against you! Were grownups, but i will do harm to you and to your family, if you came near to me! Watch out bitch! etc...
We don't nod, we don't greet, we don't act just stare at each other for a blink of an eye. But if my blink could burn, She would have been blown up, like the planet Naboo! I sadly cannot forget, nor forgive...
But Im glad alot understand how it feels & rise up agianst them.
Its only last december I actually started seeking professional help for it, and I am told I may never fully recover, and am looking at a minimum of 1 years treatment.
My entire life has been destroyed by these useless scum. Anyone who sides with these scum are just as much as fault.
How many suicides and school shootings are they going to have before they realize it is the scumbag bullies that are at fault and need to be removed from schools before real damage is done?
I don't seek help for it personally because I really don't care about society or the world on a whole so I fail to see the point of 'recovering' from my condition. Though I don't expect any solution to be forthcoming anytime soon, none of the 'experts' I've seen have ever hit the nail on the head on the subject of bullying.
The damage to my soul has little to do with confidence, and more to do with the state of the world. As silly as it is, what my soul was a state of everyone holds hands world happiness sort of deal; and that's not something I'm going to get back (Unless the world suddenly starts becoming a sane place full of empathy, not prejudice and hate.)
All the same, I really do agree with you on other things too.. this is just not my world and humanity just are not my people. Once this life is over, i'm leaving it and them behind.
Though I do wish you well, it's just too bad not everyone does in this stupid world.
Maybe we can talk more at some point. If you would like to perhaps chat via IM at some point, just let me know. Its good to find kindred spirits.
Form that day forward, I stood up for myself. I started by beating my bully with a pool stick...Yeah I'm talented Bo-fighter, so It was an easy win. Was not the best method, but it worked wonders. Suddenly I was leveling up from Shygirl to Toughbitch. I did get a surprise kick in the stomach as a reward, but I did gave it back and my bully ended up on the floor, why I was stomping on her. The teacher stopped me...
From that day forward, I wasn't bullied ever. If I felt the slightest aggression, I gave it back. Not by force, but in a sneaky way. My motto became: You'll get it back...SOON!
I'm not proud of myself, to have the ability to get violent or revengeful, but ... sadly it makes life easier. A lot of real bad kids are in the world, and the only one could stop them is their parents. My advice for the future victims: If you have a bully, talk to their parents, and say them that you fear of being bullied...if that not works: Go all Zangief on your bully! Make them feel pain, whatever the way you can inflict it on them! first advice is the better, but the last advice works...
Without the video Casey would have been easily screwed.
If it weren't for the camera, Casey would've been expelled, and the bully would have won. Just like it happens every day.
I eventually snapped a few times. punched some kid 2 grades higher then me in the eye, and then threw a chair at him.
My teacher was happy to see it happen after all that time, but of-course it was one of those 'zero-tolerance once the victim fights back' schools, so like any of the other times I fought back in any way, I was suspended..
He was part of a group of 5 older kids that would never just leave me alone.
to this day, I still remember the names of most of the bullies that targeted me all those years ago. no matter how much I would like to forget they ever existed. getting stuck thinking back pretty much kills my mood 100% of the time, and I can only hope they eventually fucked with the wrong person at some point down the line >_>
I also have to say watching that video and then reading this journal was *really* satisfying. Thanks.
If a school truly had a "ZERO TOLERANCE" to bullying then they should immediately remove kids from playgrounds/grouping areas if a child complains about them for bullying , yeah theres a flaw in that as anyone could complain about anyone but lets face it, bullying is going to exist because unless every child is watched 24/7 at school theres going to be no way to prove who started it even if 99.99999% of the time it is always the group of people pointing the finger at the one single person.
In my situation i avoided it by going home at lunch hours, i lived 5 minutes down the road from school and as soon as i started turning up at home during the day my parents just gave up trying with the school and arranged to have me removed 5 minutes before lunch started so nobody would pick on me. Go figure.
And another "Tactic" ive heard is if you get hit by a bully, drop down as if it hit hard and curl up into a ball, an interesting idea that a friend of mine used once. He got hit, pretended to fall down and be in immense pain, what happened? The bullies friends start throwing rocks at him on the floor, it took 10 minutes for a teacher to realise even with me pointing it out and even then they just told the bullies to leave him alone despite physically WATCHING them do it.
Casey made me smile knowing that someone has gotten lucky in that they stood up to a bully and its sparked all this discussion, its probably not going to change anything because schools dont give a fuck until a child dies.
...wow didnt know i had all that pent up inside me still! Makes me glad to know one of the guys who bullied me for a few years isnt doing particularly well with himself right now!
Anyone who says "why didn't he tell a teacher" is disconnected from reality. A vast majority of school officials either won't or can't do anything to a bully because they can't or are afraid to. Nowadays, violence needs to occur before something is changed. Look at anything involving safety; there isn't a problem until somebody dies. Had they admitted the problem and fixed it that person would still be alive. But no, to fix it would have cost money and hurt profits, so they keep claiming there's no problem because nobodies been hurt by this "supposed" problem. But I'm getting a little off topic.
This behavior with bullies has been going on for many years, and society almost seems to promote it, or at least have no real inclination to stop it. Sure, there are all the TV specials and Dr. Phil shows on it and how it's a serious problem, but has anything changed? Not that I've noticed. Oftentimes, the only way to get a bully to stop is to stand up to them, often through violence. Once you show that you won't just take it, you're no longer an easy target, but then the bully just moves on to someone else.
All this, and we wonder about the suicide rate and violent young people. Oh, wait, that's what they're blaming video games for. [sarcasm]He didn't shoot that bully because he'd snapped from the months/years of verbal and emotional abuse that get adults thrown in jail, it was because he'd played GTA a couple times. See, cause and affect, showing that bullying isn't the problem. [/sarcasm] Yeah, how many times have we heard that one? There is just so much wrong in how children are raised nowadays (or lack of raising I suppose), that's leading to the clusterfuck the U.S. is currently in, and it's only going to get worse before it gets better. It's so bad that I don't even know where to start, and that my best option seems to be to weather the storm until society implodes and resets itself.
People can't seem to fathom that getting picked on and bullied upon causes severe emotional trauma and stress. If anything to this day it's still dismissed as "That's just being a teenager" and look for some other cause of the outbursts, such as video games and music. Some child "experts."
We'll just have to see how things pan out though. As far as I'm aware he needs crutches now for a while :) Serves 'im right
Sadly, the bully most likely won't learn anything from that :\
You do stupid shit as a kid, and deserve to die because of that?
The bully deserves no sympathy here. He started it, and Casey decided to finally put an end to it. He should be glad a busted ankle was all he got, and not another Columbine-esque shooting where innocent bystanders are killed.
i see commercials for all this stop bullying stuff but i doubt its gonna help unless schools step up and actually do something about bullying just telling them to stop doesnt do any good
I don't condone the use of violence, it's just not in my nature. But if the school isn't doing their job, then you'll need to protect yourself - and sometimes that includes physical resistance. I just hope Casey's mom is like mine, and took him to a movie and nice meal to spite the school.
Bullies are not emotionally wrecked, they are assholes. The people who are emotionally wrecked are those who commit suicide quietly in the night; and that does not speak of the people who live with the torment for years with emotional scarring.
Most bullies make a passing comment at someone different than they are, have a laugh and walk away. How 'emotionally' wrecked is that? Please. The bullied can take it from a specific group, or from random people in all directions every damn day; and I assure you that a number of them have zero help from adults, parents or otherwise. Some even have the pleasure of being blamed for being the cause of the problem because they were 'caught in the act' by the teachers because the bullies are expert at keeping what they do out of sight.
Are you saying I should have sympathy or feeling for bullies simply because they have the capacity to 'feel'? Where does this break down exactly? Should I have sympathy for the child rapist because he has feelings? How about the jealous boyfriend who decides to murder his girlfriend for cheating on him? Should I feel sympathy for him too?
They abandoned their rights to the pity train, or any shred of sympathy when they decided to get their jollies at the expense at another individual. It's the ultimate act of selfishness to gain at the cost of another. It's one thing to want something, it's another to step over others to do it.
In short, they are assholes. If they apologize and change their ways then maybe they deserve consideration, however the reality is if someone fights back they move on and find a new target that doesn't. I need a better excuse other than "They are people too" because that's just an utterly substance-less catch all excuse. Cause really, what kind of 'person' treats other with outright lack of respect, and so much bile? I'm more inclined to label them as monsters because they are certainly acting the part.
Honestly your line of thought disturbs me because kids who are bullied lead horrible, miserable lives, and yet the vast majority don't take it out on others; and yet you say that the bullies should be given sympathy because they live horrible miserable lives. I'm sorry but one group doesn't set out to harm others, and it sickens me that people keep giving bullies 'considerations.' They have been a group of people historically who have cause countless cases of physical and psychological trauma and they get away with it.
Can I imagine a group of bullies picking on a hapless kid and then go home and cry quietly in their sleep because of what they did? Or because of how damn miserable their lives are? Do I see bullies committing suicide because they just can't take how unfair people are treating them? No, I do not.
And personally, I would kill them. Plain and simple, I would label them as a 'lost cause.' I say that plain faced and coldly. Cause you know what? One of my 'fondest' memories was 'fighting back' and them laughing at my suffering. They acted up stuck-up pricks cause do you know what? They ARE stuck up pricks, they aren't secretly tormented individuals. They're having a grand ol' time, pulling a prank in where they are the ones who get to laugh. I don't give a damn if their daddy didn't love them, or whatever personal issues they have. I don't really care if they were brought up all wrong, the end result is that people support the bully for being the alpha dog, and showing to the world that this is how things are done: The strong picking on the weak.
My feelings are the result of their behavior, and a lot of people share my feelings in this manner to varying degrees. While I'd be happy with killing them, others maybe would just say just hurt them back, and others would say torture them slowly for years then kill them. These feelings are the ultimate consequence to the notion of this is how school works. The vast majority of people get out of school, and simply end up carrying these feelings with them, but bury them. Some kill themselves, and some lash out ever so often and we get these nice media frenzies over the 'troubled youth.'
The main reason why there is troubled youth is because of the bullying, and isolation of individuals. A bully doesn't run into this problem because even if his life at home is sucky, he still has friends and 'sanctuary' at school. Guess who doesn't? The bullied. You may want to throw sympathies at the bullies but I don't, because I see them exactly as any other blight and stain on the fabric we call "society." I don't feel sorry for the murders and the rapists, and I don't feel sorry for the bullies; they played out their life that way, they can deal with the consequences. The people getting bullied didn't choose to be bullied, it was not their choice; it's a passive position; yet here you are trying to make a case for the bullies yet they are initiators, they made that choice.
And honestly yes, you deserve to be taken down. You lashed out at people and then excuse it as "Oh well I was bullied too, so it's alright." Which is in line with "It's high school, people get picked on, it's normal." I don't know what purpose it serves for you to champion the cause of the bully. What? Don't like the fact that you were a bully once and don't care to look in the face what bullying does?
Know what I was thinking when I was suffering for all that time? That I wouldn't wish my fate on anyone else, and yet you oh so nobly admit that you applied your own fate on others. That is sick and twisted.
And sorry I couldn't "get to know" my bully other than at the end of his damn fist. The others I met? I recall a nice other time where a group of them stalked me to my damn home! They wanted trouble, not to give me hugs, kisses, and apologies. They wanted to had me my ass for ratting out one of their friends for being an asshole. I only got out of that situation by threatening to call the police on them before they got any closer to me.
I give zero sympathy to these people, ZERO, none. Why the hell should I? Bullies make people's lives straight out unbearable every single day. They drive people so low into the ground, make people so worthless that they kill themselves. All you want to do is excuse bullies because they "don't know any better!" Oh ignorance, you'll let people get away with anything won't you? I do not accept ignorance as an excuse, you may, but I don't. You may accept arbitrary numbers placed on people to separate levels of responsibility, but I don't.
You go play with you 'nice' bullies, and play bully yourself. The rest of us have to and had to deal with the bullies who like to abuse others for their jollies, not as an 'escape' measure; all the while in complete isolation due to uncaring teachers and parents who don't understand how bad it gets.
I do not feel sorry for bullies, I never will; they took that step, they made that decision to make someone's life miserable. I don't feel sorry for rapists. I don't feel sorry for murderers. Your age excuse doesn't work because rape and murder happens in high school too, committed by the exact same age group that bullies others. Go figure huh?
Lastly: Sorry, your "hell" does not compare to mine. Mine does not compare to those who committed suicide. I entertained those thoughts, while others entertained them and went through with it. Maybe if you understand how much it hurts, and that it can get infinitely worse would you understand why I have no sympathies for the 'poor, poor, innocent bullies.' So what if some of your bullies ended up saying they were sorry for being jerks. They still were jerks to begin with. Whoop-de-do, they turned over a new leaf, I'm still going to condemn them for what they've done. It's no different than taking a life, what done is done, there is no taking it back. Bullies take away all the hopes and dreams of people, they rob others of years of their lives, they leave people scarred for life. They are a sick and twisted group of people, sick, sick, sick.
Yet here am I, with you before me, trying to defend and justify the 'good' bullies. There are no good bullies, because bullying is not a good act. You don't like my opinion on bullies? Fine, then walk away, you're not going to change it. I never went out and picked on other people. I never went up to people and casually hit them and then laughed about it. I never walked in packs towards a loner to make them fell small and afraid. I didn't throw things at other people. I never beat down another person just because I didn't like how they looked.
Oh those poor, poor innocent low self-esteem bullies with issues, my heart so does not bleed for them.
The reason why the video of Casey resonates so well with so many people is because they want to see the bully get hurt. Not very many tears are flowing for the small prick who was insulting and punching Casey while his friends laughed and egged him on, none at all.
You don't even allow me to entertain thoughts of retribution and vengeance. You do not allow me to say "I wish they were killed off." but that's the difference between the bullied and the bullies. We have thoughts, but we don't act on them, because we know they are wrong. Bullies? They act on them and they know it's wrong. They know getting punched gets hurt. They know getting called names hurt. They do it anyways.
I'm so happy you like to paint me worse than a bully for wishing them the worst. Thank you for the blows to my self-esteem and self-worth. You do make a good bully.
What I do here on FA has little to do with my experiences. It's not a form of retribution or vengeance, it's just something I do for fun. It's probably something I'd be doing without the horrible experiences I went through. In no way do I want to tie what I do here on FA to bullying. It doesn't need that kind of taint.
That said, it is necessary that a target of bullying be allowed to defend him- or herself. The underlying causes of the bullying can be addressed over the long term - but right then and there, physical violence is being offered, and the important thing is stopping that violence as quickly and efficiently as possible.
But, and this is just me... I've taken some advice from my parents and just tried to ignore them. Sure, not everyone has that luxury, not everyone is at a distance when they've been bullied, and not everyone is 6 foot odd like I am (though I feel that just makes me a big target, not fat but not in great physical condition either). But, it takes some practice yes, but I've learn to ignore and not react a good percentage of the time. I'm not perfect, I still cave in from time to time, but really, when you don't let them get to you, you find it easier to just say to yourself "F them, I have more important things to tend to."
That is, if you ignore them by imagining splitting their skull with a 15mm armor piercing round....
(not saying I would. It's just what I do to cope.)
He did no more or less than defend himself, and I'm glad that he's getting a bit of Internet fame for it.
Then one day he met a much tougher guy who slit his throat and bled to death. That's the second happiest day of my life. The first one was days later when we had to watch over his body at the funeral.
At 48 i still bear the marks of over a decade of constant bullying in school. Once a victim, the emotional scars often affect social interactions for a lifetime, not to mention self-esteem and lifetime goals.
Cheers to the victim who said enough is enough... Cheers to Casey Haynes, who will probably have his life restored to him now that he understands how to stand up for himself! Long may he reign!
I suffered from bullying through most of my school years, and when I got violent it never put an end to it. Ironically I ended it by having a serious depression and getting a very concerned teacher to do something about it for me. So teachers aren't always useless.
Unfortunately, things only got worse when I decided not to take it anymore.
DUe to the specific circumstances, I had the backing of the school faculty and the incident never went on my record, not the suspension, not the fight, nothing.
But here's the thing.
I went from "That wierd guy nobody liked in grade school" to "That wierd guy who's occasionally kinda funny and hangs out with all the special-ed kids" to "THat fucking creep who broke the prom-king's nose with his face when he said the wrong thing to the creep's friend".
Nobody would talk to me, people wouldn't even look at me. It hurts to hear people make comments about Columbine behind your back, because that's how the world sees us. WHen we finally step out of line to protect ourselves and our own, we're not just taking a stand, we're simply batshit insane. THat must be how it is.
Did I commit suicide? No. Prom King hung himself in a barn a few months later.
Did I feel good? Did I feel victorious?
No. I feel like part of me died. He was a douche, sure, but there was something else going on there.
You have to act when there's a problem that requires a solution, but the best way to fix a problem is always, always always to cut-off its source.
The source of the bully problem is society as a whole, society is sick, and encourages the behavior of bullies more than condones it. Hell, it's barely even condoned, it's treated with a "boys will be boys" and "oh you should know better" attitude. There is no real consequence to being a bully, especially if they lack any shred of empathy for their victims (which they don't)
So yeah you are insane, at least by the rules and standards set by society as a whole; because people accept that there is a social ladder as the norm for schools, and that bullying just happens and most people deal with it and come out A-OK so it's something that's acceptable. The anti-bullying campaign only was initiated when the people who couldn't deal with it started to shoot other people instead of being good kids and hanging themselves to show that they were the weaklings of the social ladder and deserved their fate. Really that's all they care about, that kids don't pick up a gun and start shooting; that's why all the targeting of violent media instead of analyzing the horrible social ladder that's in place and how to get rid of it.
Or do they? Right now I'm living happily. I have a job in an economy that is bleeding out, I live in one of the most beautiful places I know, and I met the girl of my dreams. All those douche bags? Prison, back alley shoot outs, crack deals, slums, slimy maggot holes for homes... Yeah, they sure were cool in school. Definitely the kids to hang out with. You bastards got what you deserved.
I for one am proud to be a geek.
And to Casey, a friggen well deserved salute. You did what I couldn't do.
And to Endium, you hit the nail on the head. While I don't hate people, I can't agree more on anything else.
The kids harassing this guy are fucking jerks and deserve a good roughing up. I had to deal with a fair number of people like this when I was a kid and the results were; well a little more level. I was always pissed about school administrations taking the "Punish Everyone" approach as opposed to the "Punish the Agdressor" approach.
If this sort of thing happened more often, like to maybe 1 in 5 bullies, the world would be a much better place. Nobody would dare to pick on people like they do, because everybody has a breaking point, and its usually pretty ugly when a person is pushed past it
He like most kids aren't violent, and probably is the absolutely the last thing they want to do, but too many are pushed to that 'last-thing.'
I'm not saying the bullies are blameless - far from it, because even at that age they should know better, and it's a sign of atrocious vindictiveness - but I find the general lack of interest from the system that allows it to fester to be a large part of the problem. Forgive me if I've said this before, but children are thrown into the incredibly tumultuous, popularity-driven, largely isolated social stew that is school, long before they have the emotional and mental maturity to handle it, and are basically just expected to deal with it with a minimum of support - and sometimes not even that. Not everybody leaves school with horror stories, but for a lot of people it's hell, and those in a position to do something about it seem largely unconcerned with doing so. "Kids will be kids", and all.