Thugs in the making, or "What is it with some kids today?"

[Kelvin Mace]

By some quirk of fate, my post on the bullies at Fayetteville High in Arkansas is th #1 link on Google when you type in "Fayetteville Arkansas Bully". As a result, I now have some of the little darlings popping off emails and posting comments on my site defending bullying.

Reading these kid's remarks makes me really wonder about their parents.

I don't know how long it's been since you were in highschool, but you seem oblivious... Students would rather see a fight, than stop a fight. It's the all-to-real nature of most high schoolers. And if things haven't gotten any better from when I was in school (8yrs ago), then I know I'm right. The MOTHER should have done what was best for the boy and changed schools. Period. If it is that big of a problem, she shouldn't have let it get this far.

After 11 school years at Fayetteville, not once have I witnessed somebody get beaten up for minding their own business. Most fights here fall into two categories: Two kids have problems with each other or one kid doesn't know when to shut his mouth. Billie's fights fall into the latter. Believe it or not, people don't beat him up because he's a gentle quiet soul that 'aint never done no body no harm.'

He got beat because he deserved it.

http://www.thoughtcrimes.org/s9/index.php?/archives/2370-Fayetteville,-Arkansas-Bully-haven.html

Some real George Bushs in the making.

[CBGLuthier]

1. nothing new about today

It was that way 30 years ago when I was a kid and I imagine it goes back even further.

On my more cynical days I just chalk it up to the fact that most people are shit. Always have been and always will be.

I would state what I think on my less cynical days but today isn't one of those.

[Warpy]

2. The only thing that's changed is the centralization of schools

providing opportunities for bullies to gang up on one kid.

Kids do get beaten up for minding their own business. I did.

Eventually I put the ringleader into the hospital, but I took it for a very long time before that happened.

[cornermouse]

3. Their own mothers didn't raise them.

My kids knew better than this

[angrycarpenter]

4. No one deserves a beating

not even that psycho in the story. I went to a southern rural football high-school. I got beat mostly because I was bad at sports. We always played competitive sports at P.E. Missing a catch or striking out nearly always got me roughed up.

There is no rationale that justifies a kid being in physical danger at school. I remember fighting with a couple of football players, I never stood a chance and all the kids stood around and watched as they pushed my face into the dirt and kicked me in the balls so hard that I threw up. The teacher did nothing because the football heroes had a game and didn't want to suspend them. I hated the bullies, the teachers, and all of kids who stood there and laughed at my humiliation. I still hate jocks.

What set them off? I said "lighten up, It's only a game." I guess I was asking for it.

[Kelvin Mace]

6. I went to military school

where half the kids were there by judicial order (I was there because my mom thought I was going to be a juvenile delinquent. In fact, I was just a wise ass).

Despite the mix of terribly homophobic (masturbation was a sure sign of homosexuality, and we all know teenage boys NEVER masturbate), testosterone-intoxicated male teens with criminal tendencies, we had few fights.

Fights did happen. Maybe two or three a year. But punishment was SWIFT and SEVERE. When the fight broke out, it was usually the cadet officers and NCOs who broke it up before a teacher could intervene. This was followed by a trip to the Commandant, then the Headmaster, then the Superintendent, and then 20 hours punishment marching. Since you also got demerits, you greatly displeased your squad leader, platoon sergeant and company commander. Second offense was 100 hours of extra duty/marching and confinement to barracks. The third offense was automatic expulsion.

Again, we had fights, but not many.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Kids do fight more nowadays

But I don't agree with anything else these little thugs said.