So what if the bully had knocked him over and paralyzed him for life? Of course it's a very small chance, when I was at school there were plenty of fights and nobody was seriously hurt. The bully provoked the violence, if you were the kid being bullied, would you just stand there and take it? I know I wouldn't. He had every right to fight back and defend himself. And if in the unlikely event that the bully was badly injured, then maybe he should've thought about that before attacking the kid.
I did not excuse the bully as what he did was wrong no matter what and if I was in the situation it would have been hard not to fight back but the issue is mostly surrounded by how he reacted as this is one of my major issues revolving this story and the reactions. The kid who was bullied absolutely got hurt as he took quite a few punches and that was wrong as well. I just cannot defend that the actions he took were an okay response. I would not wish that sort of violence on even my worst "bullies" that I had but of course I felt differently when I was in junior high and high school. Both sides of this video sicken me as I also have zero tolerance for bullies and it is something a teacher has to really step in and deal with (which sadly seems absent in the video.) The kid reacted in such a way that it went from punches to a body slam that from the very look of it would merit disciplinary action. The same goes for the bully as he was the instigator. Let me break this down....his actions toward the bully are not justified in the eye of disciplinary action. I think the bully should be punished more as what he did seemed to be a constant attack on this kid and I would not stand for that. I also think the bully victim should be punished for his actions against the bully as his violent reaction could have seriously caused permanent harm to the other kid. I know I have a controversial opinion on this topic as I am sure a lot of you were bullied like I was and it is nice to see someone get back at those people. The flip side is that once you reach a point in your life you hopefully will not be glorifying this in any way. Do not mistake me as feeling sorry for the bully as he made his bed by messing with the kid for a long time as far as I know. I do feel disheartened that people are applauding what the kid did and even someone going so far as to say they deserve to be "put down" even in exaggeration. I have already typed a lot on this topic but I felt it was necessary to place a modicum of differing opinions.
Perhaps if you had then you'd only have been bullied a small portion of your life, rather than a large chunk. Perhaps the person or people bullying you would have learned their lesson sooner and stopped bullying other people too. Perhaps they'd have grown up with more respect for human life.
So after skimming half this thread, it appears that being a bully means to be the one that is the victim and subject to initial harassment. Good grief. Bullying does not equate to amount of damage done. Would the small kid have to pull out a weapon to be considered a bully? Maybe some of you are skipping the first half of the vid or something.
Highest rated comment on youtube: A wild ratatat appears. Blastoise uses bodyslam. It's super effective He was interviewed on nz news tonight and acknowledged the great support he's been getting. The saddest thing for me is that even the people supporting him (or saying he did the right thing) refer to him as "the fat kid" or some variation.
I stand by my statements. =D By the way I have offically showed every one of my friends this video and they all agree with the majority of us who say "F*ck bullies, grow a pair, fight back". Though I did see this outlandish commercial sometime this weekend. Some anti-bullying commercial that said "To help stop the threat of bullying talk with the bully first. Kindly ask him or her to stop what he or she is doing, and that it is hurtful to others. Most bullies just want a friend, and talking with them can help change their minds. If this doesn't work, go to a teacher. Don't fight back, because then you are a bully". I was like "Are you f*cking kidding me?". lol
I guess I fail to see how propagating violence on either side is a positive message we should be sending to kids. In the adult world such belief is fallacy and only leads to a society who is bred on belief tht violence elevates a sense of power over others. Both sides did something wrong and the school did as well. Teachers should have stepped in earlier and squashed the bullying from the start. I guess as a teacher it not only sickens me that this kid was being bullied and was fearing for his life but it also sickens me that the child would violently harm someone so severely. I am not arguing or attacking anyone, I am just speaking from a differing perspective that sees the reality of the situation. It is sad to see how bullies have effected children lives and I think there needs to be a lot more work and focus on the topic instead of the elephant in the room situation. I just am saddened by it all. I am glad though that the child feels better about himself and is no longer at a suicidal stage because he seems like a great kid but when I watch the video I do not cheer because that kid could have seriously been hurt and that the bullied was bullied with no intervention. Overall it makes me proud of my living and that I hope to spread a deeper understanding of bullying.
Dude I totally understand where you are coming from. I really do, and I don't take your beliefs as attacks. It's good to have someone on the opposite side of you, so you can see how things are in a different light. We were all raised differently, and somewhere along the path of life, have chosen how we feel about certain subjects and situations. As a teacher, I would completely understand, and probably would side with you if I were to be one. However, I am not. I was raised in an area where bullying wasn't tolerated, however it happened more than it could be controlled most of the time. Several kids got away with it, and would threaten that if the victim ever told anyone, they would be severely punished. They have no choice but to take the bullying, because of fear of their life that something may happen to them if they really were to tell on them. Not saying at all that that is what the case was in this video, but it is rather common for that to happen. In which case kids either have the choice of fight, or flight. Believe me, in a perfect world, there would be no god damn violence. Violence never really "solves" anything. However it can, in very few cases, quell a problem. If a bully is bullying a victim, and say the victim fights back, either winning or losing, it doesn't really "solve" anything. However it could mute the problem so that the victim could walk away knowing he did something for himself. It's pride, it's stupid, but it can help. However, the saddest part about all this these days, is kids are afriad to take an ass whooping anymore. Like the situation that happen to me, kids don't just fight one on one anymore. In most cases (and no being racist here) especially with black people, and in even more cases, hispanics, they will gang up on you as soon as one of their own are losing. You have to be your own individual. Think ahead if you can about the consequences of your actions. However, in the heat of the moment, you don't think about your actions and what they can bring. Thus leading to shit like in this video. *shrugs* I just happen to feel sympathy for kids who are bullied and it warms my heart when they fight back for once.
I cheered for the kid the same way I'd have cheered for someone doing the same to Pol Pot, Hitler, Gaddafi, Kim Jong-Il... Some people can't be reasoned with, this is what defines a bully in the first place. If talking to him made him back off, he wouldn't be a bully, he'd be an angry kid. It's the fact mere words have no effect than mean these people only respond to one type of response... an eye for an eye.
Precisely. Sometimes, as much as it sucks, you've to to fight fire with fire. Some people just need a reality check, and need to be put in their place.
Well here's another video of a bully getting what he deserves. This time the fatter kid is the bully. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7a8_1301261171
And once again, I claimed already that I stepped slightly overboard on that point. But whatever, lol.
