# I know I shouldn't condone this high school ass-kicking... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 16, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991 "2005-09-16T16:37:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/21 "2005-09-16T18:37:52Z")
> [@Metacom](#): > > Well… I disagree with the OP. I don’t think what happened is in any way satisfying: a white kid with sad, misguided feelings towards black people got his ass kicked by a black person. The white kid is going to come out of this hating them even more, and because the attitude so many previous posters have exhibitted will probably be common, the black kid is going to come out of it thinking violence is an appropriate way to respond to an insult. > > It just sucks all around. Since you stole my post, I’ll agree with yours 100% 😛 Everybody loses in this situation. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/22 "2005-09-16T18:38:45Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > I don’t think that anyone is saying it was appropriate, **Metacom**. There’s a vast difference between admitting sympathy for a law-breaker (or alleged one, since the kid hasn’t been tried, yet.) and approving of his actions. Part of the reasoning I have, and am inferring, for the (repeated) suggestion for NAACP service is, in part, to show the kid that non-violent methods are often more effective in the long-term. It’s education as well as punishment. > > As for the white kid - honestly, if he can’t see anything wrong with that t-shirt, I honestly doubt that anything would be able to open his eyes. Yes, this experience will make him feel more of a victim, for no good reason _in his own view_. But, how does one open the eyes of someone like that? The total perspective vortex should do it. (Actually the point of view gun would be better, but I’m not going to admit to having seenthe hitchhiker’s movie.) I have one of each, and I’d volunteer it for the task, except, as you might gather from [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=335244), I’m being evil this week. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/23 "2005-09-16T18:56:49Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > You people? General reference to students, from a teacher. Don’t read anything into it that isn’t there. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/24 "2005-09-16T19:07:54Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > The idiot with the shirt won’t last long in the military with attitudes like that. Then you served in places that had a much better climate. I was surrounded by guys that thought like the kid with the shirt, and they naturally assumed I felt the same way as them because I looked like them. “So, Sean, when you going to have kids? Because the world needs more smart white guys contributing to the gene pool.” :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/25 "2005-09-16T19:27:14Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > how does one open the eyes of someone like that? Cover his body with mercurachrome and dump him in the middle of a Klan rally. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/26 "2005-09-16T19:33:13Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > General reference to students I believe the correct term is _Academic-Americans_. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/27 "2005-09-16T19:33:45Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > The idiot with the shirt won’t last long in the military with attitudes like that. > > I wouldn’t be at all surprised if his deferred entry was invalidated as a result of this stupid stunt. If the military accepts him (not very likely), I predict he will receive some “unofficial” attitude adjustments from his own squad or company unless he changes his tune. Ya know, “he fell down the stairs - a lot. Nah, I didn’t see it” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/28 "2005-09-16T20:06:21Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic's article](#): > > “I’m not racist or anything,” he said. “It’s just, some people I hate, some people I don’t get along with. And black people just happen to be the ones because they think they’re better than everyone else.” I like the “I’m not racsist, I just don’t like black people.” Did he just give up trying to think of a justification? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/29 "2005-09-16T20:37:16Z")
Not only is the kid a racist, but he’s stupid as a brick, too? Great, just what the world needs. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/30 "2005-09-16T20:50:16Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Not only is the kid a racist, but he’s stupid as a brick, too? Where exactly do you think most racists come from? It isn’t usually the high end of the IQ scale. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/31 "2005-09-16T20:53:23Z")
> [@Taber](#): > > I like the “I’m not racsist, I just don’t like black people.” Did he just give up trying to think of a justification? What are you talking about? He had a justification. He just doesn’t like people who think they’re better than everyone else. And black folk are all like that. If those black people just knew their place and didn’t act all uppity, he wouldn’t have a problem with them. So, really, it’s their fault. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/32 "2005-09-16T21:04:48Z")
I honestly don’t think he had the mental wherewithal to rationalize his hate to that extent. I think this kid simply takes up space and oxygen, and will probably never do much of anything worthwhile on this earth, like so very, very many others. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/33 "2005-09-16T21:07:37Z")
> [@Metacom](#): > > I don’t think what happened is in any way satisfying: a white kid with sad, misguided feelings towards black people got his ass kicked by a black person. You’re not totally wrong, I just can’t feel sad about it. But it’s not as if the kid didn’t know what the shirt meant, or why people were upset about it. He even understands how he’s supposed to respond to being called a racist. I don’t think the beating is going to matter. He’ll either realize he’s an idiot at some point, or he won’t. People looking the other way at this stupidity probably wouldn’t help either. At some point, and I’m not saying I know where and when it is, I think you stop being “misguided” and start being “an asshole.” > [@](#): > > because the attitude so many previous posters have exhibitted will probably be common, the black kid is going to come out of it thinking violence is an appropriate way to respond to an insult. If you mean “any other white kids who wear shirts like that to school will probably get a beatdown also,” I can only say that even though it’s wrong, I kind of hope that’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/34 "2005-09-16T21:12:12Z")
> [@Metacom](#): > > The white kid is going to come out of this hating them even more. I’m not convinced this is true. He was wearing a shirt making fun of murdering black people and dragging their corpses behind a car. I’m not sure that getting punched will increase his hatred of black people. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/35 "2005-09-16T21:13:55Z")
Where do you even GET such a shirt? Holy crap, what self-respecting shirt printer would even MAKE such a thing? Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/36 "2005-09-16T21:25:29Z")
So, a sizeable plurality of posters this SDMB thread have no problem with the concept of one-man vigilanteism - provided the crime is an ignorant speech / expression issue? We’re all still opposed to frontier justice in capital cases and sex crimes though, right? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/37 "2005-09-16T21:29:18Z")
> [@JohnBckWLD](#): > > So, a sizeable plurality of posters this SDMB thread have no problem with the concept of one-man vigilanteism - provided the crime is an ignorant speech / expression issue? What does “no problem” mean? Most everyone here has said that the head-puncher should face appropriate punishment. > [@](#): > > We’re all still opposed to frontier justice in capital cases and sex crimes though, right? What does “opposed” mean? I say that folks who dispense frontier justice in such cases should face appropriate punishment. There was a case a few years ago in which a guy was exposing himself to a bunch of Catholic schoolgirls, and they chased him down the street, tackled him, and roughed him up pretty bad (no permanent injuries, if I recall correctly). I had a real hard time being angry at those girls. If your version of frontier justice involves murdering people, though, then yeah: I oppose it. There’s a big difference between knocking an asshole in the head and putting a bullet in the asshole’s head. But in all cases, I’ll not oppose appropriate punishment for vigilantes, even if sometimes I’m happy about their vigilantism. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/38 "2005-09-16T21:39:01Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > Beating down a racist merits community service at worst, and easy community service at that. I disagree completely. I oppose punishing people in the courts for their thoughts and the words, and i’m equally opposed to people taking things into their own hands like this. While i must admit to sharing some of the OP’s visceral sense of satisfaction, i think the guy did the wrong thing, and he deserves whatever punishment is normally meted out for assault. And, as others have observed, beating up racists is unlikely to do anything to stem or counter racism. **This Year’s Model** proclaimed that the “fighting words” exception to freedom of speech applies in this case. I’m wondering if **TYM** or anyone else actually has any evidence to support this assertion, or if it’s just wishful thinking. I’d love to hear from one or more of the SDMB lawyers on this issue, because in my (layman’s) understanding, the “fighting words” exception is usually only valid when it involves a direct threat of imminent action. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/39 "2005-09-16T21:45:05Z")
> [@JohnBckWLD](#): > > So, a sizeable plurality of posters this SDMB thread have no problem with the concept of one-man vigilanteism - provided the crime is an ignorant speech / expression issue? > > We’re all still opposed to frontier justice in capital cases and sex crimes though, right? That’s what I’m getting after a read of this thread. What’s next? Do you smack somebody upside the head because they are wearing a shirt whose message is pro-life or pro-choice? How about those which promote GLBT rights, or someone with a fundie shirt? Heck, I’ve got a shirt with a picture of the electric chair on it, and above the chair is the word ‘Justice’ and below the chair is the phrase ‘Regular or Extra Crispy?’ If you’re against capital punishment, does that mean you can assault me? Last time I checked, I wan’t compelled to agree with your logic or your expressions of same, but I was compelled to respect your right to have and hold that logic as well as espouse it. Unless I preserve those rights for you, my own Constitution protection is equally endangered. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991/40 "2005-09-16T21:47:29Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > **This Year’s Model** proclaimed that the “fighting words” exception to freedom of speech applies in this case. I’m wondering if **TYM** or anyone else actually has any evidence to support this assertion, or if it’s just wishful thinking. You may wish to go back and see if you can find a question mark in my post. I’d also like to hear from the lawyers about it. I’ve heard it referred to, and I have no idea if it’s real or not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-shouldnt-condone-this-high-school-ass-kicking/321991.md?page=3)