The Life You Save May Not Be Your Own

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_543367.html

Brief summary: "Police in northern France are hunting dozens of youths suspected of beating to death a man who approached them for bullying his son.

The father, identified only as Patrice, was beaten to death with bricks, bottles and planks of wood."

I’m sitting here trying to construct an appropriate flame and getting the feeling that I’m exerting too much effort. My only solace right now is that should they find their way into a jail cell (they haven’t been convicted yet, but I’m not sure it’ll be terribly difficult, what with having an eye witness and all that) their fellow inmates will teach them a thing or two.

“I’m not a bully, and if you say call me one again I’ll punch you right in the mouth!” :rolleyes:

I agree with you, Pat. Words of disgust fail me right now. Toughened inmates LOVE to teach the new tough punks how things work on the inside. I imagine that when they are one-on-one (as opposed to the group mentality they had in the attack) with inmates they will be fetal and crying within hours.

It’s just sooooo terrible for a father to stand up for his son. I mean, really? People standing up for each other! THE HORROR!!!

If I snort anymore in derision, my nose would blow off my face.
I agree with the both of you. Prison would do wonders for them, especially once they meet Bubba. Unless Bubba is a US phonomenon, but somehow I doubt that.

What does the title have to do with the subject, though?

Just askin’.

My guess is that the father may have saved his son’s life, but lost his. If I’m wrong, I blame lack of sleep.

And somehow I made it sound like it was a useless sacrifice. That’s not what I meant.

This story makes me sick.

There’s a work or book or short story or something blannery O’Connor titled “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.” It’s about a mentally retarded girl who gets married to a traveling salesman with one arm. The girl’s mother arranges everything. As I read it, it may have been an excerpt (it was in an anthology).

Anyway, this article reminded me of the O’Connor work in that the life the boy’s father (in the article) saved wasn’t his own. The article didn’t mention anything about how the kids were going to kill his son, so it might not be totally analagous (so to speak), but it worked at the time.

I suppose you have to have read it. Okay, just curious.

Actually, Guin, the subject matter of the story (or, at least, as much as I read) doesn’t have as much directly to do with the title as it did in this case (does that make sense?). The title just worked for this instance. I’d have used it if I hadn’t read the O’Connor work just because, with the slight change, it worked.

If you say so. Hehehehe…

Sorry, long night, I’ve got a headache, damn weather.

I’m quite sure that the French Bubbas will make these punks’ anuses ‘Touloose’ if you know what I mean.