The Day of Silence, Homophobes, and Anger - Political Forum

themisfithitman · 05-01-2008, 09:30 PM

So today has been eventful for me. I was out of the house for a total of two (2) hours before being suspended from my school for two (2) days. As most of anyone who will read this knows, the Day of Silence was April 25th, 2008. But my school decided to have their official Day of Silence today , April 30th (I don't know why, but they did).

The Day of Silence, I feel, is a rather silly and counterintuitive concept, because it takes the gays (for want of a better word) and pulls them farther away from normal society. Don't get me wrong I support gay rights and all that, but that's to come in the story. I think that a day of silence for anything is really just a ridiculous idea that is nothing, and really accomplishes nothing either.

Moving on. I said I support gay rights, I think they should have all the rights and privileges and get the same respect that straight people get. They are people too. So this morning, I go into school, and I'm just wandering aimlessly around, because most of my friends are doing the Day of Silence, and I respect that. I see one friend who I know is not doing the Day, so I go over to ask him a question. He is standing near some kids who are playing hackysack, and there is one other kid there who is just firing rapid inappropriate things at these other kids who are playing hackysack (and who are also doing the Day). He called these kids "cocks" at least five or six times in the space of one or two minutes that I was there. It was extremely offensive, even to me, that he could be such an evil person that he would stoop so low.

So I told him so shut up... My turn, this kid rounds on me, and starts calling me a "f**g*t" (which I actually find funny, because of the gay awareness element of the day of silence) and a bunch of other derogatory/negative terms. But none of them really phased me that much.

Now this wasn't the first time this kid has decided to stir up trouble. This is the first time I've decided to finish it. I told him to shut up again, but he continued insulting me and the other kids there. So I punched him in the mouth. You may not see it as a noble story, but if you're going to go around mouthing off to people for their beliefs, and being a jackass in general. You better be damn ready to defend that.

If you're going to call people derogatory terms, you deserve to be punched, not once, but by every person you tried to degrade. If you have no value in the group other then being a jackass, you don't belong anywhere near that group of people. If you can honestly verbally berate someone while they can't defend themselves, you need to rethink your life.

I'm just trying to bring the fact that everyone needs respect, or at least the chance at respect. You can't make fun of people because they support one thing, and you just fear them so you make fun of them. You need to have an opinion and stick to it. You need to be ready to fight (whether or not it is physical) to defend your opinion. But if you are insulting gays and their friends and supporters because you are a homophobe. You need to go sit in the corner and mind your own damn business.

Thanks for listening, and seriously, the world will be a better place if we all just stopped picking on each other.

P.S. I got a split knuckle and a two-day suspension (I'm 16) as a result of my actions, but I am willing to accept that because I knew what I was getting into when I punched that kid, he deserved it and I willingly accepted the consequences.

P.P.S. I wrote this yesterday. Didn't post it here til today!

(I want your opinions on this story!)

Kazikli Bey · 05-01-2008, 09:35 PM

Next time, insult him back to make him throw the first punch so that you can claim self-defense, if that doesn't work, just get everybody else there to say he threw the first punch.

themisfithitman · 05-01-2008, 09:37 PM

He instigated an attack. It was the closest thing to self-defense that I could get, and the administrators agreed. There was no reason for him to behave so inappropriately or vulgarly. I did it to 1. Shut him up, 2. Defend my friends 3. Teach him to watch what he says, cause if he doesn't it'll come back to get him sooner or later.

iTaliAN_ICe · 05-01-2008, 09:54 PM

You gotta do what you gotta do. It's good to avoid fights when you can, but it's more important to do what you think is right. I've been fortunate enough to go to a good school where I've yet to get in a fight... but if I was in your position, I'd probably have done the same thing.

Bartholomew Roberts · 05-01-2008, 10:05 PM

We had our day of Silence on Friday, and there was a kid that was wearing a white shirt with a quote from the bible about "thy shall not lie with another man.."

I almost hit him. And then I realized that he really wasn't doing anything wrong. He was expressing his opinion like everyone else was. It still kinda angered me, because I support the idea that gays should be treated like everyone else, but I felt there was nothing I could morally do about it because of freedom of speech.

That's nothing like what you encountered, though. I commend you on what you did. The guy deserved it, and while I would not have been able to bring myself to do it if I were in that situation, I think you did the right thing.

swialiberal · 05-01-2008, 11:32 PM

While, personally, I wouldn't have hit the guy, I do applaud you.

As you said, some people are just complete jackasses. It's too bad that it has to be that way.

tresha · 05-01-2008, 11:45 PM

Yep--I remember often wanting to deck the absolute hell out of someone for being an ass.
I for one am glad to hear you say you are willing to take the consequences of your actions.
That shows a level of maturity often absent in some 16 year olds.
I was bullied horribly as a school kid and it was mostly verbal. Imho, verbal abuse/harassment can be every bit as painful and damaging as someone hitting someone else.

themisfithitman · 05-01-2008, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tresha

Yep--I remember often wanting to deck the absolute hell out of someone for being an ass.
I for one am glad to hear you say you are willing to take the consequences of your actions.
That shows a level of maturity often absent in some 16 year olds.
I was bullied horribly as a school kid and it was mostly verbal. Imho, verbal abuse/harassment can be every bit as painful and damaging as someone hitting someone else.

That's my point! I was making that kid feel the pain that he was dealing out oh so gleefully.

Locke9-05 · 05-02-2008, 12:50 AM

Good for you. He obviously deserved it. Some people might say "nobody deserves that sort of thing," but there are so many people who are very deserving of a smack in the jaw or a good beating because of how insensitive, cruel, or just mean they are to other people. I wouldn't encourage taking the idea of hauling off and smacking someone lightly--and you obviously don't (as you have accepted responsibility--which is far more than most people your age or in general are willing to do), but hell--I still say good job. I remember all the kids I wanted to deck in high school. I was never really a target for verbal abuse though, because I've got a football player's build, so I just tried to maintain the same ideals you have and stood up for the bullied with my words and stature. You, sir, have reinstated my faith in at least some of the youth of this nation.

Your principles are truly just and admirable.

Izzibeth · 05-02-2008, 08:12 AM

Wow. I'm actually kind of surprised at the response here. ^_^ I expected at least one dissenting view.

Anyway! Good for you. Unfortunately... some people do need a good punch to the face sometimes. Perhaps... not multiple punches to the face, but the one you gave seemed to be good enough. Enjoy your days off from school. ^_~