Someone in need of advise!
Today, just as im about to go back to school i had a spot of bother that made me realise why i don't actually want to go back to school. I'm one of those people who are always in the wrong place at the wrong time (well i dont see it that way but other people do). Whenever someone is getting mugged or picked on its always me who has to intervene.
About 8 months ago i was playing at football match after school. It was my class against another. One boy from the year above was reffing the match when a group of about 10 boys from a school down the road came through the carpark and walked accross the pitch to talk to the referee. At first i thought it was just a bunch of mates chatting to eachother. Then 3 of the boys, along with the ref began to walk across the pitch.
At this point i realised that the ref wasn't freinds of the 3 boys and was getting forced across the pitch. The 3 boys began to tell him to take off his bag, watch and ordered him to empty his pockets. There must have been about 30 people on the football pitch and it was now completely obvious that the boy from our school was being mugged. What made me upset was that the football game carried on as usual. I then said to a few of my class mates that we should go and help this boy; most of them completely ignored me and one said that he probably deserved it. No one was doing anything to help this guy. I thought about going over to stop it but i knew that there was no way i could do much on my own so i ran round to the school offices and told the teachers still on site. The headteacher came running out his office along with our school police officer. The 3 boys ran off with his mobile and watch.
That evening, i went up Thursday club when i few boys approached me and asked me my name. I knew exacly why. These boys were freinds of the muggers. That was my first ever proper death threat.
About 5 months ago there was another incident only concerning two 12 year old boys. I was walking my dog after school when i saw a boy mugging another boy. At first i thought they were mates but when i put my dog on the grass i went back to see what was happening. I realised that the 2 boys weren't mates when one was lying on the floor bleading. I ran over to stop the mugging and help the boy of the groung. He had a cut in his hand. It looked worse than it was. I asked him what happened and he told me that the other boy took his belt. I turned and saw the boy walking away. By then i was raging. I jumped infront of him blocking his way and demanded he gave the belt back. He did. I then asked him why he just mugged the boy and he wasn't having any of it. This was my second death threat. I just couldn't understand how he could scream and shout at me for stopping him mugging somone.
He tried to walk away but i wasn't finished telling him what i thought. He still didn't take any notice so i told him im going to get the police. He then threatened to get his dad. He laughed at me and called me to my bluff. I went and got the police. I asked the boy who was mugged if he minded me getting the police. A yes breaking through his crying confirmed it. I was now cuddling this poor boy. Fuming with rage i told him to follow me and within minutes we found a community officer, explained the story and had a police van, 2 undercover cars and about 8 police officers shooting down the road. This is no joke.
I only live down the road from the mugger and see him often. I sometimes feel like asking him nicely, why does he think its ok to mug people. Today, sitting on the wall with my freind i heard someone calling out insults at me. It was the silly little boy. When i turned and looked at him, he told me not to look at him and if i did again he would smash a chain round my head. I laughed at him and told him to give it a rest. He then pulled out the chain. I didn't know what to do. I walked away.
I need some advise. What do you do when a 12 year old is screaming insults at you and threatening you with a weapon. I don't believe in violence and i try my best not to insult people so in many senses i felt defencless today.
Someone asked me today why i am nice to everyone when all i get back is stick and hatred. I don't know what to do. At my age many people don't like to talk things through, its all about violence and how "big" you are. Im not like that, so what do i do when im faced with it on a daily basis?
The way i see it is that if i was getting mugged i would expect anyone, from the goodness of their heart to intervene. Sorry for the long post!
posted by Thomas @ 4:55 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Really sorry you've had such an awful day. I don't know that I've got any great advice to give you, except that in all the situations you outlined in your blog, i think you did the right thing. Too many people just look the other way (or carry on with their game of football!) Real courage is to step in and do what you know is right. Remember, "evil thrives when good people do nothing". Kev and I will be praying for you, and you know where we are if you need a bit of support or someone to talk to.
i agree with wendy. there aint enough people like you in the world, most people just walk the other way and act like they are not awear of their surroundings as its the easy route to take. people must envy your bravery and courage to help people. and its people like that who are not worth it, and it hurts them more when you just walk away and dont give them what they want- a fight
I was once told this quote in an english lesson
"The world is a bad place, not because of those who do evil but because of those who stand and do nothing" - Albert Einstien
I remember when i first heard it, i was totally against what it meant. But as time has gone on and i have witnessed more evil acts and less good defiance, i have realised that Einstein is right. You are right Wendy, evil does thrive when good people do nothing.
I was a bit upset earlier about alot of situations i have been caught up in and i was hoping on alot of good advise. But what has made me feel a million times better is to read your comments and to know that there are good people out there who don't let evil thrive. Its you guys. It's many of my other freinds. It's people i see at church every Sunday.
It was only about 6/7 months ago i was very dipressed about issues such as what i have just blogged about. But its people like you guys and many others who help me realise that Good over powers Evil.
Thanks for the nice comments guys!
You are doing the right thing. Einstein also said that ‘Peace cannot be kept by force’ but that it ‘can only be achieved by understanding’…if someone doesn’t understand that violence is bad/not a positive solution/anti-social - being violent to them or even threatening the violence isn’t going to help them understand.
Using violence to prevent violence is still perpetuating the idea that violence is the answer… I think this is what Gandhi meant when he said that he objected to violence because when it appears to do good,’ the good is only temporary’ and the ‘evil it does is permanent’.
U probably read MLKs take on the issue …
We will not build a peaceful world by following a negative path. It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it. We must concentrate not merely on the negative expulsion of war but on the positive affirmation of peace. We must see that peace represents a sweeter music, a cosmic melody, that is far superior to the discords of war.
I thought he was referring to singing stuff like I'm a little Teapot and Lennon's Imagine for peace... which he is in a way...but he goes on to say...
One day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means.
Its hard…but worth it…(I said that bit)
‘Good people’ - yes shouldn’t stand by and ‘do nothing’ but what they do should not be what a ‘bad’ person would do…like Virginia Woolf said ’We can best help you to prevent war not by repeating your words and following your methods but by finding new words and creating new methods.’
And you’re doing that …finding new words (like Imagine) and new methods…and it may mean changing the world one person at a time but luckily it works like sticky toffee…or bull dog…or camping cricket where we all go over to the other side and then there are more of us and less of them all the time and eventually we will be singing the same tune...even if it is I'm a little Tea pot...and out of tune and too fast or slow and we forget the words of the second verse....but we will all know the chorus...(and if we don't we can do it karaoke style or bring song sheets)....btw here are I'm a little tea pot lyrics...just in case.
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