Subj : Re: Gun Insurance
To   : Dumas Walker
From : Arelor
Date : Sat Jul 16 2022 12:39 pm

  Re: Re: Gun Insurance
  By: Dumas Walker to MOONDOG on Sat Jul 16 2022 09:53 am

 > > He was in high school.  From what I read, he was an outcast with a learning di
 > > sability and was picked on and had no friends.  He had a frined he used to
 > > hang out with until the kid's family moved away.  He was in his senior year,
 > > and the school would place pictures of the seniors on the light poles in
 > > town.  Somehow his picture was left out.  He received teasing about that as
 > > well.  Sounds liek the kid had a shitty time in school, but that only
 > > explains why he might have snapped, but doesn't excuse it.  he proabably
 > > picked the elementary school because it was an easy target.
 > 
 > You are right, it does not excuse it.  However, if I was one of those kids
 > that picked on him, I would be rethinking my ways right about now.
 > 
 > As you point out in another message, even if some of the kids do rethink
 > their ways, it probably won't have a lasting affect.  :(
 > 
 > 
 >  * SLMR 2.1a * "End of quote.  Repeat the line." - Biden Words of Wisdom
 > 
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The problem with bullying is that it is a tribalistic phenomena. People is known to
reinforce their identity by attacking people who belongs outside to their own group.
This is why if somebody at shcool sticks out as different from the rest, it will be
targetted: the other students will feel a sense of belonging to the classroom by
picking on a perceived outsider.

This can also be seen in workplace abuse, in which people with work ethics different
from the rest of the workers will be picked on. It is usually the peolpe with strong
work ethics that gets targetted, specially if the rest of the group has poor work
ethics.

If the group has clear leaders (and there usually are), the fact one of the leaders
decides to harass a given individual will be taken by the rest of the people as tacit
permission to do the same. This is why if the cool kid in the class starts picking on
somebody, the rest will soon follow.

Why I am saying this? Because this dynamic makes bullies feel subconsciously justified
in doing what they do. If they bully a little kid and his bigger brother shows up and
breaks the bully's face, the bully will feel wronged because he will think the had the
right to be an asshole. If you can find it, I recommend you to watch that documentary
about Little Zangief and the aftermath - Little Zangief was a kid who was bullied in
school, and one day he snaped and broke his bully's leg. When asked if he regreted
being a bully, the bully said "No." Then he looked past the camera, as if watching
somebody give him indications, and said "... I mean, yes."

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