When I was a little kid, there was a simple rule that governed fights at school.
Always get the other guy to swing first.
Kid logic dictated that if you enticed the other guy to throw the first punch, you couldn't be held liable for what happened after that. This meant engaging in complicated rituals that involved walking around and around in a circle, shoulder to shoulder, daring the other kid to swing first. Sometimes, unruly bystanders might grab one participant's hand and make him hit the other guy just to get the fight started.
Unfortunately, most teachers and school administrators didn't agree with our rock solid kid logic. Invariably, they would punish both students and turn a deaf ear to our pleas about who started the brawl. Sometimes, not being the aggressor would win brownie points with parents, but there was no guarantee.
I thought about kid logic and adult logic when I read this piece which was linked to at the Angry Asian Man blog.
Seems that a Korean student in Canada was handling his business in some game called "speedball" when one of his pale classmates decided he didn't appreciate his prowess and called him an "effing Chinese." The Korean student let homeboy know that racial slurs aren't good business, and the white dude decided to haul off and punch him in the mouth.
And that's where the story gets interesting. See, the Korean student is actually a black belt in a martial arts discipline. However, instead of unleashing the full fury of his fists, he only gives the white cat one good shot to the nose with his weaker hand. And he breaks the cat's nose.
Now, school officials not only suspended both students, but the police actually arrested the Korean student and some folks are talking about kicking him out of school permanently. There was recently a community march to support what he did, and complain about bullying, but school officials are still taking a hard line stance.
What's really good?
I mean, this seems pretty clear cut to me. The kids got in a fight. One kid started the fight by being racist, and by being a bully. Unfortunately for him, he picked on a kid who actually knew how to defend himself, and who had no problems beating his butt. The End.
Part of me doesn't think the Korean kid should even get suspended. Sure, he was fighting, but when somebody is throwing around slurs and punches, I think fighting is warranted. I know officials want you to run and find a teacher, but that ain't realistic in my opinion. In real life, becoming a snitch will only make your problems worse, and taking the strictly non-violent approach is guaranteed to get you future beatings from bullies. Your best bet is to attempt to diffuse the situation, and then use the bare minimum of force if that doesn't work.
It sounds like that's exactly what the Korean teenager did in this instance, and yet he's the one being punished excessively. This is mindboggling, yet not truly surprising. After all, what this story really boils down to is what happens when minorities respond to racism outside of the "accepted" channels.
During the Civil Rights era, 60 minutes journalist Mike Wallace did a piece on the Nation of Islam called "The Hate that Hate produced." It was an inside look at the black nationalist, religious group that focused primarily on their views about white people being devils, and their paramilitary leanings. The piece catapulted Malcolm X into the national consciousness and forever framed the NOI.
I've often wondered why 60 minutes spent so much time on the response to hate, but nowhere near that much time on the actual hate itself? I mean, there was no show dedicated to the violence the KKK and other domestic terrorist organizations were inflicting on black people at the time. There was no in-depth study of how racism affected housing, education and quality of life. Nope, hatred only became news when black folks started arming themselves and clearly outlining the source of their misery. 2520s.
That seems pretty analogous to the situation with this Canadian teenager. The racism isn't the the school's concern, the violence because of racism wasn't their initial concern either. Instead, the big problem is the fact that this Asian kid had the audacity to strike back, and strike back so forcefully, that there can be no doubt of his ability to protect his interests.
I guess that's a game changer.
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24 comments:
lil' man,
See what I mean when I say that "racism" is now anything a white person or white society does that negatively affects non-whites.
This "liberalization" of the meaning of "racism" to be all-inclusive and devoid of distinction has real world consequences.First, "racism" is becoming easier and easier to perceive by non-whites and harder and harder to see by whites.
In short, you are playing a fool's game in trying to convince whites of that which only you perceive.
This just looks like a typical fight in a multicultural society and liberals act as though they never thought of such outcomes.
I mean, did anyone ask the Korean kid if he believed in assimilating into the Canadian culture? Maybe he was punched in the mouth for something way more important and significant than another "anti-racism" crusade?
Well as someone who was beat up by bullies a lot in my schooldays, I have no sympathy for him. I mean, were he an adult this would be clear cut assault, a CRIME with legal recourse for the victim. Just because they're minors doesn't mean it's not assault. What's the expression? Sticks n stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!
White or otherwise, I'm a big believer in the idea that if someone hits you or is trying to hit you, you should have full recourse to hit back.
Don't know why the Korean dude gets arrested and the white guy only gets suspended...but I guess that's the "invisible" racism that some white folks just can't see these days. Guess they need some new prescriptions for their contact lenses and glasses.
Deacon Blue,
So when did the "racism" occur? Did it occur when the white kid said, "effing Chinese" or when he actually punched the Korean? Or, does "racism" just define the entire situation?
Then again, did anyone ask the Korean if he believed in assimilating into the host Canadian culture? Maybe he got that punch in the mouth for good reason? Or, does your ethics says no one ever deserves a good punch in the mouth even as they attempt to turn your home into something equal to what they left?
Racism was in the inequitable treatment. Both get suspended, but only the guy who defends himself gets charged with a crime. Pay attention before you mouth off.
And that's all I have to say to you.
Oh boy. I cannot believe these comments, except for Deacon Blue I have absolutely no idea where these people are coming from. If you get into anyone's face and call them an F-ing any thing you are cruising for a bruising. And then they ask you to back off and you hit them, you KNOW you have started a fight and what you get is what you deserve. It is good he broke that punk's nose, maybe now that racist creep will think twice before he starts running his mouth and using his fists again whether it is in a racial context or not. And as for this crazy, did he fit into Canadian culture crap idea, wtf? How do you know the Korean kids wasn't born raised and totally assimilated into Canada? How do you know the white kid wasn't an immigrant and "not assimilated." It is RACIST to assume the kid isn't "really Canadian" b/c he is of Korean descent. Just b/c he is of Asian descent doesn't mean he just arrived or isn't "assimilating" and who is that punk a$$ kid who started with him get off deciding who is assimilated or not? And since when does anyone deciding that someone isn't "assimilated" give them the right to punch someone and say nasty things back? And that old saw about sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me is some SERIOUS BS. Words wound deeply and can have lasting impact, they can affect how you grow and your perception of yourself, especially when you are a child. At least physical wounds often heal but some words never do. SOme physical wounds also carry psychological wounds too but overlooking the power of words is silly. Oh and the kid punched the Korean kid first, so why does he get what he deserved for being arrested when the other kid started it. Now if they both had been arrested I wouldn't think it was so unfair. I guess the Asian kids was supposed to supposed to stand there and say, "oh you insulted me and you hit me but tra-la-la I'll just stand here with a goofy smile and say, thanks for treating me like crap!" I bet if the roles had been reversed and the Asian kid did some anti-white name calling and threw the first punch and gotten his nose broken in the process but the white kid was arrested you'd both be singing a different tune.
And it is RACIST, to call someone an "f-ing Chinese" especially since the kid wasn't Chinese. If it was just one kid picking on another for non-racial reasons he wouldn't have said that, he would have called him an f-ing punk, or jerk or something else but he obviously had to go to race. And I can't speak for Big Man but YES, Thor my morals says you don't deserve a punch in the mouth for "attempting to turn your home into something equal to what they left" especially when that has nothing to do with ANYTHING and there isn't a shred of evidence, outside of your imagination that this Asian kid was anything but assimilated. BUt then on the other hand, for the record, the European-Canadians, and their European American cousins STOLE the land from the people who were here first, the Native Americans, First People's, Indians, whatever you want to call them. Too bad they couldn't have punched someone in the mouth. So maybe I am a hypocrite. Oh well
Damn, I said I was going to cut down on commenting on blogs and getting into virtual arguments with people but this makes me so MAD. What you reap is what you sow, if you start a fight be prepared to finish and if you can't run with the big dogs, keep your puppy a$$ on the porch. I hope the punk who started the fight doesn't have his nose heal right and has run around looking funny and then has to have it broken AGAIN to make it heal right . Usually I try to be forgiving but on this sort of thing, I am very eye for an eye and I have no tolerance for such stuff. White privilege indeed.
Deacon Blue,
The problem with you is that liberalism has dulled your senses as you can only see white/non-white relationships in a perfectly myopic way.
How do you know the "inequitable" treatment wasn't entirely justified? The cops clearly saw one boy unharmed and another with a broken nose. If the truth was unclear at the first contact then it's not hard to see that one boy may have gotten arrested for breaking a nose. If the charges are dropped then you will describe the situation no differently. Your liberalism won't allow you to.
Secondly, you haven't clarified as to whether the Korean boy believed in assimilating or not? You know as well as I that not assimilating into a host white culture is seen as admirable in the eyes of many liberals and non-whites. If this is truly a 'racist" situation then it seems tantamount to inquiry whether the fight actually resulted from the non-assimilationist stance of the Korean boy and his family, no?
Now, if it was the Korean boy's stance that non-assimilation was right and true then it is beyond ridiculous to believe that he wouldn't and shouldn't find resistance to such a stance.
Deacon Blue,
Further, if events went down as are now known and the Korean boy believes in full assimilation then I have no sympathy for the white kid. He could and perhaps should be charged, but it seems like another attempt at sissifying our boys.
And of course, the Korean boy deserves no punishment by the law, but he is certainly culpable for the consequences of his belief system even if that means a punch in the nose for a radical and destructive stance.
Deacon Blue,
If your ideology tells you to implement "diversity" as our strength and then tells you to push forward a way of thinking that claims we're all "equal," did you think there would be no resistance from those you are attempting to upend with such self-evident lies?
Your belief in radical liberalism forces you to intensify the boiling cauldron and then act shocked when things get violent. This is the radically irrational state of modern liberalism.
I think its crazy that the Asian kid was treated in such a manner and speaks to what is wrong with us as a society. Common sense, the white kid started it and got physical and the Asian kid only defended himself.
Excellent post! By the way your recent posts have been really good.
blackgirlinmaine,
We don't know that the white kid started it. We only know that in this instance the white kid threw the first punch. But what if this "fight" started with a Korean boy who was taught at home about the desirability of non-assimilation and practiced it in his daily life?
Would that change your perception?
Hey, Big Man, now that I've been officially labelled a "radical liberal" do you think the more obnoxious atheists and agnostics over at Deus Ex Malcontent will fully accept me into their ranks?
Radical liberal...yeah...guess that means I'm not allowed to ridicule PeTA anymore like I used to. Or militant vegans. Goldurnit!
That Korean kid needs to be careful, standing up to white supremacy is the quickest way to lose the label of "model minority" assuming america jr. (canada) have such labels.
Deacon Blue,
Would you even know what a radical liberal is in order to say you're not?
If this Korean family taught non-assimilation at home and their son then proudly practiced those lessons in public, would the Korean boy be deserving of a verbal slight and perhaps a punch in the mouth?
If not, why not? And you can't use liberalism in your answer...?
Just for the record, if you read the story, the white kid actually bloodied the Korean kid's mouth.
And arguing with Thor is not a smart move people. I know the temptation is great, but resist it.
Lust of the flesh
Lust of the eyes
Pride of life.
Mrs. Blue has theorized that Thordaddy is blowing up this thread with stuff directed at me because I won't let him play at my blog anymore.
If so, my apologies, Big Man, that he feels the need to clog up your comment section with crap that I've already said I wouldn't respond to, just to try to get me to engage him.
Ok, I'm going to ignore my own advice for a second.
When did failing to assimilate become grounds for a beating?
Is this a situational thing, or is failing to assimilate the way white people want?
Cause, if it's situational, does that mean I get to beat white people's butt when they fail to assimilate in situations with black people, or what?
Thor, you come up with the most outrageous theories to justify your thinking. It's so funny.
Man I wish I could of been there for that altercation. Its the type of situation every adolecent male dreams about. You have mad Karate skills, but you were taught to fight only as a last resort. You have this unruly bully constantly picking on you. Finally one day, the bully tries to swing at you. This is it, this is the point of no return, there are no other options left for you and you must fight (which is the very definition of self defense). POW! One deft move and the fight is over! Sometimes there is a hot girl that the protagonist always liked that is suddenly all interested in him afterwards. The fantasy usually ends there. Alas, if such a scenario happens in real life it seems that there is no happy ending unless the protagonist is white (or at the very least, not asian).
This kid has one of the strongest cases for self defense that I have ever seen. He did not antagonize the white kid, he did not swing first, when he did strike back he incapacitated the other kid and the fight was immediately over (meaning he didn't curb stomp the poor fool, which is prolly what I would of done in my younger days). This dude did what was necessary (and only that) in order to protect himself from bodily harm. That charges were brought up against him is truly a mockery of justice.
But, Mr. Noface...
He was Asian AND knew martial arts. That makes him deadly immediately. Didn't you know that?
Just like all Black people can dance really well and Native Americans have an affinity for all things related to nature.
Deac
All black people CAN dance really well...
If a black person can't dance, they ain't black.
I'm no longer black.
lil' man asks,
When did failing to assimilate become grounds for a beating?Who said there was a failure to assimilate? And how does one punch in the mouth equate to a beating?
If alien individuals are encouraged to not just reject assimilation, but actively denigrate the host society, did you think there would be no reaction?
Once again, you cannot account for the negative consequences of liberalism. Instead, you pretend as if any negative reaction by whites to the undermining of their society should be met with laws to ban such reactions. This is a nod to a totalitarian mindset.
So the larger point is whether you have really gotten to the bottom of this teenage fight or whether you are just engaging in the same tactic of calling anything that negatively affects non-whites as "racism?"
Do you KNOW if the initial verbal slight and punch was or was not actually justified based on the beliefs of the Korean boy? Do you even care to KNOW? Or, is preaching non-assimilation and disrespect for a host society perfectly legitimate in our increasingly liberalized societies?
Thor
You are funny dude.
You introduced the topic of non-assimilation and disrespect without any proof, and then built an argument around the idea that this was the root cause of the fight.
That is so hilarious.
It's like you create your own little world every time your write something. That must be nice.
lil' man,
I didn't create anything. I asked if you KNEW the real cause of the fight?
Do you...?
Or, can you just chalk this up as another example of "institutional racism" because one white kid made a verbal slight and threw a punch and the Korean boy got "unequal" treatment?
This just seems to me to be the daily consequence of a liberal society that preaches non-assimilation. Why act as though this stuff shouldn't happen when the very liberals that condemn it are the very same liberals that are stoking the fire?
Does the Korean boy respect the host Canadian culture or not?
Until you find out, how can you make any judgement on the rightness or wrongness of the verbal slight and subsequent punch by the white boy?
lil' man,
It has been repeated numerous times that the white boy assaulted the Korean boy first. Yet, it is not clear from any of the news accounts that this is actually the truth.
In fact, the flare up intensified to a verbal slight and then pushing and shoving. After which, it is told that the white boy punched first. But, as most people know, WHOEVER started the "physical" confrontation is actually liable regardless of the verbal slight.
So who shoved first...? You don't know and neither does the news reports who slyly gloss over this fact.
Secondly, why is this boy referred to as Korean and not the appropriate title of North or South Korean?
Third, have you read the statements by the Korean boy's mother...? Textbook liberalism that can only be force fed to an immigrant family only 5 years living in their new "home."
Lastly, can you tell us why a Korean would be offended at being called Chinese when he wants to be a Canadian and how this qualifies as a "racial" slur?
Remember, you WANT to listen, too.
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