I was coming home a couple of nights ago from a friend's place, driving in the rain.
I stopped at a traffic light.
I looked to my right and saw a group of kids.
On the ground, rolling and then becoming still, was a body.
The kids were kicking and reaching down and punching whoever was on the ground.
I was shocked.
I did what I was supposed to do.
I slammed down the accelerator and came to a sliding stop diagonally facing the corner, blocking traffic.
As the car came to a stop, I saw a girl of about 15, kicking the person on the ground...hard. A girl on the other side, same age, was kicking the person with abandon. The other kids stood and watched.
I leaped out and asked, demanded, to know, "What the hell are you doing"?
There were 5 boys and the two girls.
"He hit her", one of the girls said, pointing to the other girl.
The other girl quickly added, "Yeah, he slapped me, the fucker!"
The person, it looked like a boy, was lying on his stomach, on the sidewalk, his hands and arms wrapped around his head trying to protect his face.
"Is that any reason to gang up on someone like all of you are?" I asked.
"Well, he started it", said the first girl.
I looked down and tried to pry the boy's arms away from his face and ask him if he was alright.
It was a man.
Older.
Grey hair protruded from his jackshirt.
He was bleeding from his lower lip.
I smelled alcohol.
He was glassy-eyed.
I stood up.
I walked to the oldest boy.
16 - 17.
"You call this a fair fight? He's drunk. 7 of you to beat up a defenseless drunken man?!"
He mumbled something.
"What did you say?" I asked.
"Nothing", he said in a low, almost empty voice.
I walked back and helped the man up.
He was shaking.
I was shaking.
For different reasons.
The girls were the aggressors.
The boys started to walk away when I waved them off.
"Go", I said, "just go".
The girls didn't move.
The man stood shakily on his feet.
The man, Native Indian, mumbled, "Bastard" to one of the boys, about 14.
The boy raised his fist and threatened, "I'll kick your ass, asshole".
I stepped between the two of them.
Told the kids to "Go. Now."
The man didn't want any help.
He staggered up the street still bleeding from cuts to his face.
I watched the kids walk away.
They postured.
The girls walked backwards watching the man zig zag forward.
And now I write this.
2 comments:
Wow...pretty bad and I commend you Dane. That is pathetic and makes me very angry, but I thank you for so eloquently writing this true story and doing what we are supposed to do.
It's good you had the courage to intervene, but it sounds like they all were so accustomed to violence as a solution that no real change will take place in perpetrators or victim. Our society is so inured to violence and lack of fairness. You did good. - Glenn
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