NON-VIOLENT REACTIONS TO VIOLENCE

Non-violent reactions are harder to work with once you’ve been on the receiving end of violence.

But you must make a decision:

Bring violence to violence, or stay true to your goal.

If the goal is non-violence, and you get punched in the face, it’s a harder choice.

For example:

I walked out of Cinema 21 after watching Personal Best.

The year was 1982 when the film came out, but maybe it was a year later since it wasn’t showing in the big theaters.

NW 21st looked the same then as it did last week when I drove it after dinner at Marrakesh on the corner of NW Northrup and 21st.

 

 

Our party of six shared the Royal Feast. I’d include pictures but we all agree not to make every moment a blockbuster event.

It was a blockbuster event with wonderful company, beautiful food, and a belly dancer, but I follow the agreed upon rules.

When you make an agreement, try to live up to it.

 

I walked out of Cinema 21 on an autumn afternoon in 1982 or 1983.

Across the street two people fought at a bus stop kiosk.

One person was getting pounded pretty good, a little too good.

It looked unfair, so I had a decision to make: walk across the street and help settle things down, or walk away.

I crossed the street to learn the fight was a man beating a woman with body punches that sent her back agains the kiosk and bouncing forward for the next blow.

I broke it up by leaning in and yelling at the guy to stop.

He stopped long enough to spin around, punch me in the face, and leave with the woman.

In that moment I had another big decision:

The fight ended, but the guy had earned a few punches for his time.

This is me at the time. The nose scar is from getting my glasses punched into my face, the arm scar is a chop saw accident.

 

 

Instead of chasing him down, I stood there bleeding and surprised with a group of people equally surprised.

I was proud of myself for helping a woman at a bad time, but not so proud that I didn’t see the punch coming.

I crossed the street on a mission and accomplished it. And then some.

A cop pulled over to see what was going on and asked if I was okay, if I needed a ride.

So I hopped in the police car.

Before he let me out a few blocks later, he received a call on the radio.

We drove together to Couch Park where the man who’d punched me stood with his group talking to policemen.

He was arrested after I identified him. The next day I pressed charges in the DA’s office.

That’s how it’s done, how it’s supposed to work.

 

How It’s Done, Part Two

One day last year I was driving around an industrial park with the businesses on the outside, a parking lot in the center.

About thirty feet away two stout men looked like they were disagreeing about something.

One guy shoved the other, who then punched him in the face and stepped in with a high takedown, a high tackle, that sent them both to the pavement.

These were larger, older, men in their forties. Did you know that big, thick, guys bounce when they hit the ground hard enough?

Yeah, me neither.

The one on top started landing blows on the guy on the bottom, who appeared defenseless.

I had a decision to make: Break it up and risk my health. Again. Or let them fight it out.

I told my wife to punch in 9 and 1 and be ready with the next 1 if my plan went sideways and I ended up on the bottom getting punched on by both guys.

Worst case scenario, I could watch a guy get beat to death in front of me, then drive away.

Or calm this shit down.

Just before I opened my door the guy on top stood and said something to the other guy, who then stood up and walked past my car with blood dripping.

What do you think he said? I couldn’t hear it, but I have a hunch.

Something like, “I’ll let you up if you behave yourself.”

Whatever he said saved me from any damage, and they both walked away.

Mission accomplished?

 

Baby Boomer Blogger Here

I’m old enough by now to get my facts right: if you screw up, expect punishment.

If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.

Will work set you free? Not in a German concentration camp located in Poland.

Will non-violent reactions to violence get you killed? It does in Minnesota.

With my goals of life long learning, which sounds like something an old crock who stopped learning anything in 1980 would say, continuing education is key to understanding how American citizens are getting picked up and shipped out, getting shot dead in their own town.

 I’m no Bruce Lee, as I’ve shown, but I do listen, think, and observe.

By my observation, “Boohoo,” and “Fucking bitch,” are not the right responses from an American shooting another American to death in an American city.

Whoever the shooters are, am I confident they will have the opportunity to explain themselves in the proper forum?

Will their bosses hold them to the same accountability we all abide by?

This is America. That’s how it’s supposed to work.

 

PS: Two groups of people will gather and mourn the loss of one of theirs, lives taken needlessly in a community of civil protest.

 

PSS: A nation will gather to make a decision, the same decision I faced with non-violent intervention. Are you who you say you are? Are we a collective of decent people, or cheerleaders for renegade elements leaving death in their wake?

Then ask yourself, “What would you do in that moment?”

More important, ask, “What do you do now?”