When I was a young man, I participated in some bullying. I remember it as clear as day.

[lunatica]

26. When I grew up my younger sister was teased and tormented

Because I loved her I stood up to the assholes and always defended those who were picked on. More than once I actually socked boys bigger than me for bullying smaller kids. I was a tomboy and tough. It's pretty amazing how many times the bullies ended up wanting to be my friends. I guess they understood people who pushed them around when they bullied people. It seems to be a language they 'get' and 'respect'. Bullies are like that.

Once when I was 11 or 12 years old a girl who I had defended against the class bullies took advantage of finally being accepted because of my actions by turning others against me. For a long time they picked on me like a pack ganging up on me. Like Romney did with his helpers. She got so confident that in front of all her new found friends she got into my face trying to insult me and sticking her tongue out at me while the other students laughed. I slapped her once, very hard and just stared at her while she sat down hard with a look of total shock. The silence in that classroom was deafening as they all reacted in shock. One lone stupid boy tried to tell me that if I did that again he would... He never finished his sentence as I walked up to him and looked directly into his face. I simply said, what? What would he do? He actually lowered his gaze and sat down in a totally wimpy way.

They stopped bullying me that day. I scared an entire classroom of people who were going along with the bullies by standing up to them and fighting back. Literally fighting back. I had finally had enough of being pushed and humiliated and ganged up on.

I've never forgotten the lessons of that day. I got angry, but it wasn't a loud screaming angry. It was a deep down quiet rage and it showed because they never expected me to take the entire classroom on. Of course 99% of them were just going along with the bullies' agenda. Sometimes I wonder if they didn't secretly feel relief not to have to do that anymore. Human are very complex. Lots of people are just followers and would follow a good person just as easily as following a bad person.