> >In 5th grade, I was once paddled for being mugged. In high school
> >our class valedictorian was expelled for two weeks for being the
> >victim of a totally unprovoked attack (both long stories). spike
> >
> Ralph Lewis wrote: You were paddled for BEING mugged!!!!! And I thought I was
> cynical about
> authority.
Yup. Some jerk started roughing me and said he would leave me alone
for a quarter. So *technically* it was a mugging. Just as he said it, the
girl's PE teacher came out of her office, about 10 meters behind him. So
I figured I was safe, mouthed off to him, loudly, and he jumped me, not
knowing she was back there. She pulled him off me, so far so good, but
then she took us both to the guys PE coach and said "These two boys
were fighting," and immediately turned and walked out! I said "No coach,
not 'these two boys were fighting.' I was the victim of an unprovoked
attack and I expect that this criminal to be punished!" He said,
"Uhhh, right, councelor. Elbows on the desk." Whack^3. So I was
paddled for being mugged.
Six years later, my best friend was the class valedictorian. He was a big
liberty-and-justice-for-all type crusader. This was when we were seniors
in the spring of 1978, in Florida.
At lunch we were discussing the fact that at one time there were separate
restrooms for white and black, and now they were all integrated
except one, which was, oddly enough, black only. He objected,
saying that all restrooms were for everyone, and to demonstrate,
he would go into the black restroom. We all called out Noooooo
but he went and did it. He went thru the first door of two, but
before he could go inside the second door, he was jumped by
a girl! She jumped on his back! I swear Im not making any of
this up. He staggered back out into the crowded lunchroom with
this girl on his back, choking him. He managed to throw her off,
and she began to run away but was apprehended.
What happened next was even more bizarre. This attack was
clearly unprovoked, about 400 eye witnesses. The principal
realized what a powder keg he was sitting upon. One would
think he would just call the police, have them haul off the
perp, the valedictorian would return to class, all is settled.
But then the black students might claim racial discrimination,
and the tension would increase, so the principal asked him
if he would accept a two week suspension. He said no, for
he would lose his valedictorian status, and that he would call
in legal authorities if necessary. So the principal looked
deep into his eyes and said, "If I seeeeee to it that your class
stannndinnnnng does not sufferrrrrr, thennnn will you accept
a two week suspension?" My friend said, "Sir, if you can
guaranteeeee my class stannnnnding, then yes."
What the principal didnt realize was that our valedictorian
would have lost his standing anyway. He and I were in
calculus together, and I knew he wasnt getting it. I know, for
we studied together. He was an excellent student, but calculus
just shot him down dead in his tracks. He would be lucky to get
a C, after nearly 4 years of 4.0 average. That C would put
him down in 5th spot, out of the medals. He accepted the
deal, the principal called in all my friend's teachers, told them
the whole story. He graduated a month later with a perfect 4.
So. He got two weeks suspension for being the victim
of an unprovoked attack. The rest of the story is that
he ended up with a full scholarship. Reliable rumor had it he
was a millionaire thrice over by the time we had our ten year
reunion. All I got for being mugged is a sore ass. {8-[ spike
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