8th grader writes letter about the racist abuse he's experiencing at middle school

[HomerJS]

To Whom It May Concern:

Yesterday on the football bus coming from our football game a kid ... started saying racist things to me. He then started saying he does not like blacks and he told me 200 years ago my ancestors hung from a tree and after he said that I should I hang from a tree. That made me super mad, so in the locker room I told him not to call me n***** or that I should be hung on a tree. The coaches took me away from the kid because I was really mad and they think I was going to fight him but I want someone to do something about it because I'm tired of boys messing with me because of my skin. I'm at my boiling point with this. Please do something about this because when I bring it to the office/principle you do nothing about it and I’m tired of the racism.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/8th-grader-wrote-horrifying-letter-155411884.html

Eh, maybe this kid should just suck it up. After all don't you know you are in Merica!? Just move along.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Yep he should suck it up and be the better man. Getting 'mad and wanting to fight' is a lack of self control. It's the basis of 'sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me'.

I'm a white kid who grew up right outside of East. St. Louis and works in downtown St. Louis. I'm not impressed.

I've had far worse said to me by black people who think I should die because of slavery. It was pretty common in Belleville which has far worse racism problems than Mizzou could dream of.

 

[TechBoyJK]

One of my close friends is a black guy (from Belleville too) that saw far worse shit than this little kid. He's a marine, kicked down doors in Baghdad, and thinks all these pussies are little bitches that wouldn't last a minute in the real world.

 

[Subyman]

TechBoy, wtf? He should suck up that racist comments at school because you've seen worse? Lol, a new low.

 

[TechBoyJK]

I didn't say that. But if that's what you want to take away from it, that's on you.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

In a public statement, it appears that the school took immediate steps to investigate, found the perp and took appropriate disciplinary action. Good!

 

[TechBoyJK]

In a public statement, it appears that the school took immediate steps to investigate, found the perp and took appropriate disciplinary action. Good!

That's all that needs to be done.

If the kid was bothered by it, that's understandable, he's only in 8th grade, but this is also a teaching moment where the kid should be taught about the fact that the world is filled with mean people and this is an opportunity for him to practice sucking it up and simply writing off the 'hater' as an asshole.

I'm 35, and if someone comes up and starts saying crazy shit to me, whether it's about my race, sex, hair, w/e. I just laugh at them because I already know they don't matter. It doesn't bother me. It just tells me the person is an asshole.

I've had some angry black people yell shit at me in down town St. Louis (likely drunk) and I just look them in the eye and say 'you don't matter' and walk on. Sure they keep bitching, but I don't look back. I'm not going to be trolled nor reinforce their bullshit.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

If the kid was bothered by it, that's understandable, he's only in 8th grade, but this is also a teaching moment where the kid should be taught about the fact that the world is filled with mean people and this is an opportunity for him to practice sucking it up and simply writing off the 'hater' as an asshole.

It sucked and I'd be pissed off about it too if something like this happened to my kid. I'm sure he learned a lot from this incident....like just how ugly and cruel some people can be.

 

[Subyman]

And the little shit that mouthed him was punished as well. That wouldn't happen if the black kid just sucked it up. There are times as adults where you can just walk away, and that is good. But kids are forced into schools for years and can't just walk away. Bullying can be a problem and it should be taken care of.

 

[chucky2]

Damn I should have had my white cousin write a letter like this at our local gradeschool, he could have been Internet famous too! Oh wait...

 

[TechBoyJK]

And the little shit that mouthed him was punished as well. That wouldn't happen if the black kid just sucked it up. There are times as adults where you can just walk away, and that is good. But kids are forced into schools for years and can't just walk away. Bullying can be a problem and it should be taken care of.

No, he could suck it up, then go tell the principle that there's a kid spouting of racist shit. Doesn't mean he has to be bothered by it.

Please understand that I don't believe 'sucking it up' and 'reporting racism' are mutually exclusive.

The point is to teach these kids to have thick skin for their own good. For their own well-being. Otherwise they'll live a life where everything offends them and they become serial complainers because mere reality makes their bubble uncomfortable.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Anybody seen this gem?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLb3o65q0vk

 

[MrPickins]

Yep he should suck it up and be the better man.

He's a middle school kid...

 

[brycejones]

He's a middle school kid...

No excuses, he needs to toughen up. The world sucks, damn PC making everyone a bunch of weak kneed special snow flakes.

Civility is for wimps.

/s

 

[TechBoyJK]

He's a middle school kid...

Exactly. Now's the time, before he ends up in high school and can't handle the heat.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

"Suck it up", lol. Maybe if he did something about it and shot the place up you could say he took care of the problem. Anyone that says this is preparation for the real world is full of shit, unless you plan on living in shitty conditions your entire life. This kind of behavior only happens when there isn't a way out of it.

 

[AntonioHG]

Exactly. Now's the time, before he ends up in high school and can't handle the heat.

Not everyone is capable of sucking it up though and sometimes reporting it only makes it worse. Sometimes beating the shit out of someone or trying to is your best option.

I used to suck it up for a long time, then I'd try to beat people up, didn't really matter if I got beaten up -- heck one time I decided it'd be better to fall off the 2nd floor of a building instead of giving up my money to some idiot bullying me for money so I held on to him and leaned over the railing with him. He hit me and called me crazy, but left me alone after that.

That said, my best friend was not like me at all, he had a lot (more) of problems at home with a schizophrenic mom and a dad that abandoned the family. He was teased mercilessly in (HS) school until one day he snapped and tried to stab the idiot with a protractor. He was suspended and nothing happened to the asshole teasing him.

In the end we both made it out of HS and we're okay for the most part, but honestly, the amount of stress dealing with people like that and our own problems was rough. If there were people that actually cared at the school we went to, we wouldn't have to constantly "suck it up" or lash out (in my case) or blow a gasket (in my friend's case). And no, transferring wasn't an option for us. Small island and all.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Not everyone is capable of sucking it up though and sometimes reporting it only makes it worse. Sometimes beating the shit out of someone or trying to is your best option.

I used to suck it up for a long time, then I'd try to beat people up, didn't really matter if I got beaten up -- heck one time I decided it'd be better to fall off the 2nd floor of a building instead of giving up my money to some idiot bullying me for money so I held on to him and leaned over the railing with him. He hit me and called me crazy, but left me alone after that.

That said, my best friend was not like me at all, he had a lot (more) of problems at home with a schizophrenic mom and a dad that abandoned the family. He was teased mercilessly in (HS) school until one day he snapped and tried to stab the idiot with a protractor. He was suspended and nothing happened to the asshole teasing him.

In the end we both made it out of HS and we're okay for the most part, but honestly, the amount of stress dealing with people like that and our own problems was rough. If there were people that actually cared at the school we went to, we wouldn't have to constantly "suck it up" or lash out (in my case) or blow a gasket (in my friend's case). And no, transferring wasn't an option for us. Small island and all.

Yes, there's always going to be anomalies, but 'not' teaching kids to suck it up is coddling them. You have to teach kids how to defend their emotions and not let their emotions get the best of them. Nobody is immune to it, which is why nobody should be coddled.

People bully to get a response. If you cave into it, you're just appeasing the bullies. Being able to just ignore someone's hate and tell them to fuck off is a very beneficial character trait.

Disclaimer: I grew up in arguably the most racist part of the country. I probably carry a more hardened world view (in regards to racism) than most. Dealing with racism and hate was a daily thing. Maybe it really just is more difficult for people to 'suck it up' than I realize and it's less that people are pussies and more that I have been conditioned to just look past it because it happens so often.

 

[cubby1223]

Anybody seen this gem?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLb3o65q0vk

Notice how no one is running to the authorities for violation of their #safeplace

 

[Fenixgoon]

if it continues to happen from the same person, i'd have no issue with this kid laying a smackdown. at some point you have to stand up to bullies. i wish i had. it's not like the administrators can do anything about it aside from yell at the other student.

Yes, there's always going to be anomalies, but 'not' teaching kids to suck it up is coddling them. You have to teach kids how to defend their emotions and not let their emotions get the best of them. Nobody is immune to it, which is why nobody should be coddled.

People bully to get a response. If you cave into it, you're just appeasing the bullies. Being able to just ignore someone's hate and tell them to fuck off is a very beneficial character trait.

Disclaimer: I grew up in arguably the most racist part of the country. I probably carry a more hardened world view (in regards to racism) than most. Dealing with racism and hate was a daily thing. Maybe it really just is more difficult for people to 'suck it up' than I realize and it's less that people are pussies and more that I have been conditioned to just look past it because it happens so often.

i would argue the response a bully wants is for you to get mad. they don't expect you to punish them for it. so when you finally do, that's when they stop.

 

[OverVolt]

Yep he should suck it up and be the better man. Getting 'mad and wanting to fight' is a lack of self control. It's the basis of 'sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me'.

I'm a white kid who grew up right outside of East. St. Louis and works in downtown St. Louis. I'm not impressed.

I've had far worse said to me by black people who think I should die because of slavery. It was pretty common in Belleville which has far worse racism problems than Mizzou could dream of.

Bullies getting beat down by the people they are picking on can be common. Gotta stand up for yourself.

My freshman year people used to mess with my stuff before homeroom and they made me late enough that I got in trouble. The sheer rage I had the next time they were fucking with my stuff was unimaginable so I tackled him and looked up and my locker was by room 311 and I was next to room 315, something like that. Oops. Halfway down the hall. Then I was grabbed by the ear straight to the principles office. We both got 1 demerit considering he was screwing with my stuff.

The next 4 years he never even went past my locker on my side of the hallway.

 

[TechBoyJK]

if it continues to happen from the same person, i'd have no issue with this kid laying a smackdown. at some point you have to stand up to bullies. i wish i had. it's not like the administrators can do anything about it aside from yell at the other student.



i would argue the response a bully wants is for you to get mad. they don't expect you to punish them for it. so when you finally do, that's when they stop.

Yes, you definitely may need to take matters into your own hands if someone repeatedly harasses you without consequences. I've had to pop a few people to get them to back down. Sometimes it worked out, sometimes I ended up in a brawl. In any case, harassment stopped after.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Yes, you definitely may need to take matters into your own hands if someone repeatedly harasses you without consequences. I've had to pop a few people to get them to back down. Sometimes it worked out, sometimes I ended up in a brawl. In any case, harassment stopped after.

:thumbsup:

 

[LegendKiller]

Kids suck, they always have. The shit kids said to me were multiple times worse.

I was bike riding with my best friend when he was hit and killed by a car. Kids said I pushed him into the road to get his baseball cards. Others side I murdered him because I was a killer. Other kids smeared red food coloring on my locker. I was in 6th grade.

Kids fucking suck.

 

[Newell Steamer]

His parents are clearly selfish in wanting to have a child with black skin.

//purmoron0