Larry Bumgarner
"and my getting kicked in the head, back those many years ago."
Larry, I was lucky enough to get out of such a school BEFORE getting kicked in the head. But I saw enough of exactly what you experienced. Really, some of those schools were little more than thug factories.
I know that we could not go to the bathrooms without someone to "watch our backs" or something was likely to happen in any place without adult "supervision".
Sorry to hear that happened to you.
My parents had decided to move before my sisters had to attend the same High School I was in for a year. They were truly afraid for their safety.
The last day of school I stood up against one of the little black thugs that was going around slapping white kids with his belt during PE class. Most of the kids just stood there and took it or just whined and this just made the little thug laugh.
Of course, none of the coaches did anything. They just ignored stuff like that.
When it came MY turn to get belted by this roving thug, I took the belt out of his hand and whacked him in the face twice with it. And the surprised look on his face was priceless, as was watching him run away like a baby when someone finally "fought back"
Then, of course, I was later surrounded by his homeys.
Then THAT group was surrounded by the white kids.
It was nearly a gang fight. But, then, the "coaches" intervened just in time for the bell.
But it was the last day of school, and I managed to walk home without getting beat up with baseball bats like another other white kid I knew had happen to him earlier that year.
And, of course, I had managed to survive the whole school year without incident and avoided the razor fights in the halls, too, so I felt pretty lucky overall
(Of course, the razors were mostly used by girls, the boys used sharpened metal combs or knives.)
Next year, after we left, they finally got the shooting they were looking for.
And then the police moved in on a permanent basis to keep order. So MAYBE things got better for a few years.
And this was in the early 1970's before police presence was common in school.
My kids will NEVER have to put up with crap like that.
"and my getting kicked in the head, back those many years ago."
Larry, I was lucky enough to get out of such a school BEFORE getting kicked in the head. But I saw enough of exactly what you experienced. Really, some of those schools were little more than thug factories.
I know that we could not go to the bathrooms without someone to "watch our backs" or something was likely to happen in any place without adult "supervision".
Sorry to hear that happened to you.
My parents had decided to move before my sisters had to attend the same High School I was in for a year. They were truly afraid for their safety.
The last day of school I stood up against one of the little black thugs that was going around slapping white kids with his belt during PE class. Most of the kids just stood there and took it or just whined and this just made the little thug laugh.
Of course, none of the coaches did anything. They just ignored stuff like that.
When it came MY turn to get belted by this roving thug, I took the belt out of his hand and whacked him in the face twice with it. And the surprised look on his face was priceless, as was watching him run away like a baby when someone finally "fought back"
Then, of course, I was later surrounded by his homeys.
Then THAT group was surrounded by the white kids.
It was nearly a gang fight. But, then, the "coaches" intervened just in time for the bell.
But it was the last day of school, and I managed to walk home without getting beat up with baseball bats like another other white kid I knew had happen to him earlier that year.
And, of course, I had managed to survive the whole school year without incident and avoided the razor fights in the halls, too, so I felt pretty lucky overall
(Of course, the razors were mostly used by girls, the boys used sharpened metal combs or knives.)
Next year, after we left, they finally got the shooting they were looking for.
And then the police moved in on a permanent basis to keep order. So MAYBE things got better for a few years.
And this was in the early 1970's before police presence was common in school.
My kids will NEVER have to put up with crap like that.
