Where does our inherent ability to switch gears from a completely pacified state to that of berserker rage come from? I would submit to the one or two creationist or evolution deniers who do not reckon we evolved or are related to animals, and are reading this... Are you fucking kidding me?
The cases I shall cite are from my past... As I happen to recall them... The names and locations have been changed to protect the... Aw, who am I kidding...
One dreary night in Turkey, on Incirlik AFB, I was heading back to the tent after catching a flick in the "Morale Tent". I was completely void of morale, having learned I was getting divorced upon my rotating back to the world. 22 years old, on the other side of the world, not in the best of moods... I was crossing the bridge from the main road and another troop was heading the opposite direction on the bridge. For whatever reason, we bumped into each other.
"Why don't you watch where you're goin', Airmen?", is what I heard.
"Why don't you fuck off, you cock smoker?", paraphrasing, but 90% accurate...Okay, 99%...
It was on. I don't remember who hit first. I don't recollect how many punches were thrown. I don't recall his name. I DO remember this dude had big teeth... mainly because his big ass chompers split the top my hand open.
We took a step back, due to fatigue (fighting will tire you out, right quick), catching breath... The dawning realization that... WTF? Why? How?... I said, "Wanna get a beer?"
So... 5 minutes later, we are commiserating over a tasty beverage, telling our sob stories. He was trying to get a hold of some lawyer or something legal with a will, I had the divorce thingy.
It was just a case of two people who did NOT need to cross paths.
I have not always emerged victorious, and that is sometimes just what the Dr. ordered. Young gentleman sometimes need to get their asses kicked to keep them in check. In my crazier days, in small town KS., ol' Evil Ed Crane would let me know when I was getting a tad on the cocky side. On two separate occasions, I had the pleasure of seeing the back of my eyelids... Upon regaining consciousness, a simple "Settle down and are we cool?" and the mattered was settled.
Talking sometimes does NOT get the message across. As Sheriff Buford T. Justice let the young man know, after kicking him squarely in the ass, "THAT''s an attention getter..."
Is violence ever justified? Ghandi may think not, but then again, he said "It is better to be violent, if there violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence." That may have just been the hunger talking...
Self defense aside, capital punishment aside... is it justifiable?
Oh, I have no answer... was seriously asking...
Now then...
The desensitization (Spelled correctly first attempt, no help! Hooray me!) of people towards violence has been cited as a concern/reason for the escalation of violence in America. Certain people, namely politicians bought off by the NRA, have railed against video games.
The massacre at Columbine HS in CO. comes to mind because the two assholes played a game called "Doom". So did about fifty gazillion other people. I played Doom. I, II, III, Ultimate, the 2004 version, all of em...
Violent music, violent video games, violence on te TV, everywhere, everywhere... What's a parent to do? I DUNNO... HOW'S ABOUT YOU PARENT YOUR FUCK UP OF A KID? If the kid starts showing a bit too much enthusiasm for certain things that would make Charles Manson retch, get up on that shit.
In the late 80's, it seemed like a serial killer's were getting caught pretty regularly... The media would search for the scapegoat... Was it the parents, was it rock music, WHY??? I was always hoping for just one of the bastards to say... "Why? Well, Mom and Dad were great parents... I was a youth minister, listened to gospel, don't own a TV, never been to an arcade... I think I am just completely fucked in the head." People would have lost their shit...
I would blame religion... but I have a prejudice for that sort of thing.
I love violence in movies... The Raid: Redemption was 90 minutes of wicked uber-violence... A friend saw it, "Aw, it was subtitled..." A man smashing another man's head through a wall, repeatedly, translates, yo. I just last night watched a movie called "Cheap Thrills". Not so much of a "violent" movie... more of a "If some crazy guy offered you money, what WOULD you do?"... And it escalates... And gets grim...
The last violent act I performed against another human with the intent of doing harm was in self defense. I was in Topeka, KS. I was visiting the folks whilst still in the USAF. 1996-ish? I was drinking quite heavily at the time... Kind of a blur on the timeline, but the recollection is crystal. I asked my sister where a man could whet his whistle, and shoot a game of pool.
I was shooting some pool, and a dude named "Skeeter" (can not make this stuff up), asked to play. I obliged. I have long held to the ideal that one can only be hustled if one is not expecting it. Sadly for Skeeter, I was having a decent night. I decided that taking a good portion of his dough was his penance for being a redneck douche... He saw it differently.
I was walking out to my vehicle, heard "Hey!". Already a little on alert, I turned expecting an ambush. Since I was smoking at the time, I flicked my cig directly into Skeeter's face. It blinds, distracts, and makes the only thought careening through their brain, "Hey, my face might be on fire"... About three to five seconds later, I sat Skeeter against someone's van... I did not envy him the headache he had when he awoke.
Another aspect of violence that hurts to see is bullying. For a myriad reasons... It is easy to say, and I am not detracting from the validity, that the victim of the bullying is the only person who is hurting, but I offer this... The bully had to be taught to be that way. It is usually a manifestation of helplessness in some other relationship in their lives... I was bullied for a long time. I came home bruised enough that Mom would punish me if I did not start standing up for myself. Serious... I have always avoided violence.
I bullied a kid in 7th grade. I made fun of him. I put him down. And one day, he beat the holy hell outta me. I deserved it. Was it because I was being bullied and was looking for someone I could do the same to? If so, I chose poorly...
In high school, Robert "The Iceman" Pinault and I "adopted" some freshman kid who was 4' 2" ("Dave" I think his name was)... Iceman told his tormentor's, "You picking on my cousin?"... Since Bob had done time, he had a slight reputation... And I was the resident Satanist, Drug Dealing, Psycho. Dave was golden after that... Nary a finger was laid...
In the last days of the USAF, I was deriding a guy... Showing off... He was a small, stout Samoan who enjoyed power lifting, and he bitch slapped me so hard I saw stars... About 20 minutes later, I was at the smoke pit and he came up and apologized, and I said the fault was mine as I was being a complete asshole. He asked if I was gonna press charges. I said, "Hell no. I respect your instruction method and have learned a valuable lesson, Sarge. Right tool for the right job. Hooah!"
This week I saw this...
I found it fascinating. I also watched the accompanying "Behind the Scenes" piece, and the director posited that "Violence without aggression = Intimacy"... I am sure some bondage fetishists would agree...
I will leave you with a joke...
The Masochist says "HURT ME!", the Sadist replies, "No."
Smart people, help the dumb people,
d
This blog brought to you by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, System of A Down, Audioslave, Cake, Neil Fucking Diamond, Avril Lavigne (Surprised as you are.), Warrant (Still surprised), Run DMC, Metallica, Type O Negative, White Zombie, Bon Jovi (Why???), Korn, Puddle Of Mudd, 4 Non Blondes, Alice in Chains, Asia, Citizen Cope, Def Leppard, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Tesla, and Seal ("Kiss From A Rose" is badass, don't judge me!).
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