I’m not sure if it’s the unseasonably warm weather (although it’s been admittedly on again off again) or if it’s something in the air, but something has been causing the citizens of our fair Cheerioville – especially in my neighborhood – to act especially crazy lately. I mean, we are talking about a whole new level of crazy.

That’s why I started the Our Battle Field series yesterday. This is Part Three. Please be sure to check out:

Part One: The Shooting

and

Part Two: A Boy on FOOT vs a CAR

Now that you’re all caught up, here is the second-to-last installment in the Our Battle Field series…

Part Three: Bullying taken to a whole new level

Yesterday afternoon I had just gotten home from Akron Children’s Hospital from spending the day hanging out with Gavin while he had his most recent round of IVIG infusion therapy for his immune disorder. We were supposed to have an appointment with Dr. Reynolds but he had to cancel because of his family emergency again so I took Gavin shopping, as promised and went home. No sooner did I get home then I had to get right back into the car to leave and pick Elliott Richard up from school.

I didn’t even get out of the neighborhood before drama struck again!

I got to the end of our street to find a group of 15-20 grade school kids (the local school district had just let out and the kids were walking home) in the intersection. Most of the kids appeared to be in 4th, 5th and/or 6th grade. With the exception of two little girls who couldn’t have been much older than Elliott Richard – so maybe 6 years-old and in Kindergarten or 1st grade. The older kids took these two little (let’s assume) 1st graders by the back of their heads and shoved them together!

Face-to-face – *smash*!

Then all of the older kids formed a very tight circle around the younger girls and began to chant “Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!” over and over again. At first the little girls didn’t seem to want to fight and they just kept trying to push themselves away from each other.

While all of this was taking place – in the span of 1 minute, maybe 2 – I was on the phone with my Mom sitting at the stop sign directly in front of the kids. They didn’t even notice me. When they began to chant “Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!” I got off the phone, threw my van in park and took off for the kids.

In the time it took for me to get off the phone – rather rudely (Sorry Mom!) – throw the van in park and take off across the street, the little girls had given in to the chants and began to wail on each other! Seriously, one little girl had the other by the roots of her hair. While she was getting her face scratched up something fierce.

Another lady had stopped her car at the same time and we both ran toward the kids screaming for them to stop while she worked to get half of the older kids away and I worked on the other half. Then we had to break up the fight itself. The older kids were so infuriating because when they realized that the other lady and I were coming to break it up, they changed their chant from “Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!” to “Stop! Stop! Stop! Guys don’t fight! Come one, it’ll be okay!” Like they had nothing to do with shoving the girls together and instigating the whole scene in the first damn place!

I wasn’t having it! And I told them so.

I told them, “Shut the Hell up! I know what y’all did! I watched you start this fight before I could get out here. You aren’t innocent and changing your chant isn’t going to convince me otherwise!” At which point they said to me, “Shut up, b*tch! You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Then the other lady chimed in saying, “I saw the same thing. You kids are horrible!”

So we broke up the fight and the kids began to disperse only by this point the girls were trying to kill each other in earnest – although I still don’t think they really knew why. Which posed a very different problem because the kids who had started the fight in the first place simply kept moving the location expecting that we would allow them to continue egging those poor girls on.

The other lady had been following them and breaking up the fights as they kids restarted them. I on the other hand called the grade school they came from and asked for the principal. She’s new a new transfer to this school from one of the other grade schools because she’s supposed to be so great and wonderful at her job. If this is what happens on the watch of “great and wonderful”, I’ll pass thanks. Especially when the receptionists told her what was going on and her response was, “It isn’t happening on school grounds so tell her to call the cops. *click*”

Seriously!?!?!?

Your students have been off your grounds for less than 5 minutes and they are “dog fighting” with FIRST GRADERS and that’s your response????

Nice.

So I did as she ordered. I called the police. And when the dispatcher asked what I expected and wanted to see happen, I told her.

“Realistically speaking, by the time you patrol car gets here those kids will be long gone. So what if, when the car gets here to find the kids gone it then turns around and drives the three blocks in the other direction and stops at the grade school they all came from? The officer could then speak with the principal about bullying, ways to stop bullying, how bullying really is her problem and how at least twice a week we deal with these same 15-20 kids from the same grade school pulling this crap. They do the same thing – pick to little kindergarteners or 1st graders and force them together until they fight – every time, either in front of my house, or down the alley in front of my house, or now in the intersection at the end of my street. It’s getting really old and hearing her say “It’s not my problem” is getting even older.”

At this point the dispatcher interrupted me and said, “Ma’am, did I hear you correctly? Did you say this happens at least twice a week???”

“Yes, ma’am, I did.”

“I’m so sorry. We had no idea things were that bad out there.”

“Thank you but you really have no idea.”

Then she asked for my name and phone number, although I don’t think she expected me to give it her. I did.

Dear Principal of Nearby Elementary,

I’m keeping your identity and school name private as a means to protect the students of your school. Based on what I witnessed yesterday, both with my eyes and during my brief phone conversation with your secretary, I feel that someone really should think about protecting them. Clearly, it isn’t you.

What kind of society are we that our children are setting up “dog fights” using younger children after school?

This isn’t to say that I wasn’t bullied, tormented and teased as kid. Because I was. Mercilessly at times. But I was never used by older kids in a sick sort of “dog fighting” scheme. Those older kids started that fight yesterday. They enjoyed it while it went on. And there isn’t a doubt in my mind that they wouldn’t have broken it up if the other good Samaritan and I hadn’t intervened. They likely wouldn’t have broken it up unless and until A) someone else stepped in or B) those girls seriously hurt one another. And even then, I’m not sure they wouldn’t have simply wandered off leaving those two girls to keep fighting, alone in the intersection.

It was sick and twisted how much enjoyment they were getting out of the experience. And then how pissed off they were at me when they A) got caught and B) I spoiled their fun. (I say “I” not because I acted alone because I didn’t. I had another good soul who helped me. I just happened to have been much more vocal than she was and so they focused their anger at me.)

I didn’t care that they were pissed.

I didn’t care that they were calling me names.

I cared that those little girls didn’t seem to have a clue as to why they now wanted to rip each others throats out. Or why their “friends” and classmates were so excited by that fact.

And then I became enraged when you denied any culpability!

Did I expect you, the principal, to come running over and pull the kids apart? Davidh them home? Report the incident to their parents?

No, I didn’t expect that.

I was the tiniest bit hopeful but I didn’t expect it.

But!

Here’s a thought:

What is so wrong with taking down my statement as to what happened? What is so wrong with sending home a notice to the parents of every student in the school telling them that this is taking place, in general terms without naming names? (Who cares if the children who committed the act know it’s about them? That’s called “guilt”.) Suggesting that perhaps, if possible, they have someone walk their children to and from school? (I understand that it’s not always possible but what’s wrong with suggesting it?) What about sending this notice home so that it might open a dialog? Maybe if “Susy” and “Michelle” (the little girls from the fight) are asked about the incident and asked about bullying, maybe they’ll open up to mom and dad. Then their parents can take it to you, the principal, and just like that, it will be your problem. What is so wrong with that? (Yes, I understand some parents may never see it, other parents may never read it but some will!)

Yeah, it was the end of the day. Yeah, you were gabbing with a teacher (the secretary told me this when I asked to speak with you). Yeah, no one wants to work past 3:30pm if they don’t have to. But you know what, those parents trust you! They are trusting that you will do the right thing by their kids. They are trusting that you will educate and protect their children.

From where I sit, a few blocks away from your desk, watching the “dog fights” multiple times a week, you are doing a horrible job on the latter. It’s really too bad that the parents of your students won’t have the chance to make an informed decision on this matter since it wasn’t even important enough to bring you to the phone.

I can’t help but wonder if Canton City Police took my suggestion to heart, since they were concerned about the frequency and arrangements of the fights, and showed up in your office. I think I would have liked to see that.

Sincerely,

Your Neighbor