In a town far away, in a town anywhere, out on a rural road, one peculiar teen was beaten black and blue by high school bullies, and terrorized, too. He took it. Much later he told his mom, “I did what you told me. ‘Don’t fight back.’ They wanted me to fight back. They wanted an excuse. I could tell.”

Tired after their exertion of repeatedly beating the boy and shooting him with darts, both bullies began to leave. In a final act of terrorism, one walked to his pickup truck, picked up his unloaded deer rifle, pointed his it at the mistreated teen, and pantomimed the recoil action, shouting, “Bang.”

Weeks later, on a bus to their school, a similar outcast — another boy — became their next target. On this bus, both bullies bound this new boy’s hands, stuffed a dirty sock into his mouth, and then punched him repeatedly. Teenagers on the bus watched, and did nothing. Both bullies pulled knives and cut his hands free. This boy seldom speaks. Both bullies knew he would not talk. Two girls talked. They told the principal. The principal acted. Justice prevailed.

These kinds of cock-a-doodle-doos use fear. They pick on the weak; they may hold power, but they are chicken-hearted. Lionhearted co-workers, families, neighbors, communities and strangers speak up, and stand up together against bullies of all ages. 

Let’s Pray: Dear God, we pray for the victims, for the weak, for the peculiar, the outcast, and for the target. Shield them with the love, support and protection of Your broad community.” Amen.

Today’s Thought Is: Defend the weak.