When bullied as a kid, by one particular a-hole**, I tried a variety of different approaches to ending it. Avoidance, appeasement…I’m sure I probably prayed.

Nothing worked, until the day I finally fought back. I never actually struck him after his last attempted attack.  I tried, but he was simply faster.  But when he tried to hit me, I turned on him and let him know (with clarity and assurance of violence) that it was over.

Forgive me, but as I contemplate our new national bully in chief (and his minions) I think the only thing that will work is to respond to attacks in no uncertain terms: This shit will not fly!

There are groups among us who, if they fight back, are more likely to find less acceptance of their resistance than I might as a straight white male.

So that puts a righteous burden on me and my ilk to stand up and do double duty fighting back in the name of peace, sanity, civil society, and rational governance. I pray for courage…  unlike a playground bully, I know I might be facing committed people willing to exercise total violence to win.

Join me. All politics is local, and it’s not likely to be all “Lincoln/Douglas” debate, or Marquis de Queensbury rules of engagement. Freedom, as they say, ain’t free.

If you see hateful bullying, nip it in the bud.
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**As a mature adult I look back and recognize that the guy had problems he was acting out on me. He, as it turns out, reluctantly came out as gay later in life and committed suicide.

So… empathy is needed. But in the moment, right now, all that empathy will get you is yet another beatdown as you try to appease Trump and his unleashed hounds. Tough balance. :-/. Fight empathetically.