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Our nation is perpetually locked in middle school and high school.

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Absolutely, only this time the bullies have the support of the principal!

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Actually, they often do, but the principal usually doesnтАЩt realize it.

Bullies are master psychologists. They know that school rules are тАЬWe punish the student who THROWS THE FIRST PUNCH.тАЭ

So, what they do is this:

They taunt, berate, tease, and manipulate their victim until, in despair and defiance, he flails at the bully with that magical first punch.тАЩ

Now the bully and his army have the excuse they need to stomp him into the ground, leaving a bleeding wreck on the floor.

When a teacher finally reaches the scrum, he/she/it asks that magic question, тАЬWHO THREW THE FIRST PUNCH?тАЭ

The bullies all point down at the bleeding wreck on the floor.

The teacher hauls off the bleeding wreck to the PrincipalтАЩs Office, and that satrap of the Board of Education delivers the usual lecture on

The Greatness of America

The Reputation of the School

The importance of NEVER THROWING THE FIRST PUNCH

Then he suspends the bleeding wreck for two weeks for THROWING THE FIRST PUNCH.

The bleeding wreck spends two weeks in hospital.

The bullies give each other high-fives. They beat the hell out of the kid they hate, and that victim got punished for doing so.

The bullies are the victors.

The victim is seared for life.

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Only half of them did. The rest are the adults in the room.

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The children, unfortunately, own the guns, votes, and jails.

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