Limlingan: Choosing dignity over being beaten up

WHILE we should be in a season of love and peace, there came up a viral video of young kids manifesting otherwise. We may have been used to the Ms. Universe Catriona Gray trend but there is another incident that became a trending too: the Ateneo Junior High School bullying incident.

We may not be familiar or not even know the kids involved. We may have been more affected if those kids were our own. Unfortunately for the kids, the incident was quite both touching and alarming.

In the video, which was taken evidently inside a male comfort room, there was a kid bullying another kid who was taller and seemed to be at an advantage in terms of a physical fight. The smaller grade schooler however was the one bullying the bigger boy.

The bully was giving a choice to the bullied, forcing the latter to choose between dignity or getting mauled. Despite his stature, the bullied refused to give up his dignity and the bully started punching and kicking the bullying victim.

The bully never fought back. Its rather part of the human instinct though that he clenched a bit his fists but ended up punched and kicked with blood oozing from his face. He had blood perhaps running from his nose.

The bullying victim refused to be humiliated. It turned out that the bully was a taekwondo blackbelter and medalist. The victim was no match to the bully, despite their size. The former was asked by the bully to kiss the latter's shoes should he not wanted to be beaten up.

Despite being a victim of kicks and punches, the bullied stood his ground regardless of having a bloodied face. He chose dignity and not kissing the shoes of the bully.

The incident has attracted the attention of netizens especially those anti-bullying advocates, most of them condemning the bullying incident and the bully too. They are even criticizing the school for having students with such tenacity to bully other students despite the existence of an anti-bullying law and despite being expected of having a good education.

In one social networking post, a netizen is blaming the parents of the bully for not making their son grow properly. They have instead made their kid grow to be a fighter and a bully. Taekwando skills, for all we know, are for defensive and not for offensive moves.

Then, the bully is now being bullied. It may not be physically but virtually, on the internet. He is the subject of hate by those who express sympathy to his victim. The bully started it all anyway that he is now reaping the fruits of his deplorable act of punching and kicking his fellow young student.

The bullying victim, may have received punches and kicks, but he is now receiving support and sympathy and admiration for those who may have viewed the video.

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