Why the Hate?

So I’m sitting in algebra class one day, just minding my own business. All of the sudden I hear these kids behind me pestering someone about being a “fag” or a “queer” and many other slurs. I turn around and say “Hey, knock it off and leave the kid alone, will you? Go spew your hate somewhere else.” Of course, the assholes just looked at me with a well below average IQ stare and said “Shut the hell up. What, are you his boyfriend or something?” So I carry on with my work. Pretty soon, however, I hear the kid behind me crying. I turn around again and see the two guys giggling at this. I say to them “what the hell is your problem? What did you do to the kid?” One of the kids turns to me and with a sadistically pleased grin says “We just made that little C*ck sucker come out of the closet finally.” I feel like punching the guy in the face.

I didn’t want to start a scene, so I decided to wait until after class to tell the teacher and talk to the victimized kid. The bell rings, and I’ve straightened out the facts in my mind for the teacher. I notice the kid is gone almost as soon as the bell rings. Suddenly my bud pops his head in and says “Luke, dude, you gotta come out here! Some kids are beating the sh*t outta this dude in the hall!” and before I know it, he’s gone. I rush into the hallway next to my teacher, and sure enough there it is. The two jerks who made the poor kid come out of the closet are in the hallway beating the living daylights out of him, slamming him against the walls and lockers, calling him the same hateful names as before. I nearly did something to stop it. I should have.

Really, America? Are we so condensed into ourselves that something as simple as a less common life choice constitutes senseless violence? I’m personally tired of it. Now, I’m not gay. I’m not bi, either. I’m a straight white male. But I see these things going on and it infuriates me. The prejudices, the sexism, the racism, the stereotypes. They all dumb down America every day. I say it needs to stop. I say next time you are witness to something like this, stop it. Learn from my mistakes of blowing off a completely preventable situation and indirectly sending a kid to the hospital. Please, America, do something. Help someone other than yourself.