Small Boy Big Bullys
Why hurt someone if they don't wanna be hurt? Why bully someone who doesn't wanna be bullied? Why make someone's life harder than it has to be? People around the world are getting bullied but for what? The way they look? How do they talk or walk? Or for living in poverty. I have some sad news; no one is perfect! What we look like doesn't matter. It's what we do that matters the most, making sure people are being treated equally no matter what their beliefs are or the things they were born with.
Coming across Sherman Alexie and his book "The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian," where an Indian kid named Arnold grows up on the rez that gets bullied every day for how he looks, talks, and things he enjoys. Three scenarios of bullying that involved Arnold would be how his friend Rowdy treated him, how grown adults bullied Arnold, and how people treated him for his appearance. Being bullied is generally terrible, but your best friend bullying you is a whole nother level. Arnold never had a lot of friends growing up. His only friend at the time was Rowdy, they did everything together, but sometimes Rowdy would bully him. After Arnold broke the news to Rowdy about transferring to Rearden to get a better education, Rowdy became hostile, saying things like "you're a pussy" and "you retard fag" (Alexie 51- 52)
In the end, Rowdy punches Arnold leaving him to bleed on the ground. Later, Arnold's team defeated his old school in basketball but wasn't satisfied. He realized the difference between his school and his old high school; he wanted to apologize to Rowdy for winning the game, so he emailed Rowdy apologizing, but Rowdy wasn't too happy. He wrote back, "We'll kick your asses next year, and you'll cry like the little faggot you are" (Alexie 197). In this case, Rowdy became one of Anorlds bullies after wanting to get a better education.
Adults are supposed to be responsible, reliable, and trustworthy, not bullies, not for Arnold, at least. Arnold did not only have to deal with teenagers that enjoyed bullying him, but adults also had the pleasure of making his life more miserable than it had to be. Arnold drew a cartoon of Rowdy and him being friends again ...
