Tag has a new version–The Knock-Out Game. A group–usually of young men–wanders around until they choose, at random, an unsuspecting “playmate.” Then one of the gang, er, I mean group, runs up to this person and punches him/her as hard as he can, trying to knock him/her out with a single punch, then the gang runs away. Yes, I mean “him/her,” as well as various ages and ethnicities. Recent victims have included a 50-year-old English teacher stepping off the porch (hit by a 15-year-old boy), a 78-year-old woman, and a 14-year old youngster in Modesto. At least two deaths have resulted, plus painful injuries sending victims to the hospital.
It’s group-influence at its worst. It’s humanity being senselessly vicious. And they’re so proud of their acts that they brag about them on social media.
It makes me sick.
I think so much of this happens, because so often these young people have’t had any role models to tell them this behavior is unacceptable, and if they’ve played video games glorifying violence they become immune to it, so their sense of right and wrong has been muted!
And too many adults (parents and parents of the child’s friends) feel they’ve taught their child gun safety or not to touch a gun. That works only when parents are present to mete out punishment and when kids are not horsing around, playing one-upsmanship or imitating games where the characters don’t die forever–they’re there again when you turn on the game again.