[Gideon Reader]

Well, I have had my lunch money taken many times.
The Black kids (in those days they were called Negroes) a term or so ahead of me in school and by circumstance a couple of years older and larger used to rob me fairly often. The nature of assault and robbery that I suffered was first economic. They (the bandits) wanted my piteous change. Secondarily they tried to humiliate me because I was Jewish. Degrading comments made that perfectly clear.
Outnumbered and out sized I became a surviving victim. But one that learned.

Out of school I entered an occupation that changed all the rules, shifted the balance of power and to this date has allowed me never be a victim again.

Once about fifteen years ago I looked up one of the premier predators that used me as a lunchtime ATM, and found that he had been shot dead in a candy store holdup sometime in the late 50's which at most could have netted him under fifty bucks.
That news brought a huge smile to my face and a little song in my heart.
I’m glad that your dead you asshole, you.

[Old Student]

“Outnumbered and out sized I became a surviving victim. But one that learned.”

I, too, was outnumbered and out sized. Sounds like you had less respectable foes than I did. I fought mine to a stand-still, and made them respect me. Or else. My neighbors were mostly Hispanic, or Anglo, like myself. I didn’t meet black people socially until after I enlisted in the USAF, most of a decade after your service in the military ended.

I can, however, understand your response to finding out about the one thug. I’ve met some folks who would have affected me the same way.