“Conservatives understand that human nature is ugly and must be controlled through fear. Hannah had an opportunity to sit down with Patrick and negotiate over their differences. But Hannah’s parents instilled in her a deep distaste for the United Nations approach to avoiding conflict. She was raised to believe that peace could best be kept by an overwhelming demonstration of force. Ben certainly supplied that show of force. Why negotiate with a punk who fights girls when you have four brothers who play junior and senior high school football? It is better to overwhelm a relatively weak opponent than to risk an embarrassing upset. Just ask the 1980 Russian Olympic Hockey team. “
There’s a big difference between macro and micro-politics. You do not treat family and friends this way. You do talk to them and explain, firmly and from a principled position, but you don’t just beat them up.
Matt: 21 “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
“...human nature is ugly and must be controlled through fear” sounds just like the stereotypical leftist understanding of what conservatism is all about, and is wrong on many, many levels.
He tried to ignore it, etc. But we could tell something bothered him. When he told us, we told him to tell the teacher - but he didn't want to be the snitch. So then we told him to pray about it, and he did. Even to the point of praying FOR the bully.
After awhile my son decided to tell the teacher, but only if he could remain anonymous. The teacher had thought something had been going on with the bully (with previous kids too) - but wasn't sure.
She waited until she caught him in the act of bullying, and had a meeting with the parents. (When she called the father, the father said “I can't come in - that's my wife's job to take care of that kind of stuff”. The teacher replied - “No. As the man of the house - YOU are responsible for the discipline of your child”.
The kid shaped up, got some counseling I think, and he and my son are now pretty good friends! However, if it comes to physical fights or abuse, my kids are allowed to fight to defend themselves - or to defend their siblings or friends.