I learned as a small boy that violence in self defense will always not only stop unlawful violence, but it will prevent future problems. While in the military and as a life time LEO, there were many times when that rule was driven home to me.
Here is just one minor example I learned as a boy.
When I was a small boy, only 10 years old, I had only previously attended a small country, one teacher school on the Oklahoma Indian Reservation where we lived. I was orphaned the previous year and graduated from Sixth grade, as a 10 year old. I was graduated to the Consolidated School in town for the first time as a Seventh Grader.
I knew no one in that town school and since it was I was known as the son of an Indian, I was called "a Red Pink Unicorn". Since the Democrats still controlled the government in the south, Blacks did not attend the same school as whites in that area. As an orphan, I was living with a prominent farmer who had taken me in to live when I lost my parents, so I was permitted to go to the the County Consolidated School with white students.
I ignored the verbal words against me as a new kid in school but the older seniors regularly dumped my books and supplies out of my locker and when we passed in the hall there was one senior that regularly knocked my books from my hands onto the floor. his lasted about two days in my first week in the Seventh Grade.
The third day I borrowed a canvas Paper Boy bag from an older boy that had not given me any problem. Going to school that third morning, with the bag over my shoulder, I placed a rock, about the size of a softball, in the bag.
After picking up the books and supplies from the floor in front of my locker, carrying my book for the first class, with the bag still over my shoulder, a Senior, about 17 yeas old or so, laughed as he shoved me and knocked my book and supplies from my hand. As I spun around from the shove, I spun the canvas bag around and hit the taller senior on the side of his head.
The 12th grader senior dropped like a pole axed steer. He was out like a light with blood on the side of his head over his ear and in his hair. I just stood and looked at him as the kids gathered. I had not intended to kill the senior but I thought that he was dead. I actually was not sorry. Then the Principle, Mr Adams, rushed from his office. I was taken into the office and told to sit until it was decided what to do.
I learned later that when the senior regained consciousness, he was taken into the nurse's office for first aid. After about an hour or so wait, missing my first class, the principle called a Special Assembly in the Gym-Auditorium.
I was taken to the stage of the Auditorium and placed in a chair beside the rostrum where everyone in the audience could see me. Mr Adams then spoke to the students and teachers.
As well as I can remember, Mr Adams stated that "do to the unfortunate incident that happened this morning, we are cancelling hazing, and there will be permitted no more such incidents in the future". The Assembly was dismissed and I was permitted to go to my next classes.
I did not know what hazing meant but I do know that from that day until I graduated, no one ever made any overt action against me or my locker again in any way. In fact no one ever called me a Red Pink Unicorn again, at least where I could hear them.
