Well I have finally returned to this cornucopia of crapulence known as my blog. I tinkered with this think off and on all summer trying to figure out what to do with it, and I still have no idea what the purpose of a blog is but I think I am just going to try to log in daily with random thoughts, opinions, and goings from my life. We will see how this goes. I am not sure anyone cares about my life least of all me but I will try to post everyday with the hope hope that some interesting tidbits fly out of this diarrhea of the hand. So onto the good stuff.

In one of my English 102 class today we had a discussion about policy proposals but one of the examples from the book we are using, John Trimbur's Call to Write, (If you would like an honest opinion of this book I would be happy to provide one in a much less public forum such as email. Got to watch the office politics you know...) had a proposal about boxing. It was actually a research proposal and not a policy proposal but whatever, anyway, she sought to prove that many men found or constructed their identities through boxing. Sounded good because, many people not just men, construct their identities through sport. As a former boxer I found it interesting. My class however was less than enthusiastic. Many people thought it was kind of antiquated that people still defined themselves through the expression of violence. One of the students went so far as to call it "pathetic" and she made a good point that adults should solve their problems by talking, that promoting boxing to children could cause them to resort violence as a solution to their problems, and that only people insecure in their manhood would resort to boxing to find their identity or solve their problems. I did not have much of a response to all this so I punched her. Just kidding, I would never hit a student.

However I asked the class if they agreed and I was shocked that almost everyone agreed. I then asked if their was ever a situation that you felt it was ok to resort to fighting or violence. The typical response was "Only if someone hit you first." My question is this: When did it become so wrong to get in a dust up? I mean what is the harm in throwing some fists with a dude over a dispute. If you wait until they hit you first then it is way too late to be trying to defend yourself at that point. I am not advocating beating the crap out of everyone that annoys you but why is it so wrong to stand up for yourself. If somebody gets a little to mouthy and insults you and you get the sense you may need to set them straight what is the problem?

People are always so shocked that when someone tries to intimidate me that I typically have a VERY strong response. They cannot believe that I would A: be willing to knock this person out B: that I have found several occasions in the past to do exactly that or C: Be willing to take a few shots to the face and/or head to stand up for myself. I have noticed a progressively passive society of Americans developing in the last few years. It began with the no fighting rules, and has progressed to the point that people do not even want to speak up against bullies anymore. There is a feeling of ignore the problem and it will go away. I don't see why it is such a terrible thing to defend your honor every now and then. I think the problem might simply be that the continued pussification of America has led to a society that has no honor left to defend. Who respects a person that lets some one walk all over them?