James' First Beat Down

Might be a bit of an overstatement, but here it goes. We went to Clackamas Mall to get James an outfit for Christmas. On the way out James wanted to stop and play at the tree house play area they built in the mall not too long ago. Before he starts playing I always tell James to be careful and watch out for little kids, and I have yet to need to correct him in that area. However today there was a kid running around hitting, kicking and pushing other kids while his idiot father sat there and did nothing. He seemed to especially pick at James, kicking him and pushing him down the stairs up to the slide. James, being more playful than aggressive, let it go for a while, but was starting to get frustrated, so I called him aside and told him to tell the kid to stop, and if the kid did not stop to sock him in the face. James was hesitant to do it, but after being hit a few more times, and after the mean kid made a 2-year-old cry by kicking him down the stairs, James had had enough. He slid down the slide and as soon as he got to the bottom the kid pounced on him. James popped him in the face with one good shot. It was not very hard, after all he was on his back, but it was enough to get the kid's attention. The kid sat up, walked away and did not hit another kid the rest of the time he was there. I was/am quite proud of my little Punisher! I reminded him that he had to protect and defend kids smaller than him from kids who are mean and when we got home I gave him a prize.

The good thing is that James was not in a hurry to hit the kid, he did everything he could to avoid it, told the kid to stop more than once, and finally showed the kid why he had to stop. A good attitude to have.

So, I'm ecstatic and quite proud of him. If there happens to be any weak-kneed disapproving, cowardly types reading this, save your nonsensical anti-violence garbage for someone who cares. While my goal is not to raise my son to be mean or overly violent, it IS my intention to teach him to stand up AGAINST those who are mean and overly aggressive, which sometimes requires violence. Too often our society is feminizing young men and discouraging valuable masculine qualities under the jaded illusion that it will some how make them better, when in reality it is only creating a generation of gutless, linguini-spined whiners too cowardly to stand up for what is right. I want my son to have the courage and fortitude to defend himself and others when necessary, and tonight he showed the ability to do just that, and I am quite proud.