Do they know yelling doesn’t help? Do they know encouragement is good? Do they disobey because they want to, or have to? Do they know what we think, feel, and talk about? Do they know positive comments help? What do they know? Do they know anything?
No, they don’t know yelling doesn’t help; wouldn’t they stop if they knew? No, they don’t know encouragement is good; wouldn’t they do it if they knew? No, they don’t disobey because they want to; wouldn’t they stop if they knew it was for the greater good? No, they don’t know what we think, feel, and talk about; wouldn’t they say something if they knew? No, they don’t know positive comments help; wouldn’t they give them if they knew? They know nothing; they know nothing.
Bullies, jocks, and preps-they’re all hurtful. They all think they’re just being cool. But what really happens behind closed doors when the kids they bully go home? What if “Jona” gets bullied by “Harry” and comes into school the next day with a knife? A gun? A bomb? Or even worse, what if “Jona” doesn’t come to school at all the next day? What if he goes home and feels that his only way out is to use that knife, or gun, or bomb on himself? What if he decides he doesn’t want to deal with “Harry’s” constant nagging in gym about dropping the ball? Or what if he doesn’t want to hear “Harry” yelling at him at lunch all the time about being fat and eating too much? What if “Jona” goes home, writes a note to his mom on a napkin, and blows the place up? What’s going to happen then? Most likely, “Harry” gets sent to jail if anyone confesses, if anyone knows.
But does anyone know? Does “Harry” know what he’s doing to “Jona”? Yea, he knows. He just doesn’t care. They all know, but don’t give a rat’s behind. Well, they’ll care when they’re sitting on a bench in the police station, hand-cuffed, with an officer breathing down their neck as they make a phone call to tell their parents they’re going to prison.
It’s serious. But do they know that?
Do they know?