Barrie Qualle mug

You hear a lot about kids being bullied these days and it seems that teenagers especially are finding new ways to be mean to each other. Back in the day it was pretty much straight on and not done electronically. Regardless, it sure is something we could do without. It is really a form of cowardice to pick on someone weaker than you and make them feel bad about themselves or physically bully them.

When I was in high school Donnie Burns was our class president and had won the County Spelling Bee when he was in the eighth grade. His next big win was the pinochle championship in San Quentin. Donnie was fairly popular but had a mean streak that surfaced now and then and when it did it could be ugly.

One hot summer evening in the San Joaquin Valley a bunch of us teenage loafers were hanging around the local M&M drive-in when a migrant family with Oklahoma plates pulled in. It was plain they had just left one of the area orchards where they had been working picking peaches. This is hot, hard and dirty work and they looked dog tired. Before they could get out of the car to place their order, Donnie gave them a look of disgust and launched into Liberty Valance mode. He swaggered over to their car and informed them in a loud voice that he didnt want a bunch of white trash fruit tramps soiling his sensibilities and they needed to move on. The dad in the car was taken aback and explained that they wanted no trouble and would order some hamburgers and leave. Donnie sensed a victory and became even more obnoxious and insisted that he was tired of their kind trashing up the neighborhood and for them to leave the area now. This was a little ironic in that Donnies family were Dust Bowl refugees from Texas.

The rest of us witnessing the action felt uncomfortable and embarrassed with Donnies behavior. I came close to doing the right thing and intervening but cowardly did nothing.

The dad gritted his teeth and surveyed Donnie and the rest of us. He said with his Okie drawl, OK, well leave but I dont want yall to think youre runnin us off. We are leavin cause we dont want no trouble. He got back in the car and started to leave. Donnie should have quit then but he now thought he had them on the run and that inspired him to a salvo of new insults. Big mistake. The old man had enough and shut off the car. He turned to the back seat and said, Robbie Jack, youre about his size. Git out there, whip his ass and do a job of it. A skinny red-headed freckle-faced kid about 16 crawled out of the back seat, spit in his hands and rubbed them together. He looked younger and about 10 pounds lighter than Donnie.

Donnie assumed a boxer stance and took a swing at the kid. He missed. What happened next was like a badger killing a chicken. I never saw so many punches land so accurately in my life. Donnie never landed a punch and when it was over he was on his back with two black eyes, broken nose, split lip and several loose teeth.

Justice had never been served better or more efficiently. The family quietly loaded up and left. Donnie laid in the blood and dust for quite some time and no one bothered to help him up.

I have eased my conscience for not doing the right thing and intervening, by realizing that it would have deprived Donnie of some valuable knowledge. It was a good lesson for not only Donnie but also for all of us witnesses. I think the incident taught Donnie more than months of counseling could have. He didnt become kinder, but he was more careful and he was never elected to student council again.

Dont be a Donnie.

Joke of the month: A local rancher lost his dog and was inconsolable. His wife suggested he put an ad in the paper, but to keep it short. He did, but two weeks later the dog was still missing. His wife asked how the ad read. Here Boy, he replied.

Barrie Qualle is a cowboy in Wallowa County.