I guess I grew up in a very weird neighborhood and went to a very weird elementary school.

[Atticus]

Somewhere along the line, I picked up the warped notion that, while I was not to look for a fight, I was never to run from one either. By observed examples and personal experience, I was taught a couple of truths: first, there will always be people willing to hurt you once and, second, if you don't punish them for it, they will hurt you again.

Even if you got your butt kicked in a playground fistfight at recess, the other guy would be less likely to try you again if he went back to classes with a bloody nose or a busted lip. If you let a bully punch you without striking back, you could count on other would-be tough guys to pick on you as a "safe" target---someone they could slap around to bolster their "rep" as a badass without risking a knuckle sandwich. You would be marked as a "patsy"; a "chicken".

We have just been viciously attacked by a gang of thugs. We survived, but not because of any lack of intent on their part.

And, apparently because the wise people in my party are more sophisticated and more appreciative of political realities than I, we are about to "look forward"---again.

[LuvNewcastle]

1. I know where you're coming from, believe me.

But the Democrats are going to have to be very careful about how they make Trumpy and his cohorts pay for all the crimes they've committed. The Trumpers aren't going to like prosecutions one bit, but they must be done if we're going to keep our system's legitimacy. America is a powder keg right now, and I understand why some say we need to move on. But they have to prosecute these people and just deal with the fallout the best they can or the Trump presidency is just a taste of what we'll get next time when Tom Cotton gets sworn in.

[alittlelark]

2. I was a red headed freckled tall buck toothed girl with a lisp and THICK glasses

I learned to survive thru humor and speed - and acting 'insane' when attacked. FULL EYE Contact - never breaking it.

It WORKS !! Always let the KNOW you are 'SEEING' them. They will fall apart. Those that prey on the vulnerable are internally WEAK, sad and ALWAYS SCARED.

[RKP5637]

3. If Trump remains unscathed, it will set the precedence in the US for future rocky times and

sets the message do what the F you want, because there are no consequences to the gang of thugs.

[blueinredohio]

4. I agree with this. They have to be punished one way or another or it will only get worse.

[GulfCoast66]

5. Yeah. Same here and I agree with your overall point.

My dad drilled into me that if he ever heard of me picking on weaker kids it was the belt for me. But if a bully set on me, even if I knew I might get beat up, I was to do my best to hurt him as bad as I could. Only got bullied one time. Turns out he wasn’t that tough. We ended up kind of friends and he stopped bullying. But hell, it was like 8th grade. Maybe 9th. Been a while.