…it was back before I started school. It was against a kid who was older and bigger than him. I can’t recall what the cause of it was, I think it had something to do with an insult to our family.
Well as you might guess the bigger and older kid beat up my brother pretty bad and won the fight, but you would never know it from looking at him because my brother fought as if his life depended on it. His only thought was to inflict pain on his opponent and succeeded to such a degree that for the rest of his time at any level of in every school nobody ever even thought of trying mess with him. Not bad for the school Brain Box.
To this day he fears no one. When people in Massachusetts were afraid to say boo about a certain Presidential candidate he constantly referred to him publicly as “Fluffy Hussien” (fluffy because of his lack of substance) totally unintimidated by the surrounding liberals of any color some of whom had authority over him. He has no problem telling anyone to their face exactly what he thinks. Nobody crosses him. Everyone knows he means business…
…he is an auditor.
When I was 8 I was caught in a similar situation with a 13 year old I was over a friends house and he said something about my father and I went after him.
I am nowhere near as strong as my brother so every time I went after the kid he knocked me down, every time i got back up and went right back after him. This was repeated over 10 minutes until my pal finally pulled me away and the other guy left. I was mortified at my poor showing to this day I’m ashamed I didn’t make a better one, but I’m not ashamed that I fought.
I’ve always been the family diplomat, I tend to see the best in people and without evidence to the contrary take people at their word. It has burned me on occasion but that’s me. My religion also demands I make peace when I can. The only exceptions I have always made have been matters of honor and respect. The only real fights I’ve had with my wife have been in those cases. In marriage and life you pick the hill to die on, family, honor and respect are mine It’s part of the Sicilian American way of living.
My boys have standing orders not to swing first in a fight unless there is an insult to their mother or grandmother. Three years ago my youngest swung fist at school and I talked to the vice principal. I told him what the guy in question said about his mother (who worked at the school) and informed him that he had standing permission to swing in a case like that, in fact I expected him to. The VP punished my son according to the rules as required but privately told me that he would have done the same thing and hoped his sons would too.
When he later violated those rules last year I punished him heavily, not only for the act but because it was a dishonorable act.
Personal honor is something worth fighting for. In Sicilian culture it is very important, there are times when one takes great risk in doing so but in the end you can only pass on your name.
This ran in my family in the late 1930’s my uncle was considered one of the brightest kids in his high school class, but when he was sent to the principal’s office and the principal called him a “dirty ginny” he punched him out and quit school (the latter was ill advised) but went on to win the bronze star under Patton.
His father 20 years earlier had been in court in a dispute with another man. In court the fellow called my Grandfather a ginny. He started toward him and the Judge warned him that he would fine him $10 if he laid a hand on him. My grandfather was an Italian immigrant barber and a haircut cost 25 cents in those days. He went over punched the guy out and walked to the bench and handed the judge the $10 that he worked days to earn. And we won’t get into the details of my parents defending their business and family from fists and guns from people in authority who didn’t want Italians running a business in town.
And that brings me to the subject that I’m been very obsessed over that’s Robert Stacy McCain. As I’ve repeatedly said I’ve never met him or Charles Johnson and have only rarely exchanged e-mails with both. Other than what they have said on their blogs I know nothing of their personal lives.
I saw Charles accusations concerning Robert, they were serious not only in terms of his career as a reporter and someone supporting a family of 6 but in terms of honor. The next day after reacting with righteous anger over the statements Robert answered and provided explanations as well. They more than satisfied me and I take him at his word.
He has since been relentless in attacking Charles. If Mr. Johnson had been standing in front of Mr. McCain I suspect he would have handled it in the same way my brother did years ago. As that was not the case he has gone after him relentlessly; post after post, blog after blog, holding nothing back. When I see that on his blog I see my brother, my uncle, my father and my grandfather.
However there is another factor here, Robert Stacy McCain is the father of six. Those six carry his name and to some degree his reputation. He is fighting for their honor, his father honor and his great grandfather’s honor. He also as a father has to set the example for his children to stand up for themselves. If he lets this go without satisfaction he the example he will be setting will be terrible. As a father I see it and nod.
This is why as long as there is not an honorable resolution Robert Stacy will make sure in the words of Jeb Stuart whom he quoted “He will regret it but once, and that will be continuously.” It is not possible for him to do anything else, the consequences otherwise are too great and the longer it lingers the smaller the chances of an honorable solution will be.
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