Well, I got the REAL story on the beating, I think...

by seeitallclearlynow 5 Replies latest jw friends

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  seeitallclearlynow

  My son went to visit the old friend who just got home from the hospital after having his face horribly beaten by an old enemy.

  The story the old friend and his brother tell sounds much different than what we were first told...the first account was delivered by another former friend of my son's at the Kingdom Hall; so if you read my post about my son's childhood friend having been nearly beaten to death and left to die in an alley, sorry - it didn't exactly happen like that.

  According to the one who had his jaw broken in several places (that part is very true), they were all hanging out at a party at a friend's house. Out of the blue, the attacker put a metal lighter in his palm and sucker punched the other young man from the side, in the jaw. This knocked him down, in great pain. In a fury, he, with his jaw horribly damaged after this one punch, then lit into the attacker, beating him and leaving HIM on the floor.

  At this point, the one holding the party told the guys they could not fight in his house, and our friend noticed something was terribly wrong with his jaw, and told his brother he needed to get him out of there.

  So there was no alley, no one was nearly beaten to death, and I do apologize for reporting the story just as I heard it from a young fellow.

  But even so, as my son was telling me about it and describing the friend's current swollen condition, I just got so upset-- I got light headed and I thought I was going to be sick, wanted to cry, and then did so when I imagined my own son hurt like that. It was so upsetting and frightening.

  My son felt pretty bad too, after reminiscing with the boys and realizing that none of his old friends from that area have had any success in life, have no aspirations, no dreams, they've given up on their music, work in dead-end jobs, with no particular goals, no effort to improve their future prospects.
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  talesin

  {{{{{seeitallclearlynow}}}}}

  Violence is so disturbing, 'specially this close to home. Give your boy a big hug, know he is safe.

  I hope this young man (his friend) will be able to get on track. He can if he wants to, maybe this experience will start him thinking about making some changes. It's hard to turn your life around when you have received so little parenting. Your caring about him will surely help.

  talesin
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  Panda

  SIACN, Your son is lucky to have such a caring Mom! And even if his friend wasn't beaten to death, I'd have to say a broken jaw and all that attends it is awful enough, I mean it'll take a year for bones to mend and then he'll probably have dental and hearing troubles... Why do these young guys think it's so important to fight?
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  Odrade

  none of his old friends from that area have had any success in life, have no aspirations, no dreams, they've given up on their music, work in dead-end jobs, with no particular goals, no effort to improve their future prospects.

  This is way more sad than the beating...
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  seeitallclearlynow

  I agree, Odrade, isn't it? We were both sad after his visit. My son even felt bad for wearing his NEW SHOES for heaven's sake. It was that bad.

  Well.
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  seeitallclearlynow

  talesin - thanks, I appreciate it. That's just what I'm hoping. My son has invited the guy to go rock climbing with him when he is well enough, and it sounds like he might go with him. But it's such a gruelling sport! It scares me that my own son does it, never mind someone just getting over such serious injuries.

  But Son says it's not so dangerous and besides physically inclined people just have to do things like this - and I understand that. It also feels good that the other guy seems to appreciate the interest his former friends are showing in him, since they had naturally drifted apart. My son and the other boys who have visited him are still active JWs, and since being reinstated my son has not engaged in the partying and drinking, while the other fellow fell completely into the destructive lifestyle that included alcoholism, crime, violence, and other behaviors that resulted in his current situation. Shoot I sound like a WT article. Don't mean to. I swear if the one who is hurt were an older adult, none of the adults in the congregation would show any interest in him. But I've noticed kids are different. They really seem to rally round when one of their own, even one from the past, is hurt. I love that about young people.

  Panda - thanks, I had not realized all the problems that will probably result from this jaw-breaking - but you're right on - he has metal braces not on his teeth, but on his gums, and plates in his jaw and bolts in his poor chin. His teeth have become separated because of the destruction of parts of his jaw.

  I guess I'm really carrying on about this, but it's just never hit home before and I have always been horrified by this kind of excessive violence. And ever since I had my son I have had such a strong attachment to young people.