Good point, Waiting.
Okay. Without getting totally specific. You are sitting amongst a group of people who you believe to be your friends. Long-time internet friends, and some you've met personally. All profess to BE your friend. You are in the public park having a picnic (public message board, not yours, Simon!)
Here comes Joe Blow, one who used to be part of the group, but he proved himself over and over to be a liar, a cheat, among other things, and a troublemaker. But he's sooooooo charming. So the new people around your group, who never knew him, fawn all over his charming greasy self. You are minding your own business, having a chat with people, when another party comes into the picnic, does something awful to one of your friends and then runs away. You AND your friends chase after the person who did this. In comes Greaseball. He starts grabbing YOU and beating on YOU just because you are the one who got him banned from the picnic for his lousy behavior. He sees the opportunity to get ahold of you and start bashing you into the ground, so he does. He leaves your friends alone. You are fighting with all your might with him, not to let him get the best of you.
Suddenly, all your friends at the picnic just sit back and watch the show! Their backbones seem to have taken a vacation. Their excuse is, "they don't want to get involved" Greaseball's reason for beating on you is he is angry that you "banned him". He claims innocence. EVERYONE who is not a newbie at the picnic knows he is not. They are the main ones he wronged. WHY do they sit there watching you get beat to a pulp, rather than beat the crap out of greaseball until he GOES AWAY? What kind of friends do this?
Do you have a right to expect your friends to help you, or at least knock the idiot off your back and let you get back up, or is that an unreasonable request? Or do you have no friends, you just THOUGHT you did?
Hope this helps,
RCat
Edited by - Roamingfeline on 16 February 2001 1:1:8