TUPELO, Miss. - Little Timmy Johnson, 8, had been having trouble with bullies at his new school in Tupelo, Miss. Having moved with his family to Mississippi several months earlier, Johnson was treated disrespectfully by long-time students of Rumsfeld Grammar School.
“Every day he’d show up with a black eye or with his lunch money stolen,” said Sally Johnson, Timmy’s mother. “We tried to get him to defend himself, but he was just overwhelmed by opposing forces that hated him for differing reasons.”
It was then that young Timmy devised a plan - He approached Jim Baca, the toughest bully in school, and offered him $10 a week for protection. Baca accepted, and within a matter of two weeks, Timmy Johnson was living a peaceful existence.
That all changed a week later, as Baca decided that working for Johnson was against his basic bully principles. From then on, Baca pummeled Johnson daily, stealing his lunch money, shoes and anything else he could take from the diminutive second-grader.
“When the money was right, I did what I was conracted to do for Timmy,” said Baca. “But once he was no longer being picked on, I had to look at my own beliefs and profit motives. I realized I didn’t want Timmy at this school, either, and have been beating him senseless ever since.”
For his part, Timmy Johnson said he has few answers. He said he offered other bullies money to protect him from Baca, but no one wanted to go against the boy everyone considered the toughest second-grader on the planet. Add to that the fact that Baca had a wide-range of selfless followers who would do anything for him.
“You’d think if you paid someone to be on your side, they’d be on your side forever,” said Timmy Johnson, nursing a broken nose. “But Jimmy changed sides really quickly. And you never see him coming. He hits you and disappears into the jungle gym.”
Despite the fact that her son is being savagely beaten every day, Sally Johnson said she plans to stay the course.
“This will all just eventually resolve itself, I hope. But under no circumstances will we cut and run,” said Sally Johnson. “There’s been talk about a surge of new students moving into the area, but I’m not too optimistic about that.
“I guess the lesson for Timmy is that he should never have let us enroll him in that school in the first place,” added Johnson. “But he’s stuck there now, with no way out really. Hopefully it will all work out for the best and the bullies will accept newcomers better. But I doubt it. Maybe some negotiations will help. Or more money.”
–WKW
Crossposted at William K. Wolfrum Chronicles
Comments
Fantastic analogy! Too bad Little Timmy Johnson's mom let that Little Timmy attend Rumsfeld Grammer School in the first place!
by sherriwilson (not verified) on Wed, 12/09/2009 - 12:46pm
by Daniel O'Rourke (not verified) on Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:26am
Oh, you must be talking about Bush!
Er, on second thought, maybe not.
Or maybe so!
In all seriousness, presumably you're trying to make an analogy to Obama, but it's faulty for numerous reasons. Whether he's part of the solution or part of the problem is a matter of opinion, so I won't argue that one. Obviously he did go out in the world and make a difference. Remember Palin making fun of him for it? You're correct that he never got in any actual trenches, but no President has in my lifetime, unless you count Jimmy Carter's service in the Navy, in nuclear submarines. Of course, you'll probably disparage Carter's service while finding no fault in Bush's AWOLs from the National Guard. As for enjoying the admiration from like minded fools, you're probably forgetting that he's recruited several Republicans onto his cabinet. The problem he's having with bipartisanship now stems from Republicans unwillingness to compromise (the public option is already a compromise, not to mention the trigger) on grounds of calling any compromise a road to a "slippery slope". As for enjoying failure, it's clearly the Republicans who are looking for failure. Limbaugh has outright said it, and did you hear those cheers from the RNC when Chicago lost its bid for the Olympics. Shameful.
by Nebton on Sun, 12/13/2009 - 10:33am
I was making fun of the author, William K. Wolfrum. Little Joey is actually Little William. I wrote the comment out of boredom, even though I do think the article is pap. So what did you get out of the article? My guess is Little Timmy is the United States. And the bully is... Iraq? Afghanistan? Who knows? Who cares? Really. I have another guess. William can clear it up for us, but I guess William was never in the military. I guess he was never was a cop, or a firefighter, or a paramedic. Hell, I bet he was never even in the Peace Corps. I bet he's just another guy on the sidelines, throwing stones at the players on the field. As for Bush bashing, or Obama bashing, or the bashing of any politician... does it honestly make anyone feel better? Does it inspire? Does it lift us up and advance any cause? I could not care less about the past military record of any president, past, present or future. I care only about his or her fitness to LEAD. But guess what? We always get the new boss, same as the old boss. I'll keep being a sheep dog, William can keep being a sheep. Oh, that is a reference to LTC (RET) Dave Grossman's essay. Now there is a guy who's been in the trenches. And to William K. Wolfrum... if I am wrong, I will have you over for a beer, where we can discuss our differences.
by Daniel O'Rourke (not verified) on Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:05am
If you followed the links, the analogies weren't really that vague. The bullies are Al Qaeda and/or the Taliban, and Jim Baca is the Taliban that we've paid to switch sides. Rumsfeld Grammar school is the war in Afghanistan, possibly with a side of lingering conflict in Iraq.
I am guilty of assuming your intent, however, and for that I apologize.
Furthermore, I agree that it's easier to criticize than to provide solutions.
by Nebton on Sun, 12/13/2009 - 12:06pm
Hey Nebton, no need to apologize, but I do appreciate it. You seem a reasonable person. I jus think people need to get out there and serve a purpose they believe in. Don't write about it. Don't blog about it. Don't op-ed about it. Don't be a legislator or a politician. Even 'community activists' are a cheap and innefectual vessel for 'real change.' Most talk-talk-talk but never get anything done. But talk. Go out and Do It. Dig a sewer in a third world country. Give CPR to a dying man. Free a neighborhood from the grip of violence. It's not easy, and it's not cheap, in terms of emotional capitol. Sometimes it's not cheap in terms of personal safety.
I was just calling William out, because I think he is talk-talk-talk. But like I said, I will gladly have a beer summit to find out otherwise. Take care...
by Daniel O'Rourke (not verified) on Sun, 12/13/2009 - 1:30pm
Here's to beer summits! They might not get anything done, but… beer!
by Nebton on Sun, 12/13/2009 - 1:36pm