Anyone who has been the victim of bullying will know how it feels. It’s this long, drawn-out process where you’re torn away bit by bit and all that’s left is a husk of who you were. You find yourself destroyed.

The truth is, few argue that bullying isn’t a problem in our schools. Today, anti-bullying efforts have been kicked into supposed high gear. Everyone from actors to popular cartoon characters is featured in public service announcements supposedly aimed at stopping bullying.

Yet, all too often, none of it works.

When my own son experienced bullying, the schools were less than able to adapt to the problem. Reporting a bullying incident resulted in the bully trying to slam a locker on my boy’s fingers. No action beyond a slap on the wrist was taken.

So when I saw this, I sympathized with the mother.

After a length bit of abuse by the bullies, young Drew had enough:

When this kid threatened Drew (while on the bus) and then moved on to making fun of his Dad and then threatening Jackson, his 11-year-old brother, Drew decided that he would quit relying on the school and the adults who are suppose to protect him and HE would do something. Three punches and his bully screamed like a baby, his minion friends shut up, and this morning the bully wouldn’t even look at him.

Problem solved.

Yep. That’ll do it.

However, I can’t help but notice that Drew was the one suspended. Much like my own son was when he finally had enough with one of his bullies and beat the tar out of him. The bullies walked while the boys standing up for themselves are the ones punished.

Now, this is a site focused on gun politics as well as the politics of self-defense. Ordinarily, school disciplinary matters wouldn’t really mean much to us, but I see this and can’t help but think about how schools are conditioning students not to stand up for themselves. They’re conditioning people to be victims.

Couple this with how so many schools not only allowed by facilitated the student walkout for gun control a couple of years ago and we can start to see something of a pattern.

Is it intentional? Maybe not.

However, schools have spent generations indoctrinating people to not fight back, to allow the authorities to handle it, and that filters out into the world. It’s why so many people seem to think it’s the police’s job to protect you despite case law stating otherwise. It’s why they’re embracing gun control.

The truth of the matter is that Drew did what he had to do to end the problem. That’s not something to be punished, but something to be celebrated. He should be rewarded, not penalized.

I won’t try to tell Drew’s mother how to raise her child. It’s clear, though, that she approves of his actions. I do as well.

What I will say is how I dealt with my son when he beat up a bully and I had to retrieve him from school. I bought the kid some ice cream and told him how proud I was of him.

There’s no reason to raise a generation of victims.