I originally wrote this essay in 2015 for my private client/student groups. Given my post last month on Listening, I thought it might be a suitable follow-up. This scene goes on for 9 minutes. What are the first words that come to mind about his behavior? Now indulge me for a short bit here:
PS, clearly this kid is distressed and disturbed (alcohol related or otherwise). The hand on his neck from the cafeteria manager 7+ minutes in is inappropriate and should not have happened - and, it further underscores my point. He's allowed to carry on as he did for a very long time, and engage in physical contact twice, before he is confronted in this way. Even then, he's for the most part simply held until the police arrive and arrest him. He walks away without any real physical harm.
Note also, there aren't a half dozen police officers racing in, guns drawn. Because the call they likely received was something along the lines of: some kid's drunk and acting like an idiot at the cafeteria. With different actors but the exact same scenario, that call might well have been: there's a black kid attacking the cafeteria manager.
PS, clearly this kid is distressed and disturbed (alcohol related or otherwise). The hand on his neck from the cafeteria manager 7+ minutes in is inappropriate and should not have happened - and, it further underscores my point. He's allowed to carry on as he did for a very long time, and engage in physical contact twice, before he is confronted in this way. Even then, he's for the most part simply held until the police arrive and arrest him. He walks away without any real physical harm.
Note also, there aren't a half dozen police officers racing in, guns drawn. Because the call they likely received was something along the lines of: some kid's drunk and acting like an idiot at the cafeteria. With different actors but the exact same scenario, that call might well have been: there's a black kid attacking the cafeteria manager.