17-year-old Asian American victim valued his life more than his reprisal

 

By David Ka Wai Pan

The Guardsman

A 17-year-old Asian American male from Chicago was beaten up by six teenagers—the majority of them wore hoods to conceal their identities–on January 17th.

This viral video portrayed the victim as a passive teenager unable to defend himself, but he was not passively defending himself. He was, instead, actively defending himself—more specifically, his life–by acknowledging the consequences behind his retaliation. Had he retaliated, he would have been outnumbered by these six teenage thugs.

Had he retaliated, he could have beaten him more severely, causing more bruises and lacerations. But more importantly, had he retaliated, he could have been the victim of excess hemorrhage caused by excess traumatic forces.

This 17-year-old Asian American, in other words, could have died had he impulsively sought reprisal.

But he did not. He laid on the ground in self-defense, absorbing these ruthless blows by these ruthless, teenage thugs to avoid more ruthless blows.

In the end, this self-defense had him seeking medical treatment. But he lived to see another day, a day where he could seek justice for this racially motivated crime.

Good call.

 

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