Boys will be boys

LISA HOBBS

News Editor

The phrase “boys will be boys” has been historically used to excuse or normalize boys’ mischievous or aggressive behavior, often reenforcing gender stereotypes and leaving the girls they occasionally target feeling like they’ve done something to deserve what happened to them.

Society has, either knowingly or unknowingly, rubber stamped the bad behavior of boys, who someday will become men, for their roughhousing, competitiveness, or aggression. The phrase implies acceptance or tolerance for actions that might otherwise be considered inappropriate. In essence, excusing them from accountability and allowing them to act without consequences.  

As people weighed-in online about the situation involving the teenagers arrested last Sunday, I fully expected some individuals to use that phrase. Maybe, just maybe, say these situations were harmless yard rolling and the dad needed to lighten up. Nothing could be further from the truth, in my opinion. This was repeated retaliation by a boy and his friends against a girl who rejected him. He needs therapy and counseling, and he needs it now.

A few more observations:

·         People always want to make law enforcement look like the bad guys. These deputies did what they could with what they had. They can’t just arrest people without proof. Sadly, a man could have lost his life trying to obtain it. That, however, is not the fault of the deputies or Warren County Sheriff’s Office. That blame lies with the boys and their behavior that night.

·         On the night of the incident, WCSO and McMinnville Police Department acted quickly to locate the two vehicles and the boys. Kudos to you for a job well done.

·         Why were these boys allowed to be out at all hours of the night? They were chased off four times in one night. Where was their parental supervision? You’ve got one set of parents, maybe more, who are allowing them to roam freely. No good can come from that. If you’re not that parent, maybe you should reconsider who your child hangs around with.  

·         Lastly, why do people without children want to weigh-in on situations regarding children? I had a friend who decided she didn’t want to have any, but she would give her thoughts on how to raise them. For those people, I have two words: shut up. If you’ve never raised a child to adulthood, I really don’t want to hear what you have to say regarding what you’d do in this type of situation. You are, even if you don’t know it, clueless.

I’m with dad, I want their cell phone records pulled. If these instances were retaliatory in nature and escalating, the boys need to face more than a slap on the wrist. If not, they will eventually graduate from being protected by the courts to being named on dockets. Action now might prevent that, as well as save another young lady from what this one had to endure - 10 months of torment for not wanting to go on a date with a boy she didn’t like.