I am as horrified as the rest of you by this sick Knockout “game.”
The idea of violence being a fun thing is simply anathema and offensive to our humanity. The thought of teens randomly knocking out unsuspecting passers-by on the street is, aside from obviously being dangerous, just so disturbing.
And the added feature of this calculated act of violence being videoed by one of their peers to be posted online as a mark of pride leaves many of us speechless.
How sad and and warped that another’s pain is what gets a rise out of some teens in the USA.
To be sure, this is a dire sign of and commentary on the emptiness and twistedness of some of America’s youth, which is worrisome.
Aside from the obvious danger, there is real sadness in thinking that this is what passes for entertainment for the teens engaging in this violence.
What can we all do to help these teens, and others who might be vulnerable to becoming the next perpetrators of Knockout?
The only thing I can think of is a memory that pops into my mind. When I lived in Israel, I was walking down a street in Jerusalem one day when a teenager clasping a pile of cards in his hand handed one to me, a random passer-by.
I looked down and saw a refrain from a popular Israeli song composed by Naomi Shemer. The postcard captured the image of two people walking, clasping hands. Over that, in white fancy Hebrew print, were the words:
“Anashim tovim b’emtza ha-derech, good people who find their way along the journey.”
I looked up and smiled at the teen and told him how much I loved what he was doing. I took an extra postcard. I kept one in my purse and hung the other one on the inside of my front door, as an inspirational reminder to myself every time I left my apartment.
Here was someone who went to the trouble of creating an artistic expression to be distributed in order to promote a community of anashim tovim, good people.
I haven’t thought of that postcard in a long time. When I moved I packed it up somewhere and haven’t seen it since.
But this week after learning of Knockout, it got me thinking.
What can we do?
We can counter Knockout with simple acts of kindness. Kindness, not Knockout.
Let’s do it. You, me. All of us.
Let’s flood Denver with small acts of kindness, knocking people’s socks off with, instead of violence, the joy and surprise of a random act of kindness by a stranger.
Let’s create Denver as a city where a different kind of Knockout takes place and brings teens and so many others the satisfaction of knowing you helped a stranger. Let’s promote that.
We can do this. We can revolutionize our culture to become a culture of kindness.
Readers, if this week alone each of us only once pays the groceries of the person standing ahead of us in line, we will create a wave of thousands of unsuspecting strangers being on the receiving end of random kindness.
This can create a ripple effect of kindness, and who knows how this can eventually spread in deeper ways in our society?
Of course, it doesn’t have to be paying for groceries. That is just what I thought of off the top of my head. You can tip generously. You can pay someone’s car toll in advance. Or help someone whose plight comes to your attention.
I am sure you have many more creative ideas. Do them!
Having someone film the act of kindness might seem self-congratulatory and antithetical to the idea of kindness, but if Knockout perpetrators are filming the violence, why not film the kindness?
Post those videos online, popularize the idea, promote the surprise element in giving and joy. We can all use encouragement from each other, which such photos or videos would give.
As soon as I can today, I will be on my way to a grocery store to implement this idea of Kindness, not Knockout. Of “anashim tovim be’emtza ha-derech.” I will go to a King Soopers in a neighborhood where people can especially use the break.
Perhaps some of the schools can re-create this “anashim tovim” postcard in English with students’ different artistic expressions, and encourage students to distribute them. Put your school insignia on the card (or on a pin) and show the community that you promote a culture of Acts of Kindness.
In the meantime, I will look through my stuff for the original anashim tovim good people postcard that I know I saved somewhere.
Copyright © 2013 by the Intermountain Jewish News
