STANDING ALONE
7/13/08
I have been talking about politically incorrect issues for many years on television, radio and the internet. I have interviewed hundreds of newsmakers, authors and activists on many controversial issues. I have said things on radio and written them on this web site that have attacked the status quo and the finer sensibilities of the greater liberal and conservative public, yet I am amazed at how little criticism I receive any more for my views or for the views of others I present.
I’ve discovered over the last nine years I have been broadcasting my opinions, that most of my audiences either hate me or like me, and there are few in between. I’ve had several people confront me verbally on the street, after I’ve aired certain controversial topics on television. In the early years of my radio show, I would receive many angry or threatening calls or emails or letters to the station. But as my audience grew and my commentaries and verbal attacks on so many public and political personalities and issues proved to be valid and accurate, and later received main stream coverage, I no longer get angry callers or letters or threats.
As I became more aware of the falsehoods of both the Left and Right political spectrums, I noticed a remarkable change in myself and my audience. I believe many in my audience were surprised I didn’t pander for support or validation from the Left or Right. My views were my own and I decided upon them by my extensive research on the issues. I felt the need to present facts and present my finding in an independent forum. I realized I must truly stand alone to be the most effective in presenting my views. Standing alone against a crowd never bothered me. I’ve done it my entire life. I’ve gotten use to it. Anyone who who hates injustice, deceit, corruption, and hypocrisy, or hate someone or thing having complete control over your life , you will learn early how to stand alone. If you really want to find the truth of any issue , it takes objectivity, curiosity,research and above all the courage to accept the fact, that maybe you’ve been lied to by all the people you once trusted; those authorities are parents, grand parents,teachers, priests, preachers, politicians, favorite writers, musicians, philosophers, scientists, doctors, lawyers, artists, etc.. Too often when you find out the motivatiions and madness of these people it leaves you confused and angry, especially if you are a child or young adult.
I remember being expelled from high school because my hair was growing over my ears and I happen to wear a pair of black jeans and boots that day. It was in the middle of winter. The principal yelled at me in the hall way during a change of classes, and called out my name loudly in front of a hundred students. I was 20 or 30 feet away from him . I turned to look at him as he rushed towards me and said,” Your hair is too long and you’re wearing jeans and boots, get out of here and go home. You’re expelled for three days.” I looked at him defiantly and said,”Expelled, for what?” By then everyone in the hallway was gathered around us as he began to yell and say,” Get out of here! There are no boots or jeans allowed in this school and your hair must be cut over the ear!” I dropped my books on his foot and told him “I’d be happy to leave, but you should leave as well; because you are insane.” Some of the many students standing around us began to laugh as others stood back and walked away from us. I quickly turned away from him and began to walk to the main door, as he shouted out,” YOUR EXPELLED FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR!” I didn’t bother to turn around to reply and walked out the main entrance. I was back in school three days later after my father (who happened to be on the school board) convinced me to cut my hair and apologize for my comment. I cut my hair , but didn’t apologize. What was sick about this whole incident was , that my hair wasn’t any longer than most of the boys in the school. He had to single someone out and it happened to be me. I got three days off school, and the weekend. I enjoyed myself.
I remember the day I returned to school. I was a sophmore and played basketball on the Junior Varsity squad. I had a practice after school and went into the locker room to get changed. Everyone was laughing about my expulsion, and what I said to the Principal and agreed he was crazy. As the coach walked in he heard the comment and laughter and singled me out and said, “Leo you get an extra 50 laps.” I hadn’t said anything , and was tying my sneakers. I looked up at him and said ,”What for?” He said, “Because your a Jerk.” I finished tying my sneaker and calmly stood up and said, “I’m a jerk?” I could see the blood rushing to his face before he shouted “Get out there and do a hundred laps!” We had always done fifty laps as a warm up , he wanted an extra fifty from me. I didn’t loose it yet, and walked passed him and left the locker room. As I began to run around the gym I figured I’d do fifty laps with the rest of the players , but I’d stop when they did. The coach was being an asshole and everyone knew it. The coach was an asshole, but I was the only one who ever said it to his face. I finished my laps with the other players , when the coach told me to give him another fifty laps. I refused and sat down on the bleachers to catch my breath. He walked up to me and shouted at me saying “YOU GIVE ME FIFTY MORE OR YOUR OFF THE TEAM!”
I knew a few choice words might give him a heart attack , so I couldn’t resist. I began to laugh and said, “No, I did my fifty, If you want fifty more you do them.” I was right the bastard popped a vein in his neck and started yelling at me at the top of his voice. I stayed seated and looked at him like he was absolutely insane,(which he was) and refused to move. He started to stomp his feet and wave his hands and yell insults at me until I finally stood up and began to walk to the locker room. He followed me still swearing at me as I walked into the locker room. I was taller than he was and when we got into the locker room I turned around and confronted him. He was red as a beet and almost breathless, when I said, “Your a fucking asshole, and the entire school knows it, your kids know it and your wife knows it. I quit your fucking team.” I wiped my face with my towel and headed to the shower. He began to yell again and said,”I’m getting you kicked out of this school and your not coming back!” I didn’t reply. He left the locker room and slammed the door behind him. I took a shower and got changed. As I walked out of the gym fully dressed with my coat on, one of the players shouted at me saying,” Get expelled again ?” I said, “No but I’m not playing ball anymore, I quit.” Everyone went silent as the coach said, ” He’s gone forget him or you all get 50 laps. ”
The next day I was called into the Principal’s office before my first class. The coach told the Principal about what happened and now I was facing two assholes, who wanted my head on a platter. The Principal looked at me sternly and said, ” Did you call Mr. …… an asshole?” I looked at both of them and said, “No.” The coach started to get bright red as the Principal said”He told me you did and that you quit the team.” I replied,” I quit the team but I didn’t call him an asshole, and no one can say I did call him one. He was the one calling me names, and threatening me.” The Principal turned to the coach and asked him, if anyone had heard him call him an asshole.” The coach looked at him crossly and said, ” He’s lying. He’s a damned liar, he called me an asshole in the locker room and said everyone knew I was an asshole, even my wife and kids.” I remained quiet as the Principal asked him,”No one heard him say that ?” The coach looked down and said “No, but he said it and I told him he wouldn’t play on the team again and would be expelled.” The principal looked at me and asked,”Did he tell you you would be expelled?” I replied, “Yes, but that was after I quit the team. He was yelling and insulting me for almost 15 minutes, and wanted me to do fifty more laps, and called me a jerk in front of the team for no reason. I didn’t say or do anything to deserve it, so I quit.” The Principal looked down at his desk and shook his head. He knew he couldn’t pin anything on me. He told me to go back to class. That was the end of the issue. I was a marked man, from that day on , but I stayed clear of both of them for the next two years. I still played basketball, but only intramurals. No one coached intramural teams.
Standing up for yourself, means standing alone 99% of the time. As for the other one percent, you might be lucky enough to have a witness or a supporter who is willing to take your side, but you can never depend on them. You may not be the most popular person at work or on campus, if you stand up for yourself and stand alone, but you really shouldn’t care about being popular. Not being abused , or lied to is far more important . I don’t expect anyone to defend me, I don’t expect anyone to agree with me. I merely expect justice, the right to defend myself, the right to speak the truth , and the right to call an asshole an asshole.
L.A. STEEL
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