There is a strain of vile people that our communities need to expunge. These serpents are penetrating the ears of our youth with their venomous tongues.  We must find a way to stop feeding these folks, stop giving them air time, stop even glancing their way, and stop up their noxious voice boxes.

One such nitwit spewed his poison at a recent “nine and under” boys lacrosse game. The kids in the game were 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. Babies. This was the first game of the season, and the first game ever for many of these boys.

The score was 3-0. Our orange team was beating the red team. A red player suddenly tripped an orange player, sending the orange player to the ground, hurt. A flag flew from the fist of the officials, and the red player was penalized.

As the hurt orange player struggled to get back in the game, the father of the tripper said, “That’s what you get for running up the score!”

I will let the “running up the score” portion of the comment go, although I will point out that we were only up by a mere 3 points.

What I can’t seem to shake were the first four words: “That’s what you get.”

“That’s what you get.” Perhaps that is what Joan Crawford said to her daughter after this “mommy dearest” beat her sweet child for using wire hangers.

“That’s what you get.” Perhaps that is what Jeffery Dahmer said when one of his victims resisted his soup de jour.

“That’s what you get.” This is a new low in sentiments of rotten role models for kids. How does that red player stand a chance to grow into a compassionate, kind adult?

I am a high school teacher with nearly 20 years under my belt. I see these kids who you modeled on the fields in their days of youth. They come to my classroom as young adults. The impact that you had on them glares me in the face each day. I feel for these misguided kids.

Let me just tell you, Mr. Red Jersey Dad, just what YOU are “going to get”.

You are going to “get” a kid who takes no responsibility for anything that he does.

You are going to “get” a kid who bullies his peers and can’t find happiness in the world around him.

You  are going to “get” a kid who spends much of his life trying to impress his dad and it will never be enough for you.

You are going to “get” a kid who will eventually put himself first; he won’t care about you when you are old.

You are going to “get” a kid who never respects authority.

You are going to “get” a kid who taunts kids on the bus, cheats, and makes fun of kids with disabilities.

You may, if we are all lucky,  “get” a kid who will one day have an epiphany and realize that his dad is a bully… and tells you before it is too late.

That’s what I HOPE you get.

-H.C.