'Rebels With a Cause' - essay by Steven Cory Smith

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Rebel With a Cause



One of the reasons I dropped out to go straight to getting a GED, had a lot to do with the ruthlessness of my peers. Many of these kids were just so absorbed with the usual list of things: sex, causing chaos for the teachers, more sex, marijuana in the bathrooms... talk about what parties they went to during the weekend. All these traditional teenage practices, had started to twist all these kids into being amoral. Some of them were plain evil!

Not many people are born genuinely twisted. There had to be a reason, rather than just home life, that made these kids act out of control at school. I knew this fact, because I did go visit friends' houses. Some of these friends, while rule-breaking-rebellious-freaks at school, had great relationships with their parents and very organized homes.

My mom and I cut a deal for dropping out, and had the official day for that set a small distance into the future. This meant I took advantage of the fact that I could get in lot's of trouble and not have that many long-lasting consequences. I ended up punishing many people during the last month of high school. I have Asperger's Syndrome, and the councellors, for whatever reason, refused to give me an IEP (individual education program,) which would help me through school. My stepdad nearly decided to sue them because of this.

I cast all fear aside, and started talking back to the teachers who deserved disrespect. Who, I am convinced, only became teachers to make kids' lives a living Hell. These teachers were part of the reason some of these kids became drug-addicted, rebellious to their parents, and the overall reason some kids would decide never to graduate high school, nor get their GED. (Some of the administration members were great; some even sided with me secretly.)

Even when I did sympathize with them greatly, I did have to take care of some peer trouble. Too many tossed around the word 'fa***t', and I personally hate being called that. I'm about as unhomosexual as they come. Instead of punching, kicking, tripping, or whatever, I constructed a better way for punishing students who mistreated me. I did nothing while in class... and waited until the bell rang. Everyone carried their books/papers in a pile, since backpacks were banned in most schools in the area. I approached the target from behind, or at the side, while in the hallways. What did I do? I knocked their books/papers from their arms, unto the floor.

This by far was the best vengeance. Think about it:

* Assignments scattering to the four winds. Assignments that are perhaps due very soon.

* Bent papers in the textbooks. Never good for when turning them in at the end of the year.

* The student never went after me. There were only a couple of minutes in between classes. No time to attack me: they had to get on the ground and start picking up their things!

In general, I am actually very respectful to authority figures. Some of those in authority will be mean, apathetic, and cruel. Sometimes we can do nothing about it. However... when something can be done about it, in a way that will benefit everyone... that is the time to rebel.



BALDWIN CITY, KS
HIGH SCHOOL / USD 348

Good luck my friends!

I constructed a better way for punishing students who mistreated me. I did nothing while in class... and waited until the bell rang.

I approached the target from behind, or at the side, while in the hallways. What did I do? I knocked their books/papers from their arms, unto the floor.