Why Do Confrontations Have to Escalate?

Fighting and dying over nothing

It happened during an afternoon screening of “ Lone Survivor,” starring Mark Wahlberg. There was a confrontation between two men over one man’s texting during the movie.

Curtis Reeves, a 79 year years old Retired police officer, confronted Chad Oulson. Oulson was texting during the movie. Oulson threw popcorn in Reeves’s face and lunged at the old man. Reeves pulled his gun and fired.

It wasn’t worth killing and dying over

Eight years later, Curtis Reeves was found “Not Guilty,” on all charges. I’m not writing about the merits of either side’s case, I don’t know all the facts. I am writing about the attitudes of people.

I was a Security Officer. I saw situations like what happened in that theatre, and I saw it almost daily when I was homeless. People will get in an altercation, and risk escalation over nothing.

We left the playground years ago, so we should grow up

One guy bumps into another guy, and doesn’t apologize, some woman calls another woman a name. The next thing you know, violence is a word away.

And it’s over nothing, things that don’t matter. If you’re sitting close to some idiot texting or talking on a phone during a movie. Find another seat, or complain to the manager.

Put the stupid phone away and enjoy the world around you

Fighting and dying over someone using a phone are stupid. Most confrontations are stupid if you think about it. Road Rage is a thing. I get it, it angers me when some clown cuts me off, but I figure that it will catch up to the other driver at some point.

I don’t catch up to the other driver and try to run him off the road. People should let things go. When I was working security I had to call the cops often.

Fighting with the officer when you know you will lose

I would watch in amazement as a simple call would turn into jail time. All because someone had to argue with and resist the officers. A citation or a lecture from a cop is better than a night in jail, isn’t it?

This whole “ You Desrespected me” thing is absurd. Are adults getting angry to the point of violence over words? That stuff is tolerated and expected on a playground but in the world of adults? People need to grow up.

I don’t have an issue with guns

I’m not against guns, it’s every adult’s Right to have them, but why did the old man have a gun at the movies? and why wasn’t the phone put away? movies are expensive to go to, watch the movie and leave the phone alone.

People need to stop being so self-absorbed and consider the people around them. there’s no reason to have a gun at a movie theatre.

Final Thought:

Lives can be changed and ruined because people refuse to back down and walk away, and that’s sad.