Now you can't play a game of dodgeball without getting in trouble

Try this one on for size.

A 10 year old boy is being charged with assault after striking another boy in the face in a game of dodgeball three months ago at their school. One boy is white. One is African-American. Can you guess which one was charged?

If you said the African-American, Bryce Lindley, go to the head of the class.

Now, ye scribe, like so many other kids, played dodgeball in gym class from time to time over the years. There was never any intent to injure, but according to the victim's mom and local police, it seems that young Mr. Lindley had intent on his mind. The victim and his mother have chosen anonymity, perhaps out of fear that the victim might be shamed over the incident. The mother, for her part, claims her child had some earlier issues, and got a black eye and some bruises. Seems earlier, the victim threw the ball over Lindley's head and out of bounds, forcing a stoppage in play. Sounds to me like this was gym class, and not recess.

The whining mom claims her son has been targeted before, including an incident two weeks earlier.

But, bringing charges of aggravated assault on a 10 year old is an overreaction that requires this reaction:



Despite what some online reports suggest, I don't think race is a factor here. Actor-comedian D. L. Hughley tweeted that the game is "kids just being kids", and he's absolutely right. However, this is also a product of the times we live in. A white child and his mother don't want to be identified on camera or in print, but they don't hesitate to ID Bryce Lindley after he's been arrested. You want to talk about scarring a kid for life? Give me a break.

It's like Bryce's mom said. The victim, with his medical history, shouldn't have been playing, and should've gotten a pass from the nurse's office, but did his mom think of that? Nope. Her loss, more than the Lindleys.