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Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, books, bullying, Cherie White, He Was Weird, New Jersey, stereotypes, Tennessee, Townies Cronies and Hayseeds
No, there isn’t any upcoming sporting event between Ramsgate and Thomasville so don’t ask. Besides, Ramsgate is in New Jersey and Thomasville is in Tennessee. Therefore, it’s a bit difficult for either city to make such a journey. It’s also nullified by the fact that neither of these towns actually exist. They are both figments of the imaginations of myself and Cherie White through my book, “He Was Weird” and her book, “Townies, Cronies and Hayseeds.”
Both books are stories about bullying where the protagonist of the story is a target of horrendous bullying. Both stories have shocking climaxes and favourable outcomes although the journeys to the outcomes are very different. Another difference is that for the purposes of the individual stories, Ramsgate is in New Jersey and Thomasville is in Tennessee. For many Americans, they are two totally different worlds, many non-Americans might not make that distinction. The towns are also on opposite sides of the Mason-Dixon Line which can foster stereotypes and ignorance and that is what the meat of this post is about.
Suppose someone from Ramsgate was to discover all of the horrendous bullying events the protagonist in Thomasville was going through, they would shake their heads and dismiss it as the actions of an ignorant Southern state, content in the thought that such a thing wouldn’t happen in their town. Maybe not on the grand scale of what happens in “Townies, Cronies and Hayseeds,” but they would be in for a shock.
A person in Ramsgate might cover their mouth in horror at the fact that bullies run the town of Thomasville and are capable of appalling deeds with no recourse. How even the children can get away with the most violent bullying because their fathers hold such high positions like mayor or sheriff. However, they would dismiss any notion of anything like that happening in Ramsgate. While it’s true that many of the bullies in “He Was Weird” might not have gotten away Scott-free with the bullying atrocities which occurred in Thomasville, the sanctions handed down to the bullies were inconsequential to say the least. One bully boasted to the victim that he was untouchable because his uncle was the chief of police. It’s the reason why when the victim is indecently assaulted by an adult, the adult gets off with what many would consider a mere slap on the wrist. Another bully’s father is a respected lawyer in the town so there was no way, that bully would face any real consequences. So, is the bullying culture of Ramsgate that different to Thomasville? You decide.
While the semantics of the bullying which occurs in both books is different, one point which we can all agree on is that bullying takes place everywhere and in all cases, it’s who you know which allows a bullying culture to go on. What we can learn that bullies will be free to do their worst if they are connected to a position of privilege and power wherever that bully may be. There is no where on this Earth which is totally bully free, it can happen anywhere but it can be stopped anywhere as well. So, if a person from Ramsgate ever meets a person from Thomasville, they have no right to feel self righteous over any bullying that occurs. It happens everywhere.
To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/He-Was-Weird-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1909740942/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36I8I1G32U0R4&keywords=he+was+weird&qid=1667245778&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjk5IiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&s=books&sprefix=he+was+%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-1