I sort of agree with both Alex and Robin above me.
Alex said that we don't know the entire story and that we'd be singing a different tune if someone was killed here instead of getting a few bones broken. I agree. Violence begets violence. It should NOT be tolerated by ANYONE.
Robin, though, made an excellent point. Children have no business starting fights, but if one finds themselves in a bad position, they SHOULD have the right to defend themselves!
Bullying is a serious problem. It's been going on for decades, though. Kids will pick on other kids for ANY reason. Doesn't matter if you're deaf, blind, black, white, yellow, green, disabled, or purple-polka dotted. If you stand out, you're a target! What we SHOULD be doing is teaching our kids that diversity is a beautiful thing and it's very uncool to pick on someone. It's very rare that I see a child who is empathetic, though. I see it in my nephew, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that about this kid, but I truly wonder what will happen as he gets older. He's sensitive and he does get picked on for it. I hope he doesn't become jaded like I did at his age.
It's tough being a kid, sometimes.