On the same night as David Morley was beaten to death in a homophobic attack, Martin Stevens describes how he was the victim of another such attack only half a mile away. He fought back, only to have a bottle smashed over his head. Was he foolish?
I tend to think that if I can’t live in a public space without a modicum of respect then that does more violence to me than a bottle on the back of my head. Easily said now that I’ve walked out of A&E, but it’s true.
This is what the purveyors of sensible advice don’t take into account: the psychological cost of trying to buck your self-defence. “Don’t get involved, look straight ahead, pretend you didn’t hear, avoid their gaze.”
What’s the difference between big-city paranoia and abject cowardice? Is it possible to maintain your self-respect if you think like this?
Standing your ground, landing a few futile defensive punches — that will defend your self even if it doesn’t defend your body. The body repairs; self-respect is more fragile and infinitely more important. If the price of my self-respect was a gash in the back of my head, then I’m glad I paid it.
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