By Jonathan Capehart
Nadin Khoury is my new hero. And the 13-year-old bullying victim from Pennsylvania ought to be yours, too, after you see his appearance on The View from last week. I first heard of his harrowing ordeal -- set upon by seven thugs in his school who dragged him in the snow and hanged by his coat from a fence -- on the Today show.
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Nadin Khoury, 13, says he was on his way home from school when seven older teenagers jumped him and began punching and kicking him outside an apartment complex. One of his alleged attackers filmed the assault, which went on for more than 20 minutes before a woman driving by the scene leapt out of her car and chased the bullies off.
On the video — which the teens later posted to YouTube — Khoury’s attackers can be heard laughing at him as tries to get away. And one young woman, apparently a fellow student, is seen on the tape ignoring Khoury’s cries for help and simply walking away.
Khoury said he plans to testify against the teens in court. “Don’t be afraid to speak out; tell somebody what’s going on because if you tell them, maybe this will happen and somebody will take action,” he told NBC.
It's bad enough that Khoury was punched and kicked repeatedly by members of this gang, ranging in age from 15 to 17. What makes the20-minute attack, which was recorded on a camera phone by one of the alleged assailants and posted on YouTube, worse is that no one heeded his calls for help. Not the three people who Khoury said walked by. Nor anyone who lived in the apartment complex where the attack occurred.
"I find it offensive when members of the community stand up and talk about the cops not doing something when not one person called 911," said Michael Chitwood, superintendent of police in Upper Darby Township, Pa. Agreed! Then, the outspoken chief made a show of arresting the teens allegedly involved. "We're dragging them out in handcuffs," he said. "We want to send home a message that this type of behavior will absolutely not be tolerated." I won't hold my breath on that one. A major societal attitude adjustment is required for that message to finally get through.
Meanwhile, rather than cower in the shadows -- which would be totally understandable -- Khoury has been speaking out. It was his appearance on The View last Friday that will tug at your heart, especially when you see the surprise near the end.
Khoury was repeatedly picked on because, he said, he was "one of the smallest ones." Because his mom is African and she has an accent and has dark skin. He said teachers "wouldn't do anything" to stop previous attacks. Then the Jan. 11 assault happened.
When Whoopi Goldberg asked Khoury what he wants to be when he grows up (around 2:33), the young man, who admitted to being "really scared....scared for my life," said without hesitation, "A marine." Look at his face during the close-up. You can totally see it. The core values of the marines are honor, courage and commitment. They are tough values to live by, let alone to live up to. And they are values Khoury already exhibits four years before he's eligible to enlist. If only morebullying victims possessed his inner strength.
By Jonathan Capehart | February 7, 2011; 5:31 PM ET
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