I tried all approaches to dealing with bullies. I'm only 5'5", and I've always been the smallest kid in the class, so bullies have been an issue.

I tried fighting, sniping (surprise use of extreme force - never actually shot anybody), fast-talking, calling in the authorities, and running away. None of these was a panacea. All of them had risks of increasing the trouble rather than decreasing it.

Coincidentally (with Davin), I also had an incident where I seriously hurt a kid (injury was described as "his head was cracked open"). I still feel bad about it because the kid really didn't deserve it.

I'm starting to get a little tired of the polemics around here, so I don't think I'm going to do the unjustified-war-dance for you again. Although I do want to point out that your statement that ended with: "some people just have a deep conviction that a certain group of people has to be wrong." made me literally laugh out loud.