Punching Mr. Tedesco

by Tara Roeder

There’s an episode of Family Ties in which several members of the Keaton family punch an incredibly rude English teacher in the face.  I make my boyfriend watch this episode at one o’clock in the morning on a television channel that plays mostly 80s reruns.  We wonder if such an episode would fly now.

A few days later the nazis are on the news.  There are renewed debates about if it’s ok to punch a nazi.

They say hysteria is the product of a wandering uterus, but even after my hysterectomy I want to punch lots of people.  Including, but not limited to: a nazi; my first gynecologist; people who keep birds in cages; every man who’s ever complimented my stunning eyes.

I notice there are never any public debates about if it’s ok to punch an English teacher.  The default position is probably not.