As I watch this, I think about how it contrasts to a high school I went to during my Freshman year. It was "Field Day" and everyone was lined up in the bleachers to watch the contests unfold. The slip and slide contest came up, and some genius had the bright idea to pair the football team against the special education students.

One girl, who was both overweight and learning disabled, went out there and just flopped onto the water mat, visibly hurt.

In what could have easily been a scene from "Carrie," everyone in the bleachers pointed and laughed at her. Most of the teachers and the principal were included in this. I was one of very few people not pointing and laughing, and I remember thinking that something seemed wrong about what I was seeing (especially considering that this was a small rural town in West Tennessee ... the buckle of the Bible Belt). I was certain that something wasn't right when my woodshop teacher, Mr. Houston, was yelling against the wall of laughter trying to tell everyone to stop.

When I told my parents about it, they were pretty livid. I think it played a big part in them buying a house in a neighboring town with a rival school.

I have no idea what ever became of the girl after the entire school laughed at her. Mr. Houston, the woodshop teacher, retired not long after. A couple of other teachers quit.

Eventually, the major job provider in the area went out of business and the town has been shrinking in population steadily ever since. A lot of people acted like it was a local tragedy and lamented that the town would never be the same. I thought about that girl and said to myself "you bastards fucking deserved it."

(In case you're wondering, the town in question is Union City, Tennessee, and the high school is Union City High School. Fuck you, Union City scum!)