Nah, it is Sal seeing the circles of violence in her life. She sees that Leland attacked Marcie due to Sal defending Marcie before. Sal then panicked and hurt Ethan, Amber then attacked Sal due to her own warped sense of justice. Amber wants *herself* to be ended because she hasn’t seen that by taking responsibility she can end this.
But Sal has figured out it is her job and responsibility to end the cycle and step away.
At least I hope.
I really want Sal to be okay.
BBCC
Not quite – Amber stabbed Sal because her dad berated her until she snapped for the most part. I do think that, while she’s regretted both the Leland fight and the robbery before now, this is the first time she’s seeing the connection.
CJ
I think she just got why Amber would have felt hurt by her even though the knife was at Ethan’s throat. So suddenly, the girl who came out of nowhere and mutilated her hand has a reason she can relate to.
ischemgeek
Yeah this.
I think the takeaway is less one dimensional than violence begets violence and more that learning to see things from others’ perspectives lends context to actions that felt unreasonable.
Sal remembers how helpless and angry she felt when Leland hurt Marcie. It just clicked for her that THAT’S why Amber hurt her. Because she also felt hurt and angry and helpless.
Kris
Does that mean Leland only hurt Marcie because he needed money to help his crippled friend? Y’know, REALLY bring this whole story full circle.
ǝ snow ʍousɐ
Knowing DoA, it’s probably because he had an abusive father.
BBCC
I mean, a few people did point out that his ready excuse of ‘she tripped in that ditch’ sounds a lot like what a kid might say about their ‘clumsy’ mother.
ǝ snow ʍousɐ
I think that’s the main thing, but she might be thinking about the vicious cycle of violence as well.
BBCC
Kind of. Amber was definitely feeling hurt, afraid and helpless, but I’d argue that had a lot of thanks to Blaine berating her until she snapped. That said, Sal couldn’t possibly know that, so you’re not wrong that’s probably what she’s thinking.
I’d also argue the stabbing itself is still unreasonable (as is the robbery) but in context it’s definitely a LOT more sympathetic. At least to me.
BBCC
Yeah, that too. She’s finally seeing the cyclical nature of the thing and how that’s affected Amber’s motivations.
That said, cyclical nature or no, I really can’t bring myself to feel like she shouldn’t have choked that little bastard. Just maybe make sure he doesn’t know its you next time, Sal.
thereaverofdarkness
I think Sal has always known that she is constantly receiving the blame for the mistakes of others, but is also seeing how her own actions triggered these events, even if the others weren’t justified in taking these actions. I think up until now she has refused to give up on her sense of justice, but now, finally, she is considering just mitigating the damage instead by avoiding the triggers that bring other people to do bad things.
She is tired of the pain and suffering, and she needs a break from it all.
And to be frank, I’ve seen a lot of folks in here rooting for Amber. As much as I like her, I can’t root for her. Amber is unambiguously in the wrong here. Sal didn’t hurt Amber. Blaine hurt Amber, and Amber projected her frustration with Blaine into actions that hurt others, like Sal. Here she is blaming Sal for her own misdoings and the shame she felt for giving in to them. I understand her mind is warped from the years of emotional abuse she has endured, but the only way she’s going to break free from this is to realize that Blaine is the enemy. Amber needs to realize that Amber isn’t the enemy, and then she needs to realize that while she isn’t an enemy, she has been one of the worst friends.
I “root” for Amber because she has taken an absolutely crazy idea and with a lot of hard work and sacrifice made it work. She’s taken huge negatives in her own personality and constructed an identity where many of those negatives can be channeled for a positive good. Those who can’t respect and admire that are more lawful than good. I sympathize with Sal, but that’s just not as strong.
Emily
What’s it like not believing in like trials or due process or law enforcement having any kind of accountability? Apparently a masked vigilante stalking and harassing a young black woman because of her own vendetta is justice.
Blazing Ace
You absolutely have a point, but let’s not pretend that our justice system works
BBCC
I think Emily would be the last person to say the current justice system is perfect and works. But the general principles of accountability, trials and due process are good ones.
TemperaryObsessor
Our system is not perfect, but its generally better than allowing lynchings and such.
thejeff
All agreed, but let’s also not take it so far that rooting for Amber means “not believing in like trials or due process or law enforcement having any kind of accountability.”
Emily
@Blazing Ace: Yeah and the reason it doesn’t work is because it fails to properly enforce those ideals.
thejeff
I’ve seen a lot more rooting for Sal. Personally, I’m on Team “please stop”.
Which apparently both Sal and Amber are joining. 🙂
I’ve been defending Amber, so that might seem like rooting for her. She’s been taking a lot of criticism that seems over the top to me. Well beyond what you said here.
And very little on Sal that went nearly so far. There was that one poster calling her a thug, but by the time I saw that, they’d been sufficiently yelled at.
Steve C
I think they both have problems, but I sympathize a bit more with Amber simply because I think Sal can do better. Yes, Sal has had more than her share of pain in the past, and she has a lot of anger because she thinks (maybe justifiably, maybe not) that life has treated her unfairly, but Amber is mentally unstable from years of trying to deal with emotional abuse while Sal simply thinks she should have gotten some slack for attempted robbery because her heart was in the right place and her mother closed off her other option for paying Marcie’s family back. I’m not sure what this says about me personally, but I’d also rather see someone like Amber try to do the right thing for the wrong reasons that someone like Sal do the wrong thing for the right reasons.
BBCC
Sal’s also trying to deal with emotional abuse. And Sal’s never said she should have gotten some slack for the robbery. What she did say is while she faced both legal and parental sanctions, Amber faced neither (although her father made sure to take it out on Amber’s mom because Amber lashing out hurt his ego because Blaine’s an abusive tool).
Steve C
Maybe Sal didn’t say she shouldn’t have been punished for the attempted robbery, but she does seem to think that her parents sending her to a boarding school was over the top. I don’t know. Sal might have been better off in the long run going to juvie (assuming that the facility she went to had trained staff who gave a damn.)
Steve C
Still, upon rereading BBCC’s reply, I guess I have to concede that Sal is justified in thinking that she faced consequences for her actions while Amber did not. (That doesn’t mean Amber wasn’t punished. Amber’s punishment has been self inflicted.)
BBCC
Considering juvie and children of colour, I think the odds on that are sadly low. Looks like her school wasn’t great either, and of course, her parents are shit. School was probably the best option, but that’s not saying much, unfortunately. 🙁
Her attack on what’s-his-name led to vengeance against Marcie, which led to her attack on Ethan, which led to Amber’s attack(s) on her, which led to her attack on Amber, which led to now.
Christ if that’s where this is headed my eyes are going to roll out of my fucking head because “violence begets violence” is the most clueless cishet white person thing ever.
Sure, any problem can be solved with enough violence. But what I actually want to ask is, what’s a cishet?
Blaze3713
Confortable In Skin HETerosexual. Being used as a derogatory term, here.
thejeff
“Comfortable In Skin” must be a backronym, though I’ve never seen it before.
Cis is just short for cisgender, which came by extension from transgender. Latin-derived chemistry terminology for “this side of” and “the other side of”.
No more derogatory than white, even here.
BBCC
That is absolutely not what it means and Emily’s usage was not derogatory just because it points out cishet white people are the ones with the privilege to often be spouting ‘violence begets violence/forgive forget’ kind of crap.
And Emily, I wouldn’t be worried. I don’t think this is going to go for a blanket ‘violence is bad’ message. I think this is more Sal realizing the specific cycle here and how that fed both her and Amber’s motivations rather than suggesting equivalent wrongdoing with Leland.
Plus, if nothing else, there’ve been absolutely no ethical objections to Sarah turning Ryan’s face to mush with a bat.
At the risk of pointing this out, given whole sections of the world have been devastated by tribal and nationalist feuds which didn’t have a “good guy” in them, I think that’s colossally ignorant characterization.
I say that while FULLY agreeing that Nazis should be punched and plenty of people act offended when victims fight back. But, seriously, the idea that violence solves problems unilaterally is THE white cis person’s go-to excuse.
thejeff
Might be wrong, but I suspect Emily wasn’t thinking violence always solves problems, but objecting to the idea that it’s where violence usually comes from. Plenty of people suffer from violence, without starting any themselves.
It might be a “clueless cishet white person thing” to think that’s the only way violence comes about, but as you say, it certainly is a thing that happens once the violence starts.
Emily
Well that and the idea that violence is universally wrong and never effective which is just ridiculously naive and displays a complete lack of historical awareness. The Holocaust wasn’t ended by a picket line.
Emily
Sure until it’s coming back on them then it’s suddenly “violence begets violence” and “peaceful protest” and “cycle of revenge.” It generally comes from a position of well-intended privileged ignorance of the role violence pretty much always plays in throwing off oppression or intense hypocrisy in the face of the violence they’ve been subjecting minorities to coming back to bite them in the ass.
When nonviolence is preached as an attempt to evade the repercussions of political brutality, it betrays itself. When nonviolence begins halfway through the war with the aggressor calling time out, it exposes itself as a ruse. When nonviolence is preached by the representatives of the state, while the state doles out heaps of violence to its citizens, it reveals itself to be a con. And none of this can mean that rioting or violence is “correct” or “wise,” any more than a forest fire can be “correct” or “wise.”
By “end it” she means her hunger by biting into a satisfying Snickers bar! Too bad they’ve gone too far with this fight and weren’t humble enough to realize they were not themselves when hungry! Could have prevented all of this.
If Amber and Sal are gonna be in one of those “You’re not yourself” Snickers commercials, then, I vote for them to be subbed out for Betty White and Danny Trejo, respectively!
Now, now. Let’s focus on what’s most important. No light was shone. A good family’s name was not tarnished. A bunch of adults did not have to ass them selves to do something even resembling responsibility, and a young bully was free to develop his particular style of cruelty.
Whoa whoa whoa there Bagge! I know you’re not throwing hate at Leland for apparently stabbing Marcie in the throat with a sharp rock!? He has a future!
455 thoughts on “Escalation”
Ana Chronistic
oh dang introspection
the buller has now become the bully
Piotr W
I think it’s more she realized that every time she rages, there are consequences…
Athedia
Nah, it is Sal seeing the circles of violence in her life. She sees that Leland attacked Marcie due to Sal defending Marcie before. Sal then panicked and hurt Ethan, Amber then attacked Sal due to her own warped sense of justice. Amber wants *herself* to be ended because she hasn’t seen that by taking responsibility she can end this.
But Sal has figured out it is her job and responsibility to end the cycle and step away.
At least I hope.
I really want Sal to be okay.
BBCC
Not quite – Amber stabbed Sal because her dad berated her until she snapped for the most part. I do think that, while she’s regretted both the Leland fight and the robbery before now, this is the first time she’s seeing the connection.
CJ
I think she just got why Amber would have felt hurt by her even though the knife was at Ethan’s throat. So suddenly, the girl who came out of nowhere and mutilated her hand has a reason she can relate to.
ischemgeek
Yeah this.
I think the takeaway is less one dimensional than violence begets violence and more that learning to see things from others’ perspectives lends context to actions that felt unreasonable.
Sal remembers how helpless and angry she felt when Leland hurt Marcie. It just clicked for her that THAT’S why Amber hurt her. Because she also felt hurt and angry and helpless.
Kris
Does that mean Leland only hurt Marcie because he needed money to help his crippled friend? Y’know, REALLY bring this whole story full circle.
ǝ snow ʍousɐ
Knowing DoA, it’s probably because he had an abusive father.
BBCC
I mean, a few people did point out that his ready excuse of ‘she tripped in that ditch’ sounds a lot like what a kid might say about their ‘clumsy’ mother.
ǝ snow ʍousɐ
I think that’s the main thing, but she might be thinking about the vicious cycle of violence as well.
BBCC
Kind of. Amber was definitely feeling hurt, afraid and helpless, but I’d argue that had a lot of thanks to Blaine berating her until she snapped. That said, Sal couldn’t possibly know that, so you’re not wrong that’s probably what she’s thinking.
I’d also argue the stabbing itself is still unreasonable (as is the robbery) but in context it’s definitely a LOT more sympathetic. At least to me.
BBCC
Yeah, that too. She’s finally seeing the cyclical nature of the thing and how that’s affected Amber’s motivations.
That said, cyclical nature or no, I really can’t bring myself to feel like she shouldn’t have choked that little bastard. Just maybe make sure he doesn’t know its you next time, Sal.
thereaverofdarkness
I think Sal has always known that she is constantly receiving the blame for the mistakes of others, but is also seeing how her own actions triggered these events, even if the others weren’t justified in taking these actions. I think up until now she has refused to give up on her sense of justice, but now, finally, she is considering just mitigating the damage instead by avoiding the triggers that bring other people to do bad things.
She is tired of the pain and suffering, and she needs a break from it all.
And to be frank, I’ve seen a lot of folks in here rooting for Amber. As much as I like her, I can’t root for her. Amber is unambiguously in the wrong here. Sal didn’t hurt Amber. Blaine hurt Amber, and Amber projected her frustration with Blaine into actions that hurt others, like Sal. Here she is blaming Sal for her own misdoings and the shame she felt for giving in to them. I understand her mind is warped from the years of emotional abuse she has endured, but the only way she’s going to break free from this is to realize that Blaine is the enemy. Amber needs to realize that Amber isn’t the enemy, and then she needs to realize that while she isn’t an enemy, she has been one of the worst friends.
Clif
I “root” for Amber because she has taken an absolutely crazy idea and with a lot of hard work and sacrifice made it work. She’s taken huge negatives in her own personality and constructed an identity where many of those negatives can be channeled for a positive good. Those who can’t respect and admire that are more lawful than good. I sympathize with Sal, but that’s just not as strong.
Emily
What’s it like not believing in like trials or due process or law enforcement having any kind of accountability? Apparently a masked vigilante stalking and harassing a young black woman because of her own vendetta is justice.
Blazing Ace
You absolutely have a point, but let’s not pretend that our justice system works
BBCC
I think Emily would be the last person to say the current justice system is perfect and works. But the general principles of accountability, trials and due process are good ones.
TemperaryObsessor
Our system is not perfect, but its generally better than allowing lynchings and such.
thejeff
All agreed, but let’s also not take it so far that rooting for Amber means “not believing in like trials or due process or law enforcement having any kind of accountability.”
Emily
@Blazing Ace: Yeah and the reason it doesn’t work is because it fails to properly enforce those ideals.
thejeff
I’ve seen a lot more rooting for Sal. Personally, I’m on Team “please stop”.
Which apparently both Sal and Amber are joining. 🙂
I’ve been defending Amber, so that might seem like rooting for her. She’s been taking a lot of criticism that seems over the top to me. Well beyond what you said here.
And very little on Sal that went nearly so far. There was that one poster calling her a thug, but by the time I saw that, they’d been sufficiently yelled at.
Steve C
I think they both have problems, but I sympathize a bit more with Amber simply because I think Sal can do better. Yes, Sal has had more than her share of pain in the past, and she has a lot of anger because she thinks (maybe justifiably, maybe not) that life has treated her unfairly, but Amber is mentally unstable from years of trying to deal with emotional abuse while Sal simply thinks she should have gotten some slack for attempted robbery because her heart was in the right place and her mother closed off her other option for paying Marcie’s family back. I’m not sure what this says about me personally, but I’d also rather see someone like Amber try to do the right thing for the wrong reasons that someone like Sal do the wrong thing for the right reasons.
BBCC
Sal’s also trying to deal with emotional abuse. And Sal’s never said she should have gotten some slack for the robbery. What she did say is while she faced both legal and parental sanctions, Amber faced neither (although her father made sure to take it out on Amber’s mom because Amber lashing out hurt his ego because Blaine’s an abusive tool).
Steve C
Maybe Sal didn’t say she shouldn’t have been punished for the attempted robbery, but she does seem to think that her parents sending her to a boarding school was over the top. I don’t know. Sal might have been better off in the long run going to juvie (assuming that the facility she went to had trained staff who gave a damn.)
Steve C
Still, upon rereading BBCC’s reply, I guess I have to concede that Sal is justified in thinking that she faced consequences for her actions while Amber did not. (That doesn’t mean Amber wasn’t punished. Amber’s punishment has been self inflicted.)
BBCC
Considering juvie and children of colour, I think the odds on that are sadly low. Looks like her school wasn’t great either, and of course, her parents are shit. School was probably the best option, but that’s not saying much, unfortunately. 🙁
erejnion
Yeeeep. We’re nearing the Sal x Amber making out. Make love not war.
NelC
“Bullee”, I think.
I seek refuge in pedantry to avoid the feels.
Queen Anthai
“Bullied” is what you’re all going for.
Yes, it’s a noun.
LeslieBean4Shizzle
Violence begets violence.
Her attack on what’s-his-name led to vengeance against Marcie, which led to her attack on Ethan, which led to Amber’s attack(s) on her, which led to her attack on Amber, which led to now.
A vicious cycle in most literal sense.
Michael Steamweed
SO. IT HAS COME TO THIS.
*they all then gang up to hunt leland. his body is never found. the dumbing of age characters all pass on into legend.
Ana Chronistic
nah his body was found
nobody recognized it tho, them pigs’ll eat anythin’
Felgraf
Given that that kid was fucking with Marcie dangerously before, I’m not convinced he might not have eventually done this ANYWAYS.
Emily
Christ if that’s where this is headed my eyes are going to roll out of my fucking head because “violence begets violence” is the most clueless cishet white person thing ever.
Clif
Sure, any problem can be solved with enough violence. But what I actually want to ask is, what’s a cishet?
Blaze3713
Confortable In Skin HETerosexual. Being used as a derogatory term, here.
thejeff
“Comfortable In Skin” must be a backronym, though I’ve never seen it before.
Cis is just short for cisgender, which came by extension from transgender. Latin-derived chemistry terminology for “this side of” and “the other side of”.
No more derogatory than white, even here.
BBCC
That is absolutely not what it means and Emily’s usage was not derogatory just because it points out cishet white people are the ones with the privilege to often be spouting ‘violence begets violence/forgive forget’ kind of crap.
And Emily, I wouldn’t be worried. I don’t think this is going to go for a blanket ‘violence is bad’ message. I think this is more Sal realizing the specific cycle here and how that fed both her and Amber’s motivations rather than suggesting equivalent wrongdoing with Leland.
Plus, if nothing else, there’ve been absolutely no ethical objections to Sarah turning Ryan’s face to mush with a bat.
Emily
Cisgender heterosexual.
C.T Phipps
At the risk of pointing this out, given whole sections of the world have been devastated by tribal and nationalist feuds which didn’t have a “good guy” in them, I think that’s colossally ignorant characterization.
I say that while FULLY agreeing that Nazis should be punched and plenty of people act offended when victims fight back. But, seriously, the idea that violence solves problems unilaterally is THE white cis person’s go-to excuse.
thejeff
Might be wrong, but I suspect Emily wasn’t thinking violence always solves problems, but objecting to the idea that it’s where violence usually comes from. Plenty of people suffer from violence, without starting any themselves.
It might be a “clueless cishet white person thing” to think that’s the only way violence comes about, but as you say, it certainly is a thing that happens once the violence starts.
Emily
Well that and the idea that violence is universally wrong and never effective which is just ridiculously naive and displays a complete lack of historical awareness. The Holocaust wasn’t ended by a picket line.
Emily
Sure until it’s coming back on them then it’s suddenly “violence begets violence” and “peaceful protest” and “cycle of revenge.” It generally comes from a position of well-intended privileged ignorance of the role violence pretty much always plays in throwing off oppression or intense hypocrisy in the face of the violence they’ve been subjecting minorities to coming back to bite them in the ass.
thejeff
Ta-Nehisi Coates in the wake of the Freddie Gray riots in Baltimore.
When nonviolence is preached as an attempt to evade the repercussions of political brutality, it betrays itself. When nonviolence begins halfway through the war with the aggressor calling time out, it exposes itself as a ruse. When nonviolence is preached by the representatives of the state, while the state doles out heaps of violence to its citizens, it reveals itself to be a con. And none of this can mean that rioting or violence is “correct” or “wise,” any more than a forest fire can be “correct” or “wise.”
Clif
Thank you.
Sunny
Buller? Ferris Bueller?
Doctor_Who
Sal realizes that the real choke hold is the friends we’ve made along the way.
Claire
Once again I wish we had up votes
Beef
I keep going to use one of the reasons from Facebook and find myself holding down on the reply button
Beef
Reactions* I want my edit button Willis
Cavalish
Followed by a reactions button.
Bobcat
Bravo.
Inahc
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything
AnvilPro
Sal: “I’m beginning to think we both have some sort of problem”
abysswatcher1993
You mean personality disassociation and hallucinations?
Drunk Mike
Only Amber has that. The problem they both have is anger.
Piotr W
Oooh, someone’s having an epiphany! Finally 🙂
shadowcell
Dumbing of Age Book 9: …end…it…
Stephen Bierce
This Is The End…beautiful friend…
SailorCakes
There’s the Marcie flashback we all been waiting for
Kris
By “end it” she means her hunger by biting into a satisfying Snickers bar! Too bad they’ve gone too far with this fight and weren’t humble enough to realize they were not themselves when hungry! Could have prevented all of this.
thejeff
Stacy was right!
Pterodactyl Ghost
If Amber and Sal are gonna be in one of those “You’re not yourself” Snickers commercials, then, I vote for them to be subbed out for Betty White and Danny Trejo, respectively!
Tarkara
Sal discovered: Consequences
Lemonycain
It’s super effective.
Bagge
Now, now. Let’s focus on what’s most important. No light was shone. A good family’s name was not tarnished. A bunch of adults did not have to ass them selves to do something even resembling responsibility, and a young bully was free to develop his particular style of cruelty.
FUDGING PIECE OF SHIT!!!!
Kris
Whoa whoa whoa there Bagge! I know you’re not throwing hate at Leland for apparently stabbing Marcie in the throat with a sharp rock!? He has a future!
Kris
A very bright future I might add. Marcie is clearly the source of all of this!
Bagge
I should know better than to shine a light
Needfuldoer
Through the eyes of the ones left behind?
ShinyNeen
Well that’s a goddamn rock, cripes
Bicycle Bill
I remember a line something like that from the Kevin Costner movie, “American Flyers” — “…and that’s a big-assed rock,” IIRC.
mrnoidea
I didn’t even notice the rock the first time I read this strip.
Yumi