A friend of mine was assaulted

last night. He phoned me this morning - from the emergency department at a local hospital where he was still waiting to be seen. 

"What do you need?" I asked after he had told me, "I can come over with some money if you want a taxi home...anything else?"

"No, I wasn't robbed. Can you just check Mouser has some food? There are some of those packs in the pantry...oh and some fresh water. He will come for you."

I have just come back. His cat is anxious. He wouldn't eat until I let him nearly trip me up and give him some reassuring pats. "Yes, your human slave will be home later. He might be a bit groggy because he hit his head but he thinks he is going to be all right." I wish Mouser had understood all that but I am not sure he did.

J..., his human slave, was walking home from the railway station after work. His story is he was accosted by a couple of people wearing "Yes" referendum t-shirts. He tried to move around them, telling them he was not interested. They told him he "had to listen". His response was, "No. I don't."

They kept harassing him - to the point of assault. There is a legal difference between "assault" and "battery". Assault does not involve the actual touching of another person. Battery does involve that. J... was assaulted. He felt concerned for his safety because these people came much too close to him. It was in his attempts to move around them that he tripped and hit his head against something.

These people showed no concern at all although he was bleeding from his scalp. Their response apparently was, "Serves you right, you f.... racist."

I don't know what J..'s views are on the referendum. It is something we have not discussed - although I can guess what they might now be.  I don't believe he is racist. I have met some of his friends and they are a diverse lot. His late partner was a man of mixed heritage and I always found both of them very tolerant of all sorts of people. The two who assaulted him would know none of this. I doubt they would be interested. They wanted to get their message across. 

Perhaps they sensed he is gay? I don't know but it isn't going to help their cause.