When he was making that apology, he wasn’t necessarily saying ‘beat me up.’ But he was saying, ‘do anything you want to me, I deserve it.’ That way, once you do, he can walk away and say, ‘Okay, now I’m done, wipe my hands and walk away. They’ve done everything they can already.’” Some may fear a violent response most, but some could also welcome a quick but dramatically symbolic payback. “Kicking ass,” a familiar symbol of community rage, can also be a substitute for a process of repair and change.
