This is Mikie Sawyer, 26, who is accused of being a demonstrably horrible person . . . and an accused felon. Harry Sander, 80, was at Applebee’s when he said Sawyer was speaking loudly with various obscenities. Sander reportedly asked Sawyer politely to stop the foul language in the family restaurant and Sander allegedly proceeded to cuss him out and punch the octogenarian in the face. Please promise me that this will make it to a jury. Hopefully, Sawyer will to take the restaurant’s new slogan literally: “See you tomorrow”.
Warning: this story contains foul language.
The incident occurred Port Orange, Florida.
The confrontation late Sunday in the Port Orange eatery resulted in the arrest of Mikie Sawyer on a felony charge for battering a person over the age of 65. Witnesses say that Sander simply asked him to stop using the word “fuck” so loudly as well as repeated references to “titties and ass.” Sawyer reportedly responded that he did not have to stop swearing and Sander said that in his native Germany people cannot speak like that. Sawyer allegedly replied “I don’t care where you are from whether it be Russia or Dutch take your ass to the other side of the bar.” It is bad enough that Sawyer believes that German people come from “Dutch” but he then reportedly punched Sander in the face and pushed him to the floor, leaving the elderly pensioner with a red left eye and bruises. Police reported that Sawyer’s knuckles “appeared discolored and bruised.”
Sawyer was also accused of charging at a worker in a “threatening manner” after the worker followed Sawyer and his friends into the parking lot and saying he “would also kick [the employee’s] ass too.”
Sawyer was arrested later at a traffic stop and arrested for charged with battery on a person over 65 years of age and disorderly conduct.
This story hit a recurring issue raised on this blog. I am often astonished with adults using foul language in such public spaces with children and I have asked people to stop using such language. It is never easy. It is part of a society that seems to be get more and more crude. As we have discussed in sports and other areas, there is a growing view that people acting like thugs is just part of life and that foul and sexually explicit conduct is acceptable. I admit that I have often come across as something of a prude in such stories but I still regret the loss of civility and decorum among adults. This is not to suggest that such values should be enforced by the government. However, properly raised people know that adults are expected to follow basic social standards of decency in a civilized society. Instead, we are raising a generation of thugs (and people thrilled by their conduct). It took a great deal of courage for Sander to confront this man . . . even if Sawyer thought it was just another guy from “Dutchland.”
Source: Click Orlando
Manners seem to be less common now. It’s fine for a bar or a party, but when there are kids around I wish people wouldn’t swear loudly. Kids have that special radar where they just know exactly which words would be the worst to repeat, sometimes days later and in the absolutely worst places, like church or at Grandma’s house. Some guy in a restaurant taught my 4 year old the lovely word s^&*head, which he innocently repeated a few days later.
I’ve said before, “Guys, there are kids here with big ears” but only if I felt safe doing so. I figure people just forget. If I can walk my kid away I do so. Hopefully no one will punch me in the face one day for doing so.
Karen – part of it has to do with the language available to children on TV and movies. Stuff the we would never hear is now “okay.”
Jerry said…
Stopped at a restaurant to get my steak meal for protein before the climb. 10 of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang came in. I expected to hear a lot of cursing and swearing. Nope. One of the guys bought me a beer.
Believer said …
He needs to be taught a lesson and if he met the Hells Angels some day he would fit right in and become one of them.
The dichotomy of perceptions. My experience is with the “Outlaws” MC…and if you were a normal person, they were not a threat (in my experience) and in Detroit that is saying something. I have similar memory of my time around the “Highwaymen” and “Violators” of Detroit. Tough clubs but no threat if you were not a jacka$$.
I tended bar for a while, at night, to help a friend, in a ghetto locale, and a regular stop for the “Outlaws”, in the days before Taco Bowman was brought down. A row of 20+ bikes in front of the place let you know to be on your best behavior inside. Whenever they showed up the place was absolutely peaceful, no one did anything to cause trouble. My favorite among the riders was a guy we called “Bones” who rode with a customized dog box on his old knucklehead Harley….where his very social, but potentially protective aggressive, Staffordshire Terrier, rode along with him everywhere. Great guy and greater dog…I often think about where old “Bones” might be these days…even when I read a commenter on blogs named “Dad Bones” I wonder if that could be him. We are of the same age…e.g., older than dirt.
BTW, “Believer”, no Outlaw or Hell’s Angels club would ever take a knot-head like the guy you cite as a “prospect” … They are tough and mean, as well as benevolent at times, but they are not fond of posers…such as anyone who punches an 80 year old man.
Bully mouth.
I hope he gets jail time. If he doesn’t he will see it as confirmation that what he did was acceptable.
This redneck is nothing more than a thug and if I had my guess, has less than a high school education, a bully that grew up using his strength to get his way. He needs to be taught a lesson and if he met the Hells Angels some day he would fit right in and become one of them. People like that come from uneducated homes and understand one thing, bulling, beating cussing and violence. The old man, unfortunately, made the mistake of thinking this was a human being.
I walked out of a restaurant in Cleveland, OH once when I took my children to breakfast at the same Motel where we had stayed the night before. We were unaware that the musical (ugh) group “Jefferson Airplane” had rented an entire floor that same night. As we were having breakfast the next morning the entire group of animals invaded the restaurant and I had never heard such foul language.. We asked the manager to request that they tone it down as there were children and elderly there also. Needless to say it got louder and more vulgar so we walked out and left the meals uneaten. I understand how the old man felt and I was a young parent at the time. THE THUG MAY LOOK HUMAN, WALK LIKE A HUMAN, BUT HE IS ONLY A VULGAR UNEDUCATED ANIMAL who has no respect for anyone or anything. -my opinion
They will probably plead it to some traffic ticket offense.
Swearing is one thing. The restaurant should have asked him to leave and perhaps be barred from coming back without apologizing. Attacking anyone is an entirely different issue, compounded as the victim was 80 years old which is somewhat more serious than simply being ‘over 65’. A minimum of two years in prison with mandatory anger management classes is an appropriate term but we’ll see.
As a retired substitute I would hear foul language in the hall between classes. I was on a long term teaching stint and finally had enough, and stopped dead in my tracks, turned to the kids behind me and stared at them. As they became aware of me I just asked them “Who raised you”, they began to laugh nervously and I just said “your language is not accpteble”. Perhaps, because they were huge football players and were shocked that a 5’6″, 40 year old woman would have the wherewithall to speak to them like that, they apologized to me immediately.
This guy in Florida was just a cowardly thug, brainless and deserves to spend a lot of time in prison. Hopefully someone in the prison, who has a modecom of sensibility and remembers what it is to be a gentleman will teach this oaf some needed lessons.
I’ve been retired for a large number of years now but my sensibilities still get riled when I hear garbage coming from somebody’s mouth. Yes, I still confront them and ask about their upbringing and yes I still try to teach what is accepatable and definitely what is not.
Probation for sexual assault on a prisoner, hmmmm, maybe a walk for regular assault?
As a fellow 80-year-old, I say hang the guy.
These girly neck beards this shitbird is sporting are becoming ubiquitous. They are grown by dudes who can’t grow a real beard. Ugly as hell.
Rio, So those are Romans writing profane political graffiti in the bathroom @ my local bars in Wi. and San Diego?
One of the reasons people go to restaurants is to see and hear other people, to get a sense of what the rest of the community looks like and sounds like. The very limited vocabulary and thought process of many Americans is part of what America looks like today.
People have always used profanity. In Rome the rabble would “cuss out” the Emperor by drawing and writing profane things on the walls. There have always been trashy low class people. Those people make their stupidity known through their (usually) loud and foul mouths.
This man is the type of coward you enjoy throwing in jail. Toss in a color photo of the victim’s injuries during the guy’s bail hearing for an added touch of justice.
I lived in Australia for 3 years after school. After 6 months I no longer noticed profanities and still don’t. What I missed was ever hearing anyone ever saying anything intelligent .
I was going to climb Mt. Shasta in California. Stopped at a restaurant to get my steak meal for protein before the climb. 10 of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang came in.
I expected to hear a lot of cursing and swearing. Nope. One of the guys bought me a beer.
It is stunning to see that thuggish, moronic, ignorant, crude, clueless, uncivil, and tasteless behavior seems to be the new cool. I guess people who are civil, caring, considerate and aware of others don’t grab enough attention on youtube or facebook……Maybe professor (and media at large) should post some pro-civility stories as a balance to the vile actions that seem to get all the airplay….
In the Amish areas of Ohio the use of the term “Dutch” is usual for “Amish-style” restaurants (meat, potatoes and pie). Locals often use the term to refer to Amish and associated Anabaptists. I believe is comes from the use of the German Language.
At a Walmart I heard a older “associate’ run a stream of inappropriate words out loud that “would make a sailor blush.” He was reprimanded on the spot by a manager and he was astonished. He had no idea what he said might be offensive.
I am not innocent of using colorful language but I have tried to correct myself. Yet, it is so common in the entertainment world with otherwise good commentators like Jon Stewart that it is no wonder that younger people consider it the norm.
I swear like a sailor. And, before I had kids I would sometimes screw up amd swear w/ people I don’t know within earshot. It’s not just kids, adults also have different sensibilities. My wife helped train me to be more prudent. But, having kids of my own was what made me simply stop using profanities in any public forum. I do say horseshit sometimes but that’s too great a word to give up. It is Tom Hanks favorite word.