10-Year-Old Boy Refuses To Hit Back After Bully Leaves Him Bloodied: 'It's Not The Jedi Way'

Sep 04, 2018

When some kids are bullied and assaulted, they understandably want to respond right back with aggression. The eye-for-an-eye mentality might feel good, but it also risks causing further anger and making it difficult to reach an understanding.

When Aiden Vasquez, a 10-year-old, was harassed and assaulted by a bully, he didn't punch back. Instead, he turned to something more powerful, wisdom that he gained from "Star Wars."

This, unfortunately, wasn't the first time Aiden had been bullied. He had gone through multiple instances of harassment and assault by classmates. Lizette Casanova, Aiden's mother, was understandably furious by how her son had been treated. His beatings in the past had been bad enough to warrant stitches. The most recent case resulted in a swollen and cut eye.

No one would've blamed Aiden for fighting back, especially after such a brutal attack. However, when that question was posed by his mother, he simply responded that it wasn't "the Jedi way." Aidan's years of "Star Wars" fandom had taught him an invaluable lesson about the importance of not letting anger or desire for vengeance get the best of us.

Just as Luke Skywalker learned not to retaliate against his father, Darth Vader, Aiden learned not to lash out against his bullies with his fists.

When news spread of Aiden's courage in the face of adversity, people were moved. The remarkable maturity demonstrated by Aiden has been praised, perhaps most notably by Luke Skywalker himself. Mark Hammill took to Twitter to give his props to Aiden.

In a tweet, Hammill wrote "SHOUT OUT to Aiden Vazquez for his courage & wisdom in the face of adversity. I'm so proud of you for showing that you can be a Jedi in real life. Congratulations, Aiden- The Force will be with YOU... Always!!! Your fan, me."

While Star Wars might be rooted in sci-fi and fantasy, Aiden's story shows us that it's lessons are very real and applicable to our world. That he was able to use the message of the Jedi to not respond in anger means that he can help make our world a better place.

Aiden's bravery is inspiring. We encourage you to show this story to any friends looking to bring out their "inner Jedi."