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Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 12:58 PM

Ken “Boom Boom” Mettler wants to have it both ways. Despite his now-legendary fisticuffs prowess, I’m not gonna let him.

He kicked and punched a protester Friday night at a rival Proposition 8 rally.

The Kern High School District trustee and local Yes on Prop. 8 chairman says he was defending himself and that he is the victim, going so far as to call the man he hit the “perpetrator” because, Mettler says, he swung first.

You can’t tell that from the video. All we know for sure is Mettler was kicking and punching at someone.

Hmmm. I wonder how that’d go over if he were a student at KHSD?

He’d be suspended, at the least.

How can Mettler now legitimately have a say in disciplinary action over fighting, except perhaps to comment on technique?

When I asked Mettler what kind of example he set by his actions, he said, “Violence is not acceptable, except I do believe people have a right to defend themselves.”

Further: “I’m a passionate person. But I think I conducted myself in a reasonable manner.”

Reasonable?

He knowingly put himself in an overheated situation, grabbed signs that demonstrators said belonged to them, didn’t leave even when people were screaming at him and lashed out like Napoleon Dynamite in a cage fight when someone got too close.

Instead of justifying the incident, Mettler should publicly apologize and acknowledge his actions were wrong.

But he insisted to me that while he’s embarrassed by the incident and wishes it hadn’t happened, he doesn’t think he did anything wrong given the circumstances.

Circumstances, shmircumstances. It was wrong and his refusal to acknowledge it makes it even worse.

“He should of course resign immediately,” said Christopher Meyers, a philosophy professor at Cal State Bakersfield and ethicist. “A morally mature adult does not hit others over a sign; rather, he walks away, winning the war by losing the battle. That the alleged assailant is a KHSD trustee really puts the action over the top and I would certainly hope Mettler would realize his ability to effectively oversee the high school district has been deeply compromised. That is, I would hope he would do the right thing and step down.”

Yeah, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

While Mettler was chatting with Inga Barks Monday on her radio show on KERN 1410 AM about the scuffle, they both lamented how Proposition 8 proponents have been labeled haters and bigots and now they have to fear for their safety.

What?!

Let’s recap the facts:

Mettler belted Rob Badewitz in the face. Badewitz, not Mettler, is the one with the swollen jaw.

Even assuming someone did take a swing at him, Mettler’s judgement and self-control are seriously up for question.

The demonstrators opposing Prop 8 at the so-called “peace” corner, where anti-war and human rights rallies routinely have been held for several years, were rude and obnoxious, hollering the f-bomb every few seconds and generally acting like idiots.

Then here comes the silver-haired, buttoned down Mettler, Prop. 8 signs in hand. People are screaming and cussing at him and yet he plods on. It’s like a bad horror movie.

Is he hard of hearing? Does he not sense the level emotion? Is he reckless? Spoilin’ for a fight?

“I just wanted to pick up our signs,” he told me.

Ah. The irresistible siren song of the campaign sign.

Apparently, campaign signs in this election are interfering with the higher mental functions of fully grown adults (OK, “adult” is a stretch in reference to radio host and admitted sign stealer Scott Cox) and we should ban them immediately.

That or, I don’t know, maybe we could all conduct ourselves with little more common sense and courtesy.