Originally Posted by
Ken33xx 
Here an ugly experience I had in AA: I was sober a short while and was befriend by a member who like to chat after meetings. I noticed he didn`t seem to have a lot of friends in AA but we were both ex-pats in a foreign country so it was all good.
It wasn`t long before I realized the man had an angry streak and constantly blamed AA for his inability to stay sober. At several meetings he tried getting the group to read non-AA approved material but it was a non-starter. It was odd because most who don`t like AA just don`t come back but not him.
It all came to a head one evening when he felt a member had "disrespected" him and assaulted the guy. Just got up, walked over and punched the man in his face. Fortunately, three other members grabbed the him before he could throw another punch and I went outside to get the local police. It wasn`t long after that he decided to leave the country. Thank god.
Another time there was a similar situation with another member (although he never hit anyone.) Flat-out angry and you just didn`t want to be in the same room as the guy.
That must have been scary. And it's good that he has now left. And sad for the man that he was still so full of resentment and fear.
I personally have never seen physical aggression in the rooms, but have seen it a lot in Pubs, Bar Rooms, a little in my family homes, at School, and even in a work place (a large warehouse for a major supermarket).
I go to mixed meetings where there are people who have been in prison for violent acts. The reason they are in AA is that they hated that person they used to be and want to change. Personally, I feel that in many states, the system merely washes its hands of responsibility and releases dangerous people and think they are 'doing something' by issuing an 'Order' for them to attend AA or similar. I feel that the recovery program is less likely to work if people don't want to get better or stop drinking / drugging, although I'm obviously not always correct in this, because some people have told me that they only came to the rooms initially because it was a term of their DUI proceedings, and they ended up working the program and recovering, so I suppose, never say never.
As I worked the steps I learned that in most situations I had my part. In AA my part is to take advice of my sponsor and other long term members. If they say 'Stick with the women' then I need to act with humility and do just that. If they say don't drink, no matter what. I'll do that. If they say "Just be careful of Old Joe" (and leave it at that), then I'll stay away from that old-timer Old Joe and keep it to polite exchange, even if I don't know what happened or what he did.
There is no part of the AA program that says to hook up with someone and take drugs. It is said plenty of places, to avoid forming relationships until your recovery is strong; and that men stick with the men, and women stick with the women.