Editor,
I was saddened and enraged as I read about the recent hateful acts committed against Vasco Possley and his family in Laguna Beach. Hateful racial words were screamed and a watermelon was thrown close to the doorstep of their family home. It was also reported during the school semester some of the perpetrators, including some athletes, also bullied Vasco at school. The reason for all these despicable acts is the color of Vasco’s skin. The story has gone viral and I have had family and friends from all across our nation asking me how this can be happening in our town.
Laguna Beach, in spite of its lack of racial diversity, has historically been a bastion of acceptance and tolerance. I have lived in Laguna Beach since 1979 and have felt great pride when Laguna elected one of our nation’s first openly gay mayors, supported our large LGBQ community, and how we have also embraced emerging artists, the arts, the environment, and human rights.
As a community we are at a critical crossroad in how we respond to these hateful acts. I have read that in Chinese script the symbol for crisis and opportunity are similar. I believe this to be both a crisis and an opportunity. Which will it be for my beloved town? The eyes of our country are upon us and it’s my great hope that we set the bar high in terms of how we protect and embrace our community members. I hope we set an example of having zero tolerance for acts of hate/bigotry in our community. I admit to living in a bubble believing these kinds of behaviors would not happen in Laguna. Obviously, I have been very naive. Now what?
I hope these shameful acts are a catalyst for an overdue dialogue on our community values and protecting our citizens from all acts of prejudice and discrimination.
As I believe most police serve and protect with sacrifice and honor, I also believe the great majority of our high school students and athletes find the acts of these few reprehensible. I believe these student perpetrators do not define our high school students or athletes just as a few bad police don’t define police. I hope the high school places heavy consequences on those committing these despicable acts and if athletes are involved they are not allowed to play on the team and represent LBHS and our town. How our community and schools respond to these hate acts will in many ways define us as a community.
Mostly, my heart goes out to Vasco and his family. I will do all I can to stand with you and all members of our community who are subjected to acts of hate and prejudice.
Stuart Bloom, Laguna Beach
Editor’s Note: The Indy is republishing Bloom’s revised letter. He retracted his original, which unfortunately was not received by the editor.
About 15 years ago on a Friday night in November the Santa Ana Valley High School football team came to Laguna Beach High School to play some ball. During the game some Laguna Beach High School students began sailing tortillas frisbee style at the Valley kids in the bleachers and at the Valley marching band. The then owner and editor of the Laguna Beach Independent, Stu Saffer to his great credit, was so outraged by the Laguna Beach students behavior he refused to publish LBHS sport scores the following week. I understand some students and an administrator were later disciplined over the incident.
One us not born a racist. Racism is learned and it is learned mostly within the nuclear family. The public expression of racism is another thing. I would have liked to know why those students 15 years ago and those students recently believed publically broadcasting their racism and hate was acceptable behavior. Where do they get off? Who gave them permission to be haters? Those questions and more need to be answered.