A Time for Reconciliation

Editor:

If history has shown us anything, it’s that all humans fail, sometimes miserably.

As a teenager, I behaved despicably, worse than the teens involved in the recent racial incident here in Laguna. Worse because I kept repeating mean-spirited bullying, hurting someone over and over. I later regretted what I did, profusely apologized and thankfully was forgiven. But make no mistake, they were hurt. And the family here in Laguna, whom I know fairly well, is hurt. It was a shock. Something they never expected. And it will be difficult to recover.

It’s been almost a month since the incident. What is needed now for that family, their friends, and yes, for the teens involved, their parents, our high school and for the entire Laguna community, is healing. There must be full recognition of the severity of the boys’ actions and consequences meted out. But you don’t want wounds to fester, to linger for a long time. My hope is for reconciliation among all involved. That there is somehow a coming together, that the love predominant in Laguna would win out over the darkness of the incident.

All of us fail, especially when we’re young. I believe these Laguna teens are good kids who did a bad thing, messed up big time. Like I have. Like some of you. What’s important is they learn from this failure, that this can be a major turning point in their lives, severing wrong attitudes and discovering the importance of treating others with respect and kindness.

There are three figures in history whom I admire most – Jesus, Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. All three strongly encouraged peacemaking and reconciliation in the severest of trials because when it comes, so does the healing everyone needs.

Jay Grant, Laguna Beach