Benefit of the Doubt

For the past three days, I've been following a story being covered by the Pacific Daily News. On Wednesday evening, I was dozing off while waiting for Andy to come over. My dad nudged me to get me to pay attention to the story being covered on KUAM. It turns out that an old friend of mine was arrested and charged with allegations of criminal sexual conduct, child abuse, official misconduct, and obstruction of governmental functions(like it functions well to begin with!). Needless to say, the news was particularly shocking.

This friend was someone whom I had known since I was a teenager. We were in a church group together and I would have trusted him with my life. Actually, there were times when I did put my life in his hands. If faced with that decision, today, I would have no doubt in my mind that he would be there to catch me. Just like he has done in the past.

It is very disheartening to see the picture that the media is painting of this man. In America, a man is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. Guam, regardless of anyone's opinion, is part of America. If anything, shouldn't we at least respect the family and the privacy that they cherish? We seem to have forgotten our roots in this matter. Judging a man based on allegations that have yet to be proven seems rather harsh, in my opinion.

I am not saying that he didn't do it. But, people... give him the benefit of the doubt. And, if he did do it, there is a root to the problem. Shouldn't we work at finding that root rather than condemning the man to hell? Yes, I have been taught by my faith, in recent years, not to judge a man. But, even as a person who had little to no faith whatsoever, I wouldn't judge him only on the word of two individuals. Individuals who may know how to contort situations for their own benefit.

Until he is proven guilty, I will stand by my friend. I will believe in him and the person that I know him as. For those of you that know him, I pray that you do the same. We shouldn't turn our backs on him now. Especially not after he has stuck by us for so long and believed in us as individuals. If he is found guilty... well, I'll jump that hurdle if it ever pops up. Either way, he needs our prayers and most of all, our love.