Outrage, Fear in Coping With Violence, Hate

Where can one go to escape the wrath of others?

Certainly not Laguna Beach. Even here one cannot escape hate crime.

There have been times when I’ve been walking down the street in the middle of the day and had the term faggot screamed at me.

This has happened to all sorts of people--some gay, some not. No one is immune to the misjudgment of others. It shows me just how vulnerable each of us is: male or female, gay or straight, or any race. No one is always completely safe.

Laguna Beach is, at its core, a tourist attraction.

At anytime of the year there are people visiting from all over the world. How are those people supposed to know one “notoriously gay” area from another? Yes, I know, one must always be aware of the surroundings and never go out alone. But, when on vacation, in paradise, one doesn’t always have his or her guard up.

There are those times when I, too, take my life in my own hands and go for a walk or a jog and think I’m completely minding my own business, only to be brought back to reality by someone yelling some rude remark.

Is there nowhere to go to avoid this insanity? Obviously not!

I was brought to tears when I thought of being beaten to within an inch of my life, imagining my face being stomped on so viciously that I couldn’t be recognized or identified. Simply for being on the wrong beach at the wrong time in the wrong area.

And possibly, but not necessarily, for living the wrong life style.

JACK E. MIDDLETON

Laguna Beach