Imagine a hunting cabin on a beautiful private lane in the country. Imagine this cabin is near your home. Imagine it is after midnight on July 3rd, and there are over 100 drunken, carousing teenagers at a party that starts in this cabin and spills out into the surrounding woods and onto neighboring properties.
Imagine being awakened at 3AM by inebriated youngsters driving across your lawn, trampling your garden, pounding on your doors and windows, and then actually sneaking into your home (a felony) through a door inadvertently left unlocked.
Imagine the lane so newly renovated that the bill is not yet paid being damaged shoulders deeply gouged, surface gravel scattered, the length of it littered with used fireworks, beer cans, cigarette butts and condoms, cars parked on it overnight blocking access to homes beyond the cabin.
All teenagers make mistakes and use poor judgment. Most adults have their own such stories. But what happened to the days when a young person would own up to his/her mistake and take responsibility for his/her misbehavior and its consequences?
Only two young women have been brave enough to visit with a sincere apology and an offer of reparation of damages. Our thanks to them and their families.
Where are the parents of the other 100+ kids? Why are they not caring enough to investigate and pretending nothing happened? What lesson are they teaching when they allow their children to avoid facing the consequences of their misbehavior?
Thankfully, no one was hurt that night. The next time, the kids might not be so fortunate. Mistakes can be forgiven. Bad attitudes, cowardice and lack of remorse cannot.
Cynthia Staiman Vosk
Williamsport
Submitted by Virtual Newsroom
