Students encouraged to accept consequences of their actions

By Susan Anderson

"How many times do I have to tell you, there are no excuses in life," is something I remember hearing all too often from my Los Angeles Police Department/U.S. Marine Corps Colonel father. Sadly enough, however, I have grown to realize that there are excuses. In fact, you could almost call "the excuse" a modern day plague, a plague that consistently keeps us from reaching our full potential.

While the position that many young people take concerning conflicts they have with the police is one example of this, it fails to illustrate the level of seriousness the issue can take. The growing trend of blaming everything you do wrong on how your parents raised you is crippling. Time and time again we hear, "My parents were never around, so I just lost myself in drugs," or, "I never had a father figure, so I find comfort in sleeping with random men."

The most disturbing aspect of all is when you reflect on your own life and the endless list of excuses that you have offered. No matter how logical or how valid, they were still excuses. The reality is that they kept you from getting something done, from growing up, from being the adult you should be. The good news is that you don't have to repeat your mistakes.

Here on campus, we can complain about the jay walking tickets and Minor in Possession tickets until we are blue in the face. The point is, so what? If you find yourself falling "victim" to the evil that is the Santa Clara Police Department, I'd like to offer you a bit of advice. Take a moment to ask yourself these three questions: one, what is the law you are accused of breaking? Then, did you, as the law stands, break that law? Finally, if you did indeed break that law, what is the problem? You knew that was the law, you broke it, so deal with it. Whether or not you think it's "fair" is without consequence.

If you honestly believe that there has been some great injustice against you, I'd like to offer a bit of news: we live in a democracy. Fight for your cause. That is your right. But, the next time you feel like whining about that ticket you got for going 90 mph in a 35 mph zone, consider taking some responsibility for your actions. You might find it rather empowering - your first glimpse at what it means to be a real adult.