Reginald Denny’s Suit

* Having read “Suit by Denny, 3 Riot Victims, Cleared by Judge” (Feb. 1), I can no longer keep silent. After seeing a man on television walking the riot-ravaged streets of South-Central pushing a baby carriage looking for food for his child, I took $100 worth of baby formula to a food-gathering center located at a car dealership on Crenshaw Boulevard. My friend and I stayed for several hours helping to pass out food. My belief in the possible goodness of people was renewed.

The next week, hearing about Reginald Denny’s skyrocketing medical bills, I sent $100 to him. Being self-employed, I do not have the best medical insurance and felt that in such a tragedy I too might be dependent on the kindness of others.

Quite awhile after the check had cleared I read an article in The Times about how Denny was doing extraordinarily well in his recovery and had purchased a truck, not for his business but for his personal use. My heart sank. My first response was if he had received enough money to cover his medical bills and was truly the remarkable person reports were making him out to be, how could he not have donated the extra money he’d received to other victims of the riots? I didn’t understand. Almost immediately I felt extreme guilt. This man had been through such an ordeal, who was I to judge his behavior? I let it go.

Then as the trials of his attackers were televised, I watched Denny hug the mother of one his most aggressive attackers and defend that attacker and others as victims while he himself had a case pending against the taxpayers of Los Angeles. All compassion left me and I wanted my money back. From now on my money goes only to organizations such as the Red Cross, or in this case directly to the medical facility.

JONE GUZZETTI

Los Angeles