"Do you have it in you to forgive?" God yes-- I've not met a person yet who I couldn't forgive. However, forgiving is distinguished from excusing. By excusing or pardoning his behavior, as she did.. she simply released him from punishment. Forgiving is a PERSONAL decision to not let something someone else did to you bother you anymore. If I had a turkey in the face at 100 mph, I'd likely forgive the person who did it. It wouldn't bother me anymore, because I'd forgiven them. That doesn't mean I'd condone or even wish to lessen their sentence.
EDITed to ADD:
A snippit from a letter I wrote to my girlfriend on a similar topic:
Quote:
If someone wrongs me, I can and will be angry at them. This is human nature; no one is "happy" at someone who has wronged them, unless they are mentally ill. However, maintaining that anger is unhealthy: not for them, not for the world, not for you. Forgiveness is not about telling the person who wronged you that it was OK to do what they did. It is not about telling them that you're fine with the way they treated you. It is not about telling them that they are a good person or even that you forgive them. It is about removing the anger you feel.
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Now, given the opportunity, I would have probably lessened the guys' sentence too -- because I don't really feel that prison does anyone much good. However, that has nothing to do with my "forgiveness" of him.