A Message of Reconciliation and Hope

Capt. W.A. Chapman during the Battle of Okinawa.

I spoke with my friend Judge Socrates Peter Manoukian this week and I was deeply moved by what he said to me about the death of his son, Capt. Matt Manoukian, who was killed last Thursday in Afghanistan.

"I don't hate those guys," he said. "If we hate them, then they have won." I realized at that moment that my friend's strength of character would see him through this difficult time. It reminded me of some things I read in my father's letters from Japan at the end of World War II.

Bringing Order to People Behaving Badly: Judge Manoukian's Court on an Average Day

Superior Court Judge Socrates Peter Manoukian in his chambers.

Pete Manoukian was hoping to become a U.S Marine. Instead, he ended up with the far more arduous job of serving as a modern Solomon for people who threaten to: a)  kill those they once loved; b) throw things at their husbands' girlfriends; c) beat up high school chums and put the video on YouTube; and, d) send threatening text message to their landlords. Among other things.

In his courtroom, Superior Court Judge Manoukian is presently presiding over cases of Civil Assault. Here, those who have been uncivil, or have come across those who have not behaved well, can seek (or oppose) Restraining Orders. It is a court devised to resolve simple neighborhood disputes--without the need for attorneys. But the conflicts have become increasingly more violent in recent years.