Originally Posted by
thdave
Folks--I'm writing a letter to the editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer about this. Please look over and edit.
Thanks.
In your article on the death of Judge Chip Henry of Geauga County, you did a great disservice to all cyclists out there. In this article, you cite that the Judge wasn't wearing a helmet and then you ramble on as to whether bike lanes would have helped. This implies that the act of bicycling was the reason he died, which is not true. The reason this man was killed is that Kelly Cox struck him from behind. Why couldn't she see him--it was daylight? Was she texting, talking on the phone, or drinking? Was she (not sure if Kelly is a she--please fix if Kelly is a he) even driving the car? We don't know the shady circumstances because the eye witness is dead and the driver didn't stop, a fact that the Plain Dealer didn't report. The driver says she didn't know what happened and didn't even realize there was an "accident" until she got home. I suspect she wondered if she could get away with it. Regardless of what she thought, it's the responsibility of the Plain Dealer to get to the truth, and in this it failed miserably. The focus in the article should have been on perpetrator leaving the scene, distracted driving, and due dillegence and responsibility for all.
Looks good, Dave. Personally, I have gave up trying to get decent journalism and reporting out of the PD decades ago. Another recent example...the story they ran this week about credit/debit card info from one merchant being breached. They went on and on about a bunch of fluff, but never once mentioned who the merchant was, so people would know to avoid them since they obviously didn't take the security of their customers personal info...or the law...very seriously.
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey