You Know What Happens When You Assume... 

Editor:

No one can be everywhere all of the time, that is why we have "the news." Too often, I have been in interesting places (arguably at the wrong time) and later read and watched news reports that were grossly inaccurate, misleading or downright lies. If someone is lying to you about one thing, it is a safe bet they are lying to you about something else.

Mr. Platt's article "Homicide by Police" (May 14) is a shameless collage of aspersions and falsehoods. Unfortunately, delays in releasing the investigation create an environment where creatures like Mr. Platt feed and grow; if there is a story, there it lies. Admittedly, when more facts are revealed, there are people who will spot that the video was generated in the same studio as the moon landings, but new technology is prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, most of us believe about half of what we see and in all but the most newsworthy incidents reasonable minds prevail.

It is shameful that the North Coast Journal stooped to publish this article. I look forward to seeing the retraction published with the same prominence.

Tom Dammann, Arcata