Coincidence? After what we learned I don't think it's much of a coincidence at all. Last year in Virginia alone more than 53 thousand people were convicted of driving on a suspended license. It seems driving is considered a privilege and not a right and people are going to take the chance and drive anyway. I'm not saying that 20 year old driver in the weekend crash was driving dangerously, that's for the police to decide. However, it amplifies what we have been telling people.
Viewers are weighing in. Some of posted their thoughts in the story comments section, others here in our blog site. Feel free to do the same.
Come on, Bill. Really...really? You wrote: "the resources utilized to "uncover" this shocking abuse of law could and should have been spent on real issues". This is a real issue. Check out the story...or ask Mary, her husband was killed by a driver with suspended license. That's reason enough there to try and stiop it. You also wrote that the police don't care...again you are off the mark. The police we talked to did care a whole hell of a lot. They just can't be every where all the time. AND we were thanked for our efforts by the Stafford County Sheriff's Office. Also, another reason the story is more than worthy.
I don't want to seem like I am picking on you, but we did do the story about people standing around in the cover of night watching the drag racing. Heck, we've been covering that completely since Saturday.
So, your way off the mark here. Bill, we even exposed the issue of drag racing back in 2003. I went undercover and caught the whoile thing. Sure the police and law could do more ,but so can you, me, all of us...and that's what we did it and would do it again.
ROSS
Pay particular attention to the woman who lost her husband to a suspended driver and to the woman who has had 8 surgeries because of it. Trite! Tell it to them. We have been reporting on the people mowed down watching street racing. Oh and that driver was suspended. He shouldn't have been driving, If he wasn't would they be alive? We'll see how all this plays out.
When our society starts tolerating lawlessness, we're in trouble. IN FACT READ MY BLOG ABOUT PERSONAL RESPONSIBLITY. We all make mistakes. It's how we handle them and the choices we make that define us as individuals and a society.
I do not apologize for this story and would gladly do it again!
ROSS
I think that's the classic case of being rewarded for your honesty. For our story, Ross and Becca (a producer) sat in the courtrooms to hear people telling their tales. If you watch, you'll see an admission from one man who says he lied to the judge about driving to court and about how he was going to get home.
What a novel approach you had, being honest. I commend you for doing it right...after you did it wrong, of course (driving recklessly). I wish the people we came across would have abided by the laws as well.
You station is becoming a bit trite. If real news is so hard to find then maybe you should consider reducing the time channel 7 dedicates to evening news