16574: Fuller: re accidents (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Affuller@aol.com

To Vishnusurf:  The names of accident victims are never mentioned in the press if they're ordinary people.  It's not a question of waiting to release the names to the families first.

Carolle mentions that busses have no passenger lists, which is certainly true.   But local journalists, of which there are some in most towns, could report the names of those killed, could tell where they were from, what their profession.  But this information is not considered news.  Doesn't this contribute to dehumanizing ordinary people?

There ought to be a state agency that keeps track of accident victims, the numbers and causes if not names.  The Circulation police would be the obvious choice.  As of a couple of years ago at least, there were no national statistics available on loss of life in transportation accidents.

Anne Fuller
affuller@aol.com