TV Coverage of the Riot

Being a member of the film community, I know how important it is to get “the shot,” but shouldn’t there be a point where you put down the camera, and raise a hand to help? No question the Reginald Denny footage is incredible, but at what price?

Am I the only one who thinks that if the helicopter had gotten a little closer, or even landed, Denny might be in far better condition? I have witnessed helicopter landings in a myriad of confined spaces from rooftops to intersections, and I cannot understand how, in this time of such thorough analysis, we have not questioned the choices of this helicopter crew. I am not suggesting that the crew should have put their own lives at risk, but a low-flying helicopter demands attention. Possibly there is a good reason for this. I just hope that we have not become so voyeuristic and unsympathetic that we forget what we are watching is real, and not inevitable.

JOHN F. WINCH Burbank