Media Caught Between Sharing and Scaring

Re “Getting a Grip Is All We Can Do,” by Norah Vincent, Commentary, Oct. 25: Surely you must be out of your minds in publishing this fear-inflaming piece. Does Vincent know something we don’t but The Times does? “Al Qaeda has nothing to lose. We do. Game over.” And, a “. . . nuclear threat more real and imminent. . . .”

To put this commentary above the fold, presented without rebuttal, is to implicitly endorse its apocalyptic vision. Vincent and The Times want us all to get a grip by offering such unsupported musings and assessments? Please.

Stuart Fischoff

Los Angeles

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Re “Don’t Scare the Public With Vague Warnings,” by Charles Meade, Commentary, Oct. 24:

Clearly, scaring the public is unproductive, but withholding information, no matter how vague, is just irresponsible. Imagine how people would feel if an act of terrorism wiped out their families, and they later discovered that the government withheld vague information that such an attack might occur.

Even if the families would not have altered their behavior with such vague information, the survivors would feel betrayed for not having been given the opportunity to manage the risk in their own way.

The government is not a baby-sitter that must decide what is too vague or scary for its public to hear but instead has a responsibility to share all information that may impact its citizenry.

Kim Elsesser

Pasadena

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The real terrorist is within. It’s the media with their constant, nonstop barrage aimed at scaring us to death. They are doing a good job of it and, in the process, doing more damage to our nation than Osama bin Laden could ever do. This has got to stop.

Television news personnel and talk radio “shock” hosts are capitalizing on the Sept. 11 events.

Charles King

Whittier

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Before we forget what the terrorists did to us in New York and how many people died there on Sept. 11, why don’t the TV stations that show us the bombing by the U.S. in Afghanistan (thereby stirring up feelings of compassion for those poor people) show us the bombarding by the terrorists in New York immediately after?

Just as a reminder of why we are bombing Afghanistan, I think that would be a very appropriate idea. Lest we forget. . . .

Louise Powers

Los Angeles