Requests from media outlets were already coming in when the sheriff decided to make the tape available. He has said that the 25.00 charge covers the cost of copying and sending out the orders. I have a hard time envisioning this as some great money-making operation for the department. It certainly doesn't compare with the ten million plus that has been raised to memorialize the shooting in more permanent ways. I would like to get upset at the crass character of all of this, but I cannot.
Crimes are telecast as they occur.
Reaction is played out at the most insensitive moments. Funerals and memorial services complete with grieving relatives are real ratings grabbers. And of course, we have just revisited all these moments during the first anniversary coverage. I understand the complaints of the parents, but I suggest the real insensitivity goes well beyond Littleton officials. It simply reflects the callous nature of our media and culture.