Letters: Left wondering who’s to blame
Re “Bieber urges paparazzi limits,” Jan. 3
On Jan. 1, my gracious and loving mother hit a man with my car while he was attempting to photograph Justin Bieber’s Ferrari. In the back seat of my car were my two 1-year-old boys. We have been reflective in the last two days on the horrible and tragic beginning to the new year.
My mother was baby sitting and driving my car while my wife and I got the rare opportunity to celebrate an intimate New Year’s Eve. My mother is a widower and has always had the utmost trust from us when taking care of our kids. On this night, she struck and killed this man. Though the photographer’s death isn’t her fault, she is left to wonder who deserves blame. As a father who received the call that evening with heart racing to hear the words “Everyone is fine,” I am angered by the reckless behavior of paparazzi. Not only was this man’s life placed at risk but those of my mother and my two precious boys as well.
As I do feel sympathy for the family and friends the photographer has left behind, I write this letter to implore people to stop being so interested in the lives of those known vicariously through media popularity and instead to be concerned with folks close and dear. Entertainers entertain. That’s it. Knowing if one has been speeding or has cheated on a partner has little or nothing to do with measuring the value or quality of our lives.
Darren Sullivan
Carpinteria
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