Letters -- 4/10/08

Letter leaves me skeptical
First of all, I would like to compliment you on your first issue as the new publisher of The Davison INDEX. The paper looks great, the articles are well written, and I love the fact that you include movie reviews and a nationally syndicated column.
I could only find one point of contention in the whole issue: I thought that some of the claims made by Peggy Deitz of Davison in a letter you printed were unfair, and that you should have thought twice about printing them. According to Ms. Deitz, her husband spoke with a woman who spoke with a man who said that a horrible crime was committed against an animal and the local police didn’t respond. She didn’t state exactly which police department had jurisdiction, but I can only assume it was the city of Davison, because the “friend of a friend of a friend” who originally reported the incident was told to “go downtown” to file for a protection order.
Then again, I suppose “downtown” could refer to Flint, so the reader is left unsure of which police department to blame for this alleged event.
Ms. Deitz said that it was “hard to believe that the police force would take no action in defense of such a callous act.” I’m pretty sure she meant “no action against such a callous act,” but that’s not my main concern. I find it hard to believe that fourth-hand information claiming negligence against an unnamed police force would be printed. Did Ms. Deitz investigate this claim before writing this letter?
Animal cruelty is indeed a very serious crime, and should be taken very seriously, but given the good reputation of the Davison City Police, I am skeptical about Ms. Deitz’s story.
The opinion pages are always the first page I turn to with any newspaper, but I cringe when the opinions cited are supported by dubious “facts” and I think editors have a responsibility to think twice before printing opinions supported by rumor or slander. — Kevin McKague, Davison