What Lesson Does Video Shocker Teach?

In response to Howard Rosenberg’s column, “A View to a Kill: How Low Can TV Go?” (Jan. 22), criticizing the TV news shows that aired the videotape of the man shooting his ex-wife to death while at the grave site of their teen-age daughter in Florida: Rosenberg describes the tape as “deadly,” “ugly,” “gruesome” and “horrible” but “valueless as news.” He is vehement that it should not have been shown.

I disagree. I’ve been a deputy district attorney for the County of Los Angeles for 25 years and am no stranger to killing and murder. What this tape displays is horrible and grotesque, but that is exactly why it should be shown on TV. The public should know how horrible real murder is--that it can happen in a heartbeat, that it is often perpetrated in the most cowardly and callous fashion and that the victims are often women.

We have got to face and understand the reality of murder in order to deal with it as jurors, judges, legislators and citizens. Airing this tape was the right thing to do.

RICHARD J. CHRYSTIE

Orange