I was very touched by the “My Turn” column that Martha Dickey wrote on Feb. 10.
She had the heartbreak of losing her son, Jason, to suicide. If that wasn’t horrific enough, she had to relive the trauma by seeing her son’s car in photos in the newspaper. I am writing this letter to reiterate her feelings of the photos being unnecessary or relevant to the story.
I also went through a similar trauma when my 19-year-old brother was killed in a violent car accident 45 years ago. My son was 4½ years old and I was 9 months pregnant, due at any moment. My brother had lived with us while going to college in Concord. He and my son were inseparable and he loved his uncle so very much. It was the very hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life, to tell my son that his uncle wasn’t coming home.
To then see “the death car” photos, as they worded it in the paper, was excruciating beyond belief. His car also was very recognizable and he had just won for the customizing of this car at the Gilford Old Home Day one week before his death.
To put the pictures of the demolished car with such callous wording was shocking and, as Dickey said, the stories have family attached to them. It’s simply disgusting and heartless to sell newspapers with photos like this, as it tears the family apart to see them. My prayers are with her.
HEIDI ARNOLD
Bow