Early '90s.

This letter is in response to Rachel Warren's letter in the March issue. Are you suggesting, Ms Warren, that Thrasher magazine (and all other magazines for that matter) turn its back and ignore the situation with Neil Heddings? How about sugar coating the story until it falls into the politically correct category so it won't influence impressionable boys in a negative manner? The name of this magazine is Thrasher, it's not "Substitute Daddy for the Dysfunctional Youth." It's not Thrasher's job to publish an "article about domestic violence and child abuse." Their job is to cover skating and everything that relates to it. Heddings' situation definitely falls into that category. Under your line of thinking, if your son was charged with a crime (not convicted, mind you), you would want his friends to turn their backs on him, right? Probably not. Hopefully you have never sat on a jury pool in a criminal trial because it would seem highly likely that someone like you would convict an innocent man merely because he was charged with a crime. I ask, whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? As for myself, I'll reserve my own opinion until I hear all of the facts that have tragically cost the life of a young child and the liberty of his two grieving parents. Believe me, I have learned first hand just how the media can take what is said out of context and how our legal system can be far from serving true justice. I also just want to say that if I have misinterpreted your letter in any way I apologize. After all, we all know how the media can "take facts and screw 'em up."

Joshua Swindell

San Luis Obispo, CA

We take all of the facts and screw 'em up.--T-ed