THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 14, 1995 TAG: 9503140005
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
Shame on you for giving print to the ramblings of Arnold Peterson, driver of the chased van that killed two people on Brambleton Avenue the night of Jan. 21.
I'm horrified and sickened by his message that society is being ``too harsh,'' ``funny and ambivalent about alcohol,'' ``out to give him the maximum sentence'' and it was the ``fault'' of the Virginia Beach police that he ran!
How absurd! How disgusting! How irresponsible! How twisted!
CAROLE TESTWUIDE
Virginia Beach, March 9, 1995
Regarding ``Driver breaks silence on fatal car chase in downtown Norfolk'' (news, March 8): Arnold O. Peterson say, ``Our society is so funny about this (alcohol). It is legal to buy, it is legal to use. But it is not legal to get behind the wheel with.''
Gee, Mr. Peterson - I wonder why?
Mr. Peterson made the choice to continue drinking and the subsequent choice to drive under the influence and not stop for authorities. Law-abiding citizens must begin demanding that criminals be held accountable for their actions. Mr. Peterson does not get the sympathy vote from me.
MARGARET A. FABIK
Norfolk, March 9, 1995
Two people were taken from this world on Jan. 21 by the reckless actions of Arnold O. Peterson as he fled police while intoxicated. After two previous DUI convictions, two other charges of DUI, a reckless-driving conviction, an improper-driving conviction and finally the deaths of two innocent people, Mr. Peterson now has the audacity to ``admit that he did wrong'' while remarking that the news media are being unfair to him and he believes ``that anti-drunken-driving groups are being harsher than they should.''
In Mr. Peterson's case, the only things that are not harsh enough are the criminal laws and maximum sentences which he is facing. The fact that Mr. Peterson still considers himself a ``good driver'' is enough reason to keep him off the roads forever.
MICHAEL L. GOODOVE, chairman
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Southside Community Action Team
Norfolk, March 8, 1995 by CNB