Dear Source,
As a regular reader of the Source, I was surprised when I heard
Larry King mention Shaun Pennington's name during his show on Wednesday night.
I said, OK, we’’ll get a balanced perspective. NOT!
I only heard her comments for about 30 seconds and that was it. Larry King should have given her some more time to address some of the issues raised, especially since she is a journalist living "on the scene." Larry King lived in the USVI back in the 50s or 60s and should have been deliberate in bringing a sense of fairness to his reporting. Instead, he allowed his show to become another anti-Virgin Islands PR campaign. How many "Americans" go to Jamaica and encounter criminal activity and it never makes CNN?
Also, I have to agree to some extent that had the murder victim been a Black or Hispanic, the same coverage would not be afforded. Yes, the Cockayne family has the resources and connections to move their frustrations forward, but we have to face up to the fact that sometimes in America, one’s skin color coupled with financial resources can go a long way.
CNN needs to bring some balance to this story and I understand that the Tourism commissioner will be issuing a statement sometime soon. I trust that this administration will not "let sleeping dogs lie," and do their utmost to give the rest of the world a balanced perspective. If you ask me, the commissioner should show up on all of the networks that had their biased perspective aired for the world to see.
God Bless the United States Virgin Islands!
Terence A. Thomas
St. Thomas
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