A MATTER OF PRIVACY

BY DAN MILLER
(originally posted January 17, 2006)

At a time when personal privacy is being compromised on so many levels, this little intrusion into our lives seems important, at least to me.

If you were watching most any TV newscast in the summer of 2004, you probably heard -- many times -- the agonizing call to 9-1-1 made by Freda Elliot from her home in Culleoka, as she pleaded for the lives of her children and herself.

Though crippled with fear and unable to clearly express herself, Freda whispered to the 9-1-1 operator, hoping not to be heard by her ex-husband Parker Elliot, as he moved through the home -- armed -- intent on killing Freda and their two children.

I've never heard a more intense, disturbing 9-1-1 call.
To this day there are veteran journalists who won't listen to it.

During the course of that emergency call, as Freda made her futile pleas, gunshots were heard.
We don't know whether those were the shots that wounded 15 year old Seth Elliot, or whether they were the shots that killed 18 year old Rachel Elliot.

We didn't hear the actual shot that silenced Freda forever.
But leading up to her death, we heard -- loud and clear -- her cries for help.

These tapes were played over and over again, every time we updated the story of this unspeakable crime.

Just two weeks ago, in another case, we heard -- on 9-1-1 tapes -- the victim of an attempted rape in the parking lot of a Target store, screaming and begging for help.
Fortunately, some Good Samaritans there in the parking lot came to her assistance and frightened away the attacker.
We were "privileged" to hear tapes of their 9-1-1 calls as well.

After the school shootings at Columbine 5 years ago, a judge blocked the emotional 9-1-1 calls from being broadcast, out of respect for the families.

The same thing happened after the attacks of September 11th.
A court suppressed the playing of some 9-1-1 tapes because of the deep personal feelings expressed by victims confronted with the prospect of imminent death.

Frankly, that's the way it should be.

Though many in the news media will disagree with me, I don't believe we should routinely be allowed to intrude on the agony and deep personal trauma -- or even simple excitability -- experienced by people placing emergency calls to 9-1-1.

It's far too easy to over-play, over-publish, and otherwise exploit such personal moments.

Sure, those tapes are technically "public records".... but so are autopsy photos and gruesome crime scene pictures, and we don't show those, even with permission from judges or families.

I truly fear that someone, someday, will hesitate -- or decide against calling 9-1-1 -- simply by knowing their voice, filled with terror or emotion, will be heard on television newscasts.

If they hesitate for even a minute... it might be too late.
That would be a tragedy.

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