It takes a someone of extraordinary character to forgive the man responsible for killing his family, even if it was an accident. Like Adrian says, no one would've have blamed Yoon for expressing anger or rage. But he stood there in front of the press and asked for the public to support the pilot. I wouldn't ever want to be in the place he's in, but if I was, I'd pray for that kind of strength.
That said, there are those who need to be angry on Mr. Yoon's behalf. Someone needs to held accountable for what happened. We're talking about a family shattered... where is the outrage? I can't believe how news of the crash has been completely buried. I got a link from fellow blogger The Minority Militant with his letter to you, me and the powers that be, demanding action and answers:
A CALL FOR ANSWERSDamn right. Don't let this issue just become a blip in last week's news cycle. There must be accountability. Mr. Yoon deserves answers. We all deserve answers. (Thanks, TMM.)
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PUBLIC
DATE: 12/10/2008
FROM: TMM (MY REAL NAME)
TO: PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH; ROBERT GATES; ADMIRAL MULLEN; OBAMA-BIDEN TRANSITION OFFICE; CNN; MSNBC; FOX NEWS; AMERICAN RED CROSS; NAACP; NATIONAL COALITION FOR ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT; KOREAN AMERICAN COALITION
CC: TMM BLOG READERS AND VISITORS
SUBJECT: F/A - 18D Hornet Aircraft Crash In San Diego
Okay, there's a whole bunch of things going on in the news right now and I'm sure they all have some relevance to the people who visit here, but I gotta tell you, I am outraged about this FA-18D Hornet that crashed into a residential community and nearly killed an entire family. I went on all three major cable news networks today and apparently this issue has pretty much been washed down the drain as we speak. I wanna tell you something, this is a public matter that needs to be addressed at the highest levels of government. This is a military aircraft we're talking about that was involved in this tragedy, not a commercial plane. And the fact that it malfunctioned above a heavily populated city like San Diego -- it just scares the living shit out of me.
Where's the outrage folks? Why the fuck is Caylie Anthony on the news when we just had a tragic event that should be embarrassing enough for at least the civilian leadership in the defense department to address to the American people that they are all over this like white on rice. That's what needs to happen. Where is our fearless leader George Bush at? Where's Admiral Mullen? Where's Robert Gates? How come we're not having a press conference to address the fact that one of the most sophisticated fighter aircraft we have in the military arsenal isn't going to malfunction again -- and in the middle of cities and towns we live in??
I'm am so outraged I can't help but watch replays of that man weeping because he's just lost everyone that was near-dear to what is humane about life. We're talking about women and children that have lost their lives due to either technical issues, negligence, or just operator error. There is a part of me that is torn by this because I haven't seen anyone with some influence give a goddamn care in the world about what just happened two days ago. If this was a White family that had been destroyed, I guarantee you this would've been cycled in the news for the next two weeks.
Someone needs to be held accountable and there needs to be an outburst of public dismay to what we've just witnessed before us. Who is this pilot? How long has he been on the job? Was the routine maintenance done on this aircraft? How much fuel did it have when it left base? Where did it leave from? Where was the plane headed? How did both of the engines give out? What are the ejection procedures? I wanna know all this information because it is relevant to how this came about and so we can take the necessary precautions so this doesn't happen again in the future. The fact that this plane didn't drop in a school or a hospital is relief enough that we should be addressing this at the highest offices of public service.
Respectfully,
-SIGNED-
TMM (MY REAL NAME)
WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN: HERE
THIS IS A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE THAT DEMANDS ANSWERS.