To the Editor:
An important part in opposing malignance is to recognize it in whatever form it takes.
Since the death of Dale Eatnhardt on Feb. 18, constant controversy had surrounded the incident. Aside from the shock of the announcement, there were, for example, the question of whether wearing the head and neck system would have let him survive the crash, the revelation that his seat belt appeared to have been cut and the announcement, now, that his widow has moved to prevent the worldwide open distribution of Earnhardt's autopsy photos on the basis of what she terms "privacy."
In fact, the entire episode is entirely open to question.
The very form of the accident makes the result seem unlikely. The tape of the incident shows one car broadsiding another at, essentially, a very moderate clip. The two then move slowly toward the wall as the other cars, at far higher speeds, move past them. It is from this that Dale Earnhardt was supposed to have died.
We see pictures of cars at more than twice the speed hit into the wall, somersault over the wall, burst into flames and land upside down, and then hear that the driver escaped unscathed! There is absolutely no reason that an accident this minor could have killed a man, with, among other things, as much experience in such driving under his belt as Earnhardt had. To hear, then, that general perusal of autopsy photos has been blocked by a "grieving widow" who should want to know the truth only casts more of a suspicion over the event.
In the end, the evidence is that Dale Earnhardt was murdered. It is important that the federal Department of Justice get involved and unearth the evident criminality.
J.P.
West Caldwell
