November 25, 1999 To the editor CALLING THE MEDIA OR "CAR 54, WHERE ARE YOU" Years ago, I was informed of the arrogance in the local media but I chose not to believe it.  Over a period of time I discovered that what had been told to me was a fair and accurate assessment. An example of this is their reluctance to bring to light the destructive influences brought to bear by some within the system of justice against Bob Sindelar whose daughter was put in an almost vegetative state by a young driver who struck her car in February 23, 1990.  No action was taken against him while Carla is still confined to her bed since the accident. Articles have appeared in the local newspaper about the plight of Mr. Sindelar who has been pilloried by the authorities concerning his property.  This has been going on for much too long; and even though he has sought redress in the courts, the system of justice has failed to right an all too obvious wrong. The articles were tepid in nature and in no way did they bring out the facts, which should be called to the attention of the public.  Either they do not want to become seriously involved or their motto is  "Don't make waves." They did, however, engender a lot of sympathy in the form of gifts. The media have failed to live up to their obligation, for it seems that investigative reporting is a thing of the past, at least locally. One would think, that upon the death of Hitler and Stalin, the persecution of the innocent was over;  but Mr. Sindelar's situation proves that, here in America, it is alive and well, and it calls for investigative reporting. Unfortunately, there are those in the media who are aware of his problems, but for some reason are reluctant to bring out the facts concerning his persecution. During the Christmas Season, we send cards and offer gifts to those we know, while invoking the Blessing of the Holy Family; and when it is over, the situation remains the same.  We do nothing and say nothing about the constant barrage of sleaze emanating from the TV set and the silver screen - and the children are all too aware of it.  But this is only a small part of the problem, with violence in the media being a close second. There are difficulties within our educational system that must be remedied, and it's the responsibility of the media to seek them out and make them a public issue.  Otherwise we shall continue on a downward trend. William R. McLaughlin 101 Sage St. Horseheads, N.Y. 14845 Back to top of Bill's Page