Wednesday, May 14, 2003

I am offended by the statements that you wrote about a lifelong friend [The Citizen, May 7]. I have known David Mangham my entire life; he watched me grow up. I have only good memories of David. And it's really hard for me to read what you have chosen to assume about this man when I've known him for 23 years.

David may have had a rough past, but if you don't have anything specific to go on except assumptions, you should refrain from using statements like, "led a double life of sorts," with "a circle of friends who may have been involved in illegal activities," and, "Anyone with information on the allegedly seedy side of Mangham's acquaintances...". "Seedy" could have been completely left out.

Granted, that may be what the police are assuming, too, but I really don't think it's fair to say those things when many like me and my family are mourning the death of this man. I would appreciate in the future for you to only state things that you know to be true, not things that sound good or make a story more interesting.

Please remember that people make mistakes, and that shouldn't follow them the rest of their lives. David did a lot of good things no matter what may be uncovered in this investigation, and that shouldn't be forgotten either. I want to know the truth about what happened and I know that you would love to report it, and that calls for information from wherever it can be gotten, but there's no reason to talk bad about a man that was shot to death in his own home.

And if David is found to have "seedy friends" (as you put it) but there is nothing that David did more than to be friends with these people then it doesn't warrant being written about because that's no crime. When you work in one of the highest crime rate areas of metro Atlanta, you don't want to be enemies with bad people. David was a smart guy and that's a very possible reason for him having some "bad friends."

David Bradley

jarhead773@hotmail.com