Comments on: When heroes become bad guys

By: Mike Odom

Mike Odom — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 07:26:04 +0000

Ed,
I think that the whole thing was tragic and of course when a tragedy like this happens emotions can fly. I don’t think that because someone gets down on another because they were wrong puts them on higher ground and many times the more we feel for someone can make us be that much harder on them. Certainly, I think that none of us are perfect and we have all made mistakes. It just so happens that this mistake was huge, fatal and ended up causing a major domino effect on many lives.
It is also easier for someone to come along after over a year has gone by and we have all had time to put more of this together and watch it unfold to comment on it. As I say above, I don’t hate Billy, I hate what happened. The major effect that all of this has had on so many lives is beyond what most people realize. Yeah sure, many say that because of Billy’s status more has been said and covered in the media and if this was a normal Joe it would have long been over. That is true. Sad but true and that is what adds to the event. You can not remove the fact of who he is from what he did and make it a normal Joe case. The fact remains that he is a person that drew the attention of thousands of people and that hurts everyone involved more than the average Joe as well. When I say everyone, I mean everyone from the family’s of both the men to the old guy sitting at his breakfast table reading his morning paper as well as Billy himself.
I have to agree with you about what “we” the public did to Billy. We cheered him on and help shape the character that he lived as. But, could we blame ourselves for what happened? I think not. He is still a human being capable and responsible for making his own decisions and on that day he made the wrong decision. You and I will never know what friends may have deserted him and I am sure there were those who did. The big question in friendship would be, how many of them were around him that day and suggested that he not drive? To me, a true friend would have asked him to ride with a sober friend or call a ride. We don’t know how many had that opportunity that day, but I am sure they regret not saying something today. Even when we remove the point of alcohol from the case and remove his having to be the rebel in front of his public, he was not acting out his carer life by passing in the no pass zone. It was a poor decision that it is highly probable he would not have made had he have not been under the influence.
True we have all made mistakes and I think we have all paid for them or will in time. It is just a bad deal all the way around and my hope at this point is to see something positive result from the whole mess.
This too rests in the hands of only one person.

By: Ed McKinney

Ed McKinney — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 03:34:25 +0000

It’s truly a tragedy that someone is dead due to someone’s neglegence. But, to go from hero to zero because of a mistake seems to be the American way, one day we all love Billy Lane and he is the coolest of the cool. Cool partially because of his rebel ways, but, when his rebel ways cause a tragedy we immediately jump ship and start blogs, acting as if we’re so far above making the same type of mistake. Good thing we’re only observers from afar and our stupid opinions only feed the fire. I sure Billy Lane is truly glad that his true friends don’t act like many of us and desert him for a mistake.

By: Mike Odom

Mike Odom — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 06:37:02 +0000

I Know, Sandie.
I looked all over myself. There were three palm trees that had yellow tape around them, but there did not appear to be any damage there.
I had seen a cross on the road in one of the first news articles that came out marking the spot where Gerald Morelock died. I believe it was put there by his brother Byron. Either the cross has been removed or I could not find it as well.
Indeed, there are still many unanswered questions in the case.
Mike

By: sandie

sandie — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 06:33:06 +0000

I drove out to the vinicity where the accident happened and I did not see any white paint on the pavement and Fhp always HAVE white paint on the highway in any wreck that has a death or even people hurt. Traffic investigators still have not stated how fast Billy Lane was driving.