this is the e-mail that Mr Sarne sent me last Mon. May 15, 2006
Dear Sir:
As editor of Top Gear, I take full responsibility for all the things you raised in your letter. I would like to apologize if Mr Sebastian's column offended your sensibilities as a biker, but know also that Erle¹s kind of writing is really satirical. It¹s not designed to be as serious as Time magazine. Of course, we can argue all day about whether he is effectively funny or whether his points are valid. At the end of the day, however, it is one motoring journalist¹s opinion. We may not agree with him but that¹s his opinion. Same way that you have yours, which, by the way, I promise to publish.
Truth to tell, I¹m not a big fan of bikes either. And I can¹t blame many people for detesting them because many bike riders really pose a serious threat on the road. I should know‹I¹ve lost count of the number of times I almost hit a scooter all because the rider had no concept of mortality. Yes, of course, there are also many responsible, knowledgeable bikers out there‹and I believe you¹re one of them‹but the column doesn¹t speak to your group. It does to the irresponsible ones.
If it¹s of any significance, I would like to assure you that Erle is a good person. He is by far the most honest, most kind journalist I have ever met in all my professional life‹and I¹ve met the best of them.
We at Top Gear do not look down on bikers. In fact, we even have our own Motorbikes Editor in Les Croyston. But we do not have to all agree on everything, do we? Because then, we'd all be brainless columnists and writers.
Sir, the nice thing about that column is that attention is now being drawn toward irresponsible bike-riding. You may not like how it was written, but at least, many people are now talking about it. Isn't that the purpose of journalism--to make people think and question? True, there are other ways to improve the situation, but we are not the LTFRB or the LTO. We're an automotive publication, and we'll always do what we do best--and that is to write what we believe is true and honest.
Again, my personal apologies if the column turned you off. It wasn¹t the desired effect. Thank you for reading and God bless.
Vernon B. Sarne
to which i responded:
Dear Mr. Sarne,
Thank you very much for your response. I appreciate the timeliness and the apology that you have offered and I totally agree that we need not agree on everything. I believe it is part of human nature to be opinionated and hold firm to our own beliefs.
However, the generalization that the author made in his article were and still are uncalled for. There are responsible bikers out there, both on big bikes and smaller bikes but on the flip side I also do agree that there are irresponsible bikers just like there are irresponsible drivers. This does not mean though that the author can take such liberties with his words such as, “They are all color blind-they can't distinguish red from green or yellow.” As the editor you should have suggested to Mr. Sebastian to tone down some of his generalizations. I’m not criticizing the way you do your job sir, I am simply offering some constructive remarks. No malice intended.
I am sorry about your close encounters with motorcyclists you have almost hit because the rider had no concept of his own morality. You are not alone in your close encounters sir as I myself have lost count of the number of time car drivers tried to run me off the road because they felt that motorcycles have no place on the Expressways.
We are not the LTO or the LTFRB but as opinion writers we also do form opinions. As people read our articles, we influence them to think like we do. The opinions we form in our readers are our own opinions magnified. These are the responsibilities we as journalist must adhere to. Imagine if someone read Mr. Sebastian’s article and decided in his own mind that because he hated bikers the way Mr. Sebastian hated bikers it would be ok for him to run down every biker he saw on the street. Just the same way as I publish this article and your responses on our website, if I did not think responsibly and act in prudence I could cause even more animosity between bikers and drivers by spinning this issue out of control possibly deepening the already abyss like rift between bike riders and cars drivers. We as journalists must do what we do best as you said which is to write what we believe to be true and honest however I must add to that we must write what is true, honest and responsible.
I have no doubt Mr. Erle is a good person. I do doubt however how responsible he is with his opinions.
The article did draw attention, you are right, however do you really think it will make bikers more introspective about the way they ride their bikes on the road? I bet all this article really did, was flame the anger within bikers who actually spent the time to read the article.
Again, thank you for your response and God Bless you as well sir.
Respectfully,
John Diego
To which he Mr. Sarne responded:
Dear Sir:
I understand where you're coming from. I really do. However, as editor, I would not like to influence what my columnists write in any way, especially if it concerns opinions and beliefs. We operate on trust, and I fully trust every member of my team to be an intelligent, sensible journalist.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have allowed them to be in the Top Gear team in the first place.
If you have been reading Top Gear for quite some time now, you should know that our publication has always been known for the irreverent way its articles and columns are written. Check out Jeremy Clarkson and you have to agree that Erle Sebastian's sarcasm isn't anywhere near Clarkson's.
Honestly, I believe that if it was Jeremy who wrote the same piece, we would just have all shrugged it off. Sometimes, I personally wonder if colonial mentality forces some of us to frown upon Filipino journalists who display the same fiery brand of writing. I truly hope I'm wrong, for it would be a sad, sad reality if I wasn't.
Thank you for your comments. Rest assured that we are not singling out irresponsible bike riders. Continue reading us and chances are that you will come across an article of ours berating bad drivers of four-wheeled motor vehicles.
Sincerely,
Vernon
We await on baited breath for your editornal sir.....
