When I got the phone calls on March 2 from two different reporters at WSMV, I wasn't surprised. They were calling about a home in Goodlettsville in which a handful of people with disabilities reside. I wasn't surprised because one of their reporters is among the neighbors who have been disgruntled about the home, so I knew it was just a matter of time before WSMV decided this non-story was newsworthy.
The story, which you can view and read here, doesn't mention any of the research that shows that not all people with mental illness are dangerous and that people with disabilities are more likely to be the victims of crime than the perpetrators of it. Instead, WSMV's Nancy Amons allowed the neighbors, none of whom were identified by name, to let their fear run loose on camera. The only source identified in the video was the manager of the home (misidentified as the owner), and he was treated like a common criminal who was making meth in the bathtub.
The only mention of the Fair Housing Act was slipped in to imply that this organization had threatened the neighbors with a discrimination lawsuit. The unidentified neighbor who said that "Anytime we ask any questions, we're threatened with a discrimination lawsuit" is not being truthful. It has been made clear to the neighbors that they have a right to express their concerns. Their remarks are protected by the First Amendment. Unfortunately, that doesn't make them any less harmful or ignorant.
There was no news here other than the neighbors' unfounded fear. I have an irrational fear of snakes - should I expect a news crew to visit my home?
Indeed, the theme of the WSMV piece seemed to be, "WSMV and the neighbors want answers about this home, and those answers are not forthcoming." The fact of the matter is that neither the neighbors nor the local TV stations are entitled to know everything they want to know about the home. Somehow it's been lost that the residents of the home have the same right to privacy as anyone else in the neighborhood. The operators of the home have been placed in a very delicate position by the neighbors - if they answer too many questions, they violate the privacy of the individuals living there, and if they say nothing, they open themselves up to accusations of secrecy, accusations Nancy Amons was all too willing to make on camera.
In fact, I am looking forward to Nancy Amons visiting the Goodlettsville police station to see if the police have been to any other houses in this subdivision and then sticking a camera in the face of the head of household there. I doubt that will happen - people with mental illness make much better targets, and most homeowners wouldn't stand for that kind of invasion.