CLOSER AGAIN! It’s true. Local listeners, readers and viewers do, indeed, take a much more attentive stance in relation to news items featuring the possible presence of unbalanced, insane or otherwise uncontrollable persons among us.
Anyone who has broken man's laws and those of common sense; have committed murder, mayhem of any type, or just just simply to have done work related to a killing, have caused death by violence is eligible to take part.
It has been quite a few years since the area in which I live was under such a state of such a siege. That was way back when the so-called “Beltway Killers” were killing people at filling stations, bus stops, parking lots - without setting up any preferences, it seemed. Yet, here at about one hundred miles south of the sites of such crimes, people grew edgy. More than one person hesitated to buying gas when alone lest a sniper might have bullet ready for just such a victim. Do you remember what took place when the killers were captured? A great feeling of relief came to those immediately concerned and those of us here in the Valley of Virginia as well. One can still read about the “Beltway Killers” in some D.C. Papers. There have been trials and hearings, and sentencing s and nothing has really happened to the accused so far other than dungeon time.
We were awakened this morning of Monday, August 21, 2006 by TV sets blossoming forth in every room with cheerful news that a murderer - having killed a lawman and a hospital worker - was, even at that moment ”running amok” in the Blacksburg, Virginia and the and the Virgina Tech Campus area. It was the first day of operation of '06 at the University which is complicated and confusing enough by itself. Students were instructed to stay where they were in whatever school building they happened to be until told to move elsewhere. A further instruction said if they could get to their apartment, to do so, lock the doors and stay there until the criminal was apprehended. Judging by the pictures which followed, most students decided in favor of going home for the day. Steady departure were evident, rather serious, too. They seemed to be clearing the building in loose twosomes rather than in milling bunches or clusters of bodies.
The search with full Fox Network Coverage plus others and statewide stations. It ended when it was announced that the killer had been captured.
To me,it seemed well-handled, too. Not too hyped. Factual police statements at intervals.
It is obvious that some of our Home Defense lecturing has been heard and heeded.
Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 8-21-06 [c459wds]
