Sniper Essay

Sniper Essay
(Written prior to the sniper's capture)

I haven't been scared.

I am not sure why this is the case.

Perhaps because we're in the upcounty, a distance from the shootings.

Then again, here to Rockville takes 30 minutes.

And when I was in Rockville last week for a meeting, and my gas tank was low, I was nervous. I filled up my tank right off I-270, on Route 28. The gas station was crowded, which made me feel a bit ... safer. It's a shame I had to be concerned at all.

I was nervous again as I exited Lakeforest Mall. I was greeted by a parking lot with not one other person outside. I walked faster, and faster, and faster. When the odds are so in favor of each citizen, something like 400,000 to 1, how can we be so afraid?

Walking to my Jeep afterschool, at the end of the parking lot; walking into the grocery store at night; waiting outside Ruby Tuesday's in Germantown -- By and large, I haven't felt the fear that has gripped the community. I assume this is because of my geographical, physical disconnect with the crime scene. God forbid he strike north.

Students in Damascus -- and adults, as well -- have been stating that we are safe because after all, we are so far north. But that message hasn't exactly made sense. Quoting the Observer's report on the Code Blue situation on Friday, October 11th: "Students at Damascus, while being assured of their safety due to the school's upcounty location, were told to hurry from class to class, especially when walking to and from the portables."

The day after the Montgomery County shooting spree, my resounding opinion was that "we can not let a coward who is trying to scare us succeed." But after each shooting, he created more concern and fear. "This is getting scary now," one student said to no one in particular after the Bowie shooting.

Every person has their own theory. Psycho. Terrorist. Mad at his employer. Mad at the government. Mad at the world. Some of them make sense. I have no doubt that police are investigating each and every one of them.

Every person plays the blame game, too. It's the media's fault -- they are foreshadowing this guy's every move. Society is partly to blame -- how can a person reach the point of murder? It's gun owners -- if guns weren't so easily accessible...

But in the end, it is the fault of the sniper. We do not live in Tel Aviv, Sarejevo, Beirut, Bogota. People come here to escape that. We should not have to live in fear. People aren't born this way. They are not born hating, dreaming of dying and danger and inflicting terror on ordinary citizens.

I wonder if psychology can play a role in explaining any of this. I wonder if Anything can explain any of this. "How can a human being want to kill a child?," I asked on my AOL IM away message after the shooting in Bowie. For that matter, how can a human being want to kill anyone, or anything, at anytime, anywhere, for any reason at all? Why are there so many questions and so few answers?