Virginia executed the DC sniper tonight. I followed the whole trial and I knew it was coming, but I still felt this sense of sadness when I heard about it.
The DC sniper incidents began the week I moved here. At the time, I was getting used to a different city and trying to find my way around town, so everything was new. (In fact,when I heard on the news that there was a shooting near an elementary school in Montgomery County, I couldn't figure out why everyone around here was so worked up, thinking that Montgomery County was in Alabama...not a DC suburb.)
During those very surreal few weeks, I do remember - as do a lot of other people - looking around when filling up for gas, rushing a little faster through parking lots, or keeping an eye out for a white van (even though the vehicle didn't turn out to be white...or a van). The worst night was when I played in a softball game and stood outside in a yellow fleece jacket in the middle of center field by the interstate all by myself - I was sure a target was on my back that whole time! On the one hand, I was so nervous I kept bouncing around so I'd be hard to hit -- a great workout. On the other hand, I saw it as a personal sign of defiance that I refused to change my life because of one crazy person.
One night, as the search for the sniper was in full force, we got stopped by a road block of police when going out with friends. And we drove right by one of the final murder locations just hours before it happened on our way back from a weekend away. (Coincidentally, it's the Home Depot we go to all the time now. That incident in particular still haunts me.) Then, as abruptly as it started, the whole thing ended with a relatively calm apprehension in a rest area parking lot.
For all of the victims of this tragedy, who I sympathize with and my heart breaks for, I understand why tonight's execution might bring closure. But I still feel this funny sadness because I really do think that this guy used to be good--I think everyone used to be good at some point in their lives. So I suppose I mourn for the person he used to be or could have been versus the person he chose to be. I wish somehow I could have changed this so that it all could have been avoided in the first place. Does that make any sense?
2 comments:
When I look out into my classroom and see young children, they are good. Sweet, kind, and loving for the most part. It is sad to see someone's life go so far the other direction. If only we were ever sure why!
I had mixed feelings about the execution too. But glad it is over - those were some of the most terrifying two weeks of my life. I was so scared pumping gas, getting groceries, walking home from metro..it has forever changed how I "keep an eye out."
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