Circus Comes to Town

The Medical College of Virginia Hospital spokesperson's cell phone interrupts, and thus ends the sniper victim press conference with an apropos theme - it's ring is mockingly reminiscent of circus music.

Monday morning, the circus continues. My TV beams the bird's eye view - another gas station "crime scene". I watch local newscasters, like old friends, clamoring around the scene, for crumbs of information, but none are given - this investigation is too important to share with the public, apparently. I even see familiar faces loitering behind newscasters in front of their cameras, mugging for their 15 minutes of fame. The local NBC affiliate anchor, in her usual motherly demeanor, does her best to make things interesting, but the embarrasing reality is so obvious, my hysterical laughter breaks through the den of her, thankfully, ineffectual attempts to make something out of nothing. CNN patches in the voice of a local clerk, on a cell phone, making his way to the scene two blocks away, to file his "report." On another channel, Chief Moose, evidently having consulted his secret squirrel decoder ring, delivers a facinating message to the sniper - 'we've decoded your message, and we're getting new batteries for the Bat Signal Light Beam.' Later, a witness from a near by car dealership displays a handful of poorly rendered polaroids he shot - at least one of them depicts the Henrico County Police department's "professionalism" as officers descend on the "suspects" - Not only are their guns drawn. Their guns are aimed. The impromptu photo journalist repeatedly remarks how, "impressive" it all was. I'll bet the van's occupants thought so too. Life in America - non-stop adventure baby. Use a payphone. Go to jail.

I suppose the Draconian upshot is that if at the end of the day you've not been arrested, or sniperized, then you should count yourself lucky - kind of puts that unemployment thing in perspective huh? Yes sir, life just keeps get'n better. I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring. Even if it's not good, maybe it'll at least remind me that it could be worse. Hey, it may not be progress, but it's better than a bullet right? Until recently, I'd never heard the word Draconian. I don't have a dictionary, so I can't look it up. But I'm starting to get the idea. Maybe I'll join the army.

Finally the Henrico Police Department spokesman tells the media crews there'll be a press conference in two hours. Before dozing off, I mumble to myself that it'll turn out the"suspects" are illegal aliens, or there's a suspended license - whether or not either of these circumstances are in fact true. And what do you know? That's just about how it turned out. I must be psychic.

What we're witnessing is terror plain, and simple. There are various theories about its source. Maybe it's just some psychopath. Regardless, the affect is the same. The idea is to put the fear of God into everyone. In the present world political context, if you support the Bush administration's policies, fear only increases that support, and if you oppose them, fear discourages you from protesting. Niether side really even wants to talk about it. Very tidy the way this all works out. For most, this fear mechanism works as described regardless of who is behind it. I don't like to be controlled, so it just pisses me off.

The media's been saying we Richmonders think the police behaved admirably, and under the circumstances, didn't over react. I think the police have been watching too many Cops episodes.

This is Richmond, VA. I was born here. I've lived here most of my life. I love Richmond. I like to think we don't suffer fools glady.

Bryan McGregor Hoover
bhoover@wecs.com