When our subscriptions to the Daily Press and the Virginia Gazette ran out, my husband and I didn't renew. We thought the local newspapers were thin on substantive news, conservative, and gossipy. We need to know more, are liberal, and not particularly social. So I laughed at myself for reading the long, gossipy article in the Washington Post, which is now tossed on our driveway daily, about John Hinckley's probably next move to my hometown.
The reporter relished in her descriptions of the NIMBY-ness of the Williamsburg and Kingsmill communities. I loved her line about the murder of a cat being front page news around here. The murder of cats has, in fact, been front page news in Williamsburg's Virginia Gazette. Locals may remember Hill Pleasant Farm and the outrage of locals against the owner for drowning feral cats in a pond on his property. I included a photo (also above) of the farm on page 109 in my book about James City County. Thousands of Williamsburg-area school children visited the farm to learn about apples and pumpkins and all things warm and fuzzy about our wholesome, local farming community.
I digress. I do feel empathy for Hinckley, as I know how depression feels. Likewise, I have empathy for his brain injured victim, White House press secretary Jim Brady, as I am a person who copes with moderate TBI.
Interestingly, my church and minister were cited for offering Hinckley a job in the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists church library. The Reverend Jennifer Ryu said, "He needs a community. He needs to socialize. We believe in leaving no one out of our circle." I'll second that emotion. And I look forward to, perhaps, meeting the would-be assassin. I like to form my opinions based upon first-hand experience, not just from what I read in the paper or, ahem, on the Internet. Don't you agree?
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