How Disturbing

On Friday I was reading CNN online, and I saw the article about the 19 year old Wal-Mart cashier who was forced into her car as she was leaving work at midnight, abducted and later killed. There were a couple of things that were disturbing about the incident to me.

First of all, the man had been wandering around the parking lot for 2 hours, following women and then for some reason or another, giving up on them. 2 hours! And at one point, he was approached by private security guards who talked to him but did nothing. Okay, if someone has been hanging around a parking lot for two hours with no clear purpose, there's something wrong. Whether or not he or she is doing anything else particularly suspicious, there is something odd about someone just hanging out in a parking lot. If nothing else, charge them with loitering and get them out of there. It's even more sketchy when it's way past dark and when the man is following around women. Yes, some of these details probably came to light after the fact, but that he was stopped by security at one point does reveal that there was something a little off about the man. And if for someone reason after talking to the man and deciding not to do anything, would it have been too much for security to have observed him a little more closely? I mean, obviously, they weren't too intimidating or annoying since he hung around and did what he did.

Secondly, and most terrifying, is that this man would, without knowing this woman at all, abduct her and kill her. I know this isn't the only case of it, but any time it happens, I find it extremely disturbing. Any time anyone is killed or assualted, it's terrible. It's wrong. It's unbelievable. But at least sometimes you can see a motive, however wrongheaded it is. A jealous lover, an angry spouse, a deal gone wrong, etc. It's not right. It's not any less terrible for the family and friends of the person killed. But it's something you can detach yourself from...I wouldn't be in an abusive relationship...I wouldn't hang out with those kind of people...I wouldn't be in that situation...It wouldn't happen to me. But something like this is personal because of the fact that it's so impersonal. This girl was working, minding her own business, and then this happens. How scary is it that some people are so messed up that they can just kill for absoluetly no reason other than some unexplained anger or hatred or disturbance? It's something I just can't fathom. Did he wake up that morning and decide he wanted to kill someone? Did he have any idea what he was doing? If he was in the parking lot for 2 plus hours, I have to believe he had some kind of plan. It wasn't random. But what made him pick the woman he did? It's terrifying that there are people like that in the world and that no matter what you do, you are never completely safe from them.

Anyhow, I don't think we should all quit going out alone or cut ourselves off from the world. I've said it many times before...we can't live in fear. And we can't be paranoid. But we can be prepared as best as we can. I don't know the exact details of what happened, and I have no idea what that woman was thinking, but I can't help wondering why she didn't fight back. Please, please, please...if you are ever in a situation like this (God forbid), fight. Don't get in the car. As soon as you do, your chances of survival drop dramatically. Most attackers are looking for an easy victim. If you put up a fight...kick, scream, yell, bite, scratch...they're likely to let you go and get the hell out of there. If it's your car they're trying to get you to get in, throw the keys as far as you can. Even if they have a gun or a knife, fight back. Make them attack you right there in the parking lot. God knows if they're willing to attack you right there, they are definitely not going to hesitate to do it in some isolated place where no one is around to see or help. Your best chance of survival is fighting right then and there. Later on, it might be too late. So think about it, make a plan, know what you would do, because if the situation occurs you might not be able to think straight and will have to rely solely on instinct. It's terrible that we have to do that, but it's a sad fact of our current world. And I'd rather we all be safe.