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I posted this a couple of days ago, on another thread...

Hubby is ex-cop and a "words matter" guy. He came up with giving attention to the beginning of the sniper's note: "Dear Policeman."

1) When you learn another language, you always learn the more formal ways of speech, rather than the slangs, first. "Dear" and "Policeman" definitely fall into these more formal references.

Also,

2) "PoliceMAN" - who (especially if the profilers believe that this person(s) are aged 20 - 30 still uses THAT reference... and speaks in the totally non-P.C. "man" reference, rather than "Officer?"

And,

3) I would like to add that perhaps thought should be given to the majority of the shootings happening around "oil" supplies...gas...hmm...now let's see, who has the oil, and who buys the oil.

I think these three points are valuable.

3) I would like to add that perhaps thought should be given to the majority of the shootings happening around "oil" supplies...gas...hmm...now let's see, who has the oil, and who buys the oil.

Except most of the shooting weren't around gas stations. Only three were. Try again.

Your "words matter" post brought out some interesting points, particularly #3:

3) I would like to add that perhaps thought should be given to the majority of the shootings happening around "oil" supplies...gas...hmm...now let's see, who has the oil, and who buys the oil.

There might be something to this..oil supplies, etc. However, it touched off something else when I read it: If by chance the sniper missed, and the bullet hit a gas pump - would it go KA-BOOM!??? or does that only happen in the movies? Also, unlike the most recent shootings, the first victims were doing other things (mowing the lawn, etc). Seems like the sniper discovered by chance the ease in picking out victims at the gas pumps.

1) When you learn another language, you always learn the more formal ways of speech, rather than the slangs, first. "Dear" and "Policeman" definitely fall into these more formal references.

I don't know. I've heard a lot of people saying no native English speaker would speak in this manner- but I frequently do. Every time I write a letter, in fact. I wrote a columnist the other day (he was deserving a nasty gram) and that's just how I started it- "Dear Butthole Writer"... Also used frequently- "Dear Congressman" and "Dear Editor".

Also, I am a native English speaker and I didn't know it was bad to call a policeman a policeman. Have Americans quit using the words actor and actress as well? (just curious). Odd that.

The way I see it, the guy didn't want to write a holiday postcard on his Tarot thingy. He was brief and to the point. I can well imagine he feels like God when he is deciding whether or not to take somebody out of this existence or not. The victim doesn't even know. The killer sits distant, deciding in an instant who gets to continue living and who will die. From his perspective it must be an incredibly powerful feeling. I have heard people in my life use that expression "I am God" or "I am a God" in relation to totatlly innocuous things- like running the table in a pool game. I find the message sinister in this case- given the circumstances, but there is just not enough there to assume it is a foreigner. The guy talks like I do and I'm an American.

On the other hand, the anthrax letter- "We have this anthrax"- it did sound a bit stilted and would point to a foreigner- but not necessarily so- it could've been a personal joke among the conspirators or an expression one of the perps heard elsewhere and decided to use. At any rate- I think before we just cross "home grown nut" off the list (and potentially let the real perp run free as a result) we need to be really certain.

3) I would like to add that perhaps thought should be given to the majority of the shootings happening around "oil" supplies...gas...hmm...now let's see, who has the oil, and who buys the oil.

I'm wondering if the gas station shootings were symbolic, or just because gas stations are located at almost every freeway exit and the escape route is right there.

It would be interesting to see if the other shootings were also very close to freeway access.

Your husband is a smart officer. I agree on all your points. I never thought of the oil/gas connection. The journalists report it as just being convenient for a getaway. Terrorist attacks normally have special meaning attached to them. Thus the WTC was attacked not once but twice.

Once it was pointed out how disciplined the attacks were, I suspected a sniper team. Now someone on TV has said they are thinking two sniper teams. I have a lot of trouble imagining a lone nut shooter. It doesn't fit.

From the moment the first shots dropped victims...I have said this is a terrorist attack and it's being perpetrated by a sleeper cell not by terrorists imported for just this operation as in 9/11. A sleeper cell will be at least somewhat adept in spreading disinformation in an attempt to divert any investigation as long as possible in order to keep dropping targets. The gas stations are the economic attack...NOT WALL STREET! Yes, New York may still be on the target list for bigger stuff...but the little mosquito bites can have a draining effect on local economies just as much as a massive attack can. I would look for these random shootings to spread across the USA as the effects become known and sleeper cells elsewhere say:

"Hey thats a good idea! WE CAN DO THAT!"

The only hope we have of stopping this for sure is an alert, trained and ARMED populace so that the next time shots are fired.....shots will be returned instantly with deadly accuracy. If that happens....say goodbye forever to all the gun control schemes. It's that possibility that has the Schumers and Kennedy's all trying to drive through as much anti-gun legislation as possible...now. The bad guys want gun control too, which is why these sniper attacks will continue so that the legislation will get rammed through and make it so much easier for the ENEMY to keep killing Americans. Dare I say it? GUN CONTROL IS TREASON.

Someone said that before, but I have always used more formal references--I feel weird if I don't include "dear" at the start of a letter. It is the way I was raised, however I admit my mother being a Brit may attribute to that streak of formality, however I was raised in this country and for both my parents and me English is our first(and only) language.

BTW, I am 32 and still feel more comfortable using policeman. I still think it could be a local, despite my heritage, I spent my early years being educated in a school system not far from where these spree shootings are taking place. I hadn't thought of it until now, but what are the chances this person is local and about the same age as I am, educated in the same schools? It's a possibility and thought I should shed some light on it given my age and the fact that I attended schools in the state of Maryland as a child since it could be this person aquired the same vernacular that I did growing up in that same school system.

2) "PoliceMAN" - who (especially if the profilers believe that this person(s) are aged 20 - 30 still uses THAT reference... and speaks in the totally non-P.C. "man" reference, rather than "Officer?"

*****

Uh, me... :o)