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A Postman Dies: Random violence claims carrier
Tulsa Times ^ | 12/15/01 | World Editorial Writers

Posted on 12/21/2001 8:14:00 PM PST by JohnD9207

Random violence claims carrier

Robert Jenkins, husband and father, did not walk his Tulsa mail route Wednesday thinking that it would be his day to die.

He left for his job, as most of us do, expecting to work his shift and then return home to those he held dear.

Things did not work out that way for Jenkins, 30, the victim of an apparent random act of violence. He will never go home and his 18 month old daughter will not grow up with her father.

The nine-year postal veteran took a bullet in the back. Witnesses claim the bullet came from the gun of Jason Weed, 27. Weed was arrested a few minutes later near the Brookside district, carrying a loaded gun and acting erratically.

Weed was booked into the Tulsa Jail on a first-degree murder complaint.

By all accounts Jenkins was a dedicated worker in a job that can be thankless and physically demanding.

"Everyone liked him," said John Harrison, president of the Tulsa chapter of the National Letter Carriers Association. "He was a good employee."

Around Oklahoma, flags at post offices were at half staff and a fund for the family was set up at the Tulsa Postal Federal Credit Union.

Letter carriers fight bad weather, snarling dogs, heavy traffic and other hazzards on a day-in, day-out basis. And while a postal handler died this fall from inhalation anthrax, no route carrier had been a homicide victim in a couple of years.

The last homicides included a letter carrier who was shot at a Los Angeles Jewish community center. Another was murdered in a carjacking in rural Mississippi. In fiscal 2000, postal inspectors responded to 1,037 postal related assults and credible threats. Their investigations led to 441 arrests.

"The thought of delivering mail and encountering what happened (to Jenkins) Couldn't possibly be anticipated by any letter carrier," one postal supervisor said.

Indeed it could not. In this year, when so much violence has rained down on America, the death of Robert Jenkins marks yet another instance of man's inhumanity to man.


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
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To: ArneFufkin
To answer your insensitive question, no my husband didnt know this man. He walks a mail route everyday. He was exiting a building after delivering the mail and at the same time this man was leaving his building. My husband and I didnt even live in the same area as this man. He has already been in court and admitted to quite a few people that he was high and didnt know what he was doing. As for how long I have been a member here, I didnt even know this site existed until my father, who has been a member for some time, told me about it. I could care less about anyone ever donating money to me and my daughter. My goal is to warn people about how you could be just an ordinary person on the street and senseless tragedy could hit at any moment. Dont condemn me unless you have walked a mile in my shoes.
61 posted on 12/22/2001 6:04:25 AM PST by caitlynsmom
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To: ArneFufkin
Another thing, you can also get on the websites for the local news here in Tulsa Oklahoma. Each channel did several stories on my husbands tragic death. KTUL tulsa, KOCB tulsa are two of them.
62 posted on 12/22/2001 6:07:31 AM PST by caitlynsmom
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To: Native American Female Vet
That is excellent. They work hard and never get any thanks and I am sure that your mailman would be touched. Keep spreading the love!
63 posted on 12/22/2001 6:11:25 AM PST by caitlynsmom
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To: JohnD9207
Sorry if this offends some...

If this OFFENDS anyone, they must have sat through a compassionectomy. Your family is in good hands, John -- yours and the Lord's.

FReepers: 'Tis the season for sharing. Let's show these folks the true meaning of the season.

64 posted on 12/22/2001 6:17:26 AM PST by IronJack
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To: caitlynsmom, JohnD9207
I am so sorry for your loss. Robert sounds like a wonderful person who touched many lives.

Welcome to FR, caitlynsmom. I hope you find many new friends here to give you comfort in your grief.

65 posted on 12/22/2001 6:18:28 AM PST by LBGA
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To: LibKill
I too was very hopeful of the death penalty for this animal. But unfortunately that is not an option in this case. The best we can hope for is life in prison. This has become a federal case and the most positive thing is that when you are sentenced to life, you serve life. There is no parole in federal cases. There is no time off for good behavior. Now we just have to make the jury see that he wasent crazy or temporarily insane, just a heartless cruel monster who deserves to spend the rest of his days in the most unpleasant jail in the world.
66 posted on 12/22/2001 6:20:12 AM PST by caitlynsmom
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To: caitlynsmom
Hang in there. Our prayers are with you. And believe me, for every idiot like ArneFufkin, there are thousands of caring, compassionate FReepers who care.
67 posted on 12/22/2001 6:22:34 AM PST by buccaneer81
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To: caitlynsmom
Some people here make to many assumption's and know everything without doing any research, kind of like the main stream press.

All but a few of us are praying for you and your family.

68 posted on 12/22/2001 6:24:01 AM PST by ao98
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To: JohnD9207
I'm sorry for your loss.

My prayers are with you.

redrock

69 posted on 12/22/2001 6:30:06 AM PST by redrock
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Comment #70 Removed by Moderator

Comment #71 Removed by Moderator

To: JohnD9207
My prayers are with you and your loved ones.
72 posted on 12/22/2001 6:36:34 AM PST by Gone_Postal
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Comment #73 Removed by Moderator

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Comment #75 Removed by Moderator

To: JohnD9207
So sorry for your loss. No one could possibly be offended at this post - it is news and is especially post-worthy because it affects a Freeper directly.

I'm going to go hug my daughter now....

76 posted on 12/22/2001 6:55:54 AM PST by SW6906
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To: caitlynsmom
Try to ignore ArneFufkin. We all know it's a good idea to be on the lookout for cons on the Internet, but this story is just too easy too check out BEFORE posting a hurtful accusation. ArneFufkin is to lazy to do a one minute search before posting a comment that is flat out uncivilized under the circumstances. MOST of us know that not all Freepers are the 24/7 type who bring their personal joys and sorrows to FR before spending time with family, attending funerals, talking to police, etc.

Oh and it looks like we won't be hearing from ArneFufkin for a while. We have some neat features on FR, one of which is the "Abuse" button, at the bottom of each post, which notifies the moderators of inappropriate posts, and another of which is that if you click on someone's screen name at the bottom of their post, you'll pull up their profile page -- that is if they still have one; clicking on ArneFufkin now brings up "No current Freeper by that name". Those moderators are quick on the uptake this morning -- nice job!

77 posted on 12/22/2001 6:58:27 AM PST by GovernmentShrinker
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To: GovernmentShrinker
ArneFufkin made me so mad I mixed up my "too's" and "to's". Bad, bad ArneFufkin!
78 posted on 12/22/2001 7:00:46 AM PST by GovernmentShrinker
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To: JohnD9207
God bless your family and grant you serenity. I am so sorry for your loss.

:^(

79 posted on 12/22/2001 7:01:11 AM PST by Travis McGee
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To: caitlynsmom
My (now deceased) uncle was a postal worker here in Tulsa for many years. He would go out of his way to help anyone anyhow he could. A kind gentle soul. Have some pictures I took of him and J. Inholfe when he was mayor here. Your husband sounds like he was a real gentleman. God Bless You and may the spirit of the Lord be with you and your family in your time of need...
80 posted on 12/22/2001 7:05:32 AM PST by AmerRepb
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