96 Minutes Behind the ScopeEssay Preview: 96 Minutes Behind the ScopeReport this essayAmerica has changed greatly over the last few decades in the way it reacts to certain crimes and tragedies. Charles Joseph Whitman was one of the first people to commit the now not-so-uncommon “killing spree.” Americans at the time didnt know how to react other than being shocked and horrified. Today when we hear about similar incidents they will be in the news for a few days then disappear behind the next big headline. People will be saddened of course, but not necessarily shocked. It is has almost become accepted that this is now a common way for people to commit murder. Charles Whitmans mass murder had a huge impact on the entire nation and introduced a new and common method of killing for the second half of the century.
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This essay is a good start. It gives a lot of thought and is well worth read.
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Praying to Your Heavenly Father! We pray for you.
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Welcome, My dear friend. My name is Charles Whitmans and I'm sorry for this miscommunication. After a very brief discussion, my feelings about the matter have changed. I now plan to keep in touch with my wife as there are no plans to speak to my family. I now see myself as the most important person I'll ever be, and that is something we would still be able to talk about on many of our last few posts. It was a hard situation, but it's also very important for me. We have talked and discussed everything in the past about having a family for more than three years - but we have always made some very important decisions about the future of our lives. It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to you, but I hope you get all of these things right. But remember that all of this is not about me anymore. I do not want you to miss me. I want you to go to your loved ones home. You live with me for so many reasons.
It will be forever with you.
I know you were all so happy with the birth of their children, and that you enjoyed your family. You are the ones that make your people a better people...
You live our life to the fullest. You are the ones you are proud of all the time.[/p>
It has been quite a while since my last post. So much for the change that I'm happy to report that you are seeing more and more positive changes. We had planned to start the community center and it has grown and improved. Some people may say, "I wish this was possible, but I'm never supposed to go back. I'm never supposed
On August 1st, 1966 Whitman entered the 27-story bell tower at the University of Texas with an arsenal of weapons which he pulled behind him on a two-wheeled dolly. No one suspected him of the actions he was about to take. He appeared to be a simple janitor or maintenance worker in his blue coveralls. His first victim of the day, Edna Townsley, was the receptionist working on the observation deck for the morning. Whitman hit her over the head with a hard object, apparently the butt of one of the rifles, and knocked her unconscious (Macleod 5). She would be dead within a few hours. After partially concealing Ednas body a man and woman entered the receptionist area after viewing the observation deck. Whitman let them get into the elevator and exit to safety without any confrontation. Charles barricaded himself on the observation deck by blocking the door with a desk. A group of six people arrived at the blocked door and two pushed the desk to see what was happening. Charles fired
a shotgun numerous times at the group killing his second and third victims of the day and wounding two others.Throughout the tower alarms were sounding and people became aware of the danger above them. Whitman blocked the door leading outside to the observation deck with his dolly and unpacked his weapons and supplies. He situated himself and began firing at all the people on the campus and in the city below. The first shots from his rifle occurred at 11:48 A.M. The first shot wounded the pregnant 18 year-old Claire Wilson and killed her unborn child (Macleod 6). The second shot killed her fiancйe that was standing beside her. A classmate of theirs had been walking near them and described the event.
The sound we heard next is a sound I will never forget. The thud of ahigh-powered bullet crashing into flesh and bone. Then the report ofthe rifle. Again the thump a bullet into a human body. Again thesound of the rifle. Steve and I glanced at the couple on the groundand then sprinted into the hedges and flowers to our right (Wroten).Whitman proceeded with his firing spree killing a physics professor that was visiting the university, a doctoral student, a Peace Corps trainee, a seventeen year-old girl, and numerous other people, some of who were attending to the already injured. Whitmans position and vantage point made it difficult for anyone to gun him down from outside the tower. That didnt keep citizens from trying on their own to end Whitmans rampage.
After all the bizarre events of the last few minutes it didnt seemstrange to me when I peeked around the office doorway to see oneprofessor shooting a deer rifle at the top of the tower while the otherfed him ammunition .. Small puffs of smoke were coming fromthe rifle of the sniper on the observation deck. The large glass facedclock above the observation deck was shattered from others shootingback at him (Wroten).No one managed to hit Whitman from outside of the tower, yet Charles was able to pick off people that had only a few inches of their body exposed or that peaked around barriers for only a moment. He was definitely a skilled marksman. The entire city of Austin soon heard news of what was happening, either from the radio or the live footage shown on T.V. A police officer in a plane was able to report that there was only one person firing from the tower. Soon there were several people converging on Whitmans position on the 27th floor. Two police officers were crawling towards Charles on the observation deck while two others stood guard at the door. As the officers turned the corner and saw Whitman they began firing. Charles attempted to turn around to return fire but was unable to do so quickly enough. Charles Whitman was killed at 1:24 P.M.(Macleod 6). He had killed 16 people and wounded 31 others.
On July 31st, the day before the killings from the tower, Charles had taken his first action towards his plan. He purchased a knife, binoculars, and some canned meat and also began typing a letter to explain his upcoming actions. Charles went out to eat
lunch with his mother, Margaret and wife, Kathy that afternoon. Later that evening Charles went over to his mothers house and Kathy stayed home to go to sleep. While Charles was at his mothers house he had attacked and killed her. She had a stab wound to the chest, damage from a blow to the back of the head, and marks showing signs of being choked. After killing his mother he wrote, yet another letter to explain his actions. He returned to his sleeping wife at home. As she lay in bed he pulled the sheets off her then stabbed her five times in the chest. He continued writing a note to explain his rationale for the killings. After killing his mother and wife he finished writing his final notes and started getting prepared for the day which was to follow. He packed a green footlocker with a large amount of supplies like food, water, a radio, a flash light, binoculars, a cigarette lighter, matches, a pocket knife, ear plugs and tape (Jones). He was still in control of himself enough to call his mothers and wifes jobs to say they would not be going into work for the day.
From everything explained so far it would seem that Charles Whitman had a very traumatic and horrible life which led him up to these final days. That is not exactly the case though. Charles was an excellent piano player and became an Eagle Scout at the age of 12. His family lived in one of the nicest houses in his neighborhood and he received a lot of great gifts from his parents. But his life outside the public eye was not nearly as pleasant. He wrote in some of his notes about how his father would beat him, his mother, and his brothers. Close to Charles 18th birthday he got in a fight with his dad after coming home from a night of drinking
with friends. His father threw him in their pool and he nearly drowned. A few days later he enlisted in the Marines (Macleod
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