Neighbors’ Concerns About Gunman

Re “For Gunman, Life Spent as Misfit Ends in Violence,” Sept. 9:

Let’s see if I understand this correctly. James Allen Beck’s neighbors--a bunch of middle-aged women, mostly--were watching him with binoculars and otherwise spying on him because they had some vague suspicions about him, because he wasn’t conforming to their idea of white middle-class suburbia. This caused them to call in the troops, and this provoked a confrontation.

That sounds a lot like what happened at Waco and in several other incidents around the country over the past few years.

Perhaps the real problem lies with Stepford-like neighbors who demand full conformity and who are intolerant of others.

H. Millard

Costa Mesa

*

Regarding the ATF’s attempt to serve a search warrant on Santa Clarita illegal-firearms suspect Beck: What were they thinking? What did they figure Beck--a man with an unhealthy desire for multiple assault rifles--would think when eight unsmiling men appeared at his front door?

How much intelligence would it have taken to have a couple of officers watch the house and when Beck emerged on an errand simply walk up to him and serve the warrant? Apparently about 90% more intelligence than the ATF possesses.

David Butler

Los Angeles