A state of disobedience

From the transcript at trial: Commonwealth of

Virginia v. Alvin Scheer

DIRECT EXAMINATION, CONTINUED

BY MR. STENNINGS:

Q. And when did you get the idea in your head that maybe something could be done?

A. I guess it was not too long after someone finally decided to do something, about them kids in the mission, at least, if not the entire problem. "Cooler heads prevailed," as they say. We were all plumb sure that the feds would just go in and kill 'em all. But we were wrong . . . sort of.

Still and all, one of the folks surrounding the place—he was one of us, a Texas man, go figure—decided to give it a try. I don't know what he said to 'em, both the folks in the mission and the ones outside. Whatever it was, it seemed to work.

I got myself and my wife up early to watch it on the TV. Even Daddy came over to see. One lone man, wearin' one lone star, standin' outside the mission walls waiting for the kids to come out.

Made me proud, it did.

Course, you couldn't see the man's face or anything. There must have been a dozen TV cameras on him, but they were all back where it was safe and he . . . well, he was up front where it wasn't.

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