Since there are no boundaries when it comes to analyzing news and issues, I certainly have kept a discerning eye on the cities surrounding our nation’s seat of government in general and Rockville, Maryland, a small hamlet that’s a stone’s throw from Washington, D.C., in particular. However, I was simply observing the reign of terror and feeling the pain of citizens living in fear of the mad man or men, with the power of life and death through the scope of a high-powered rifle. Conversely, I wasn’t the least bit surprised when two Africans-Americans were identified as major suspects, just as I wasn’t when the Black couple, which lived in Houston, somehow ended up being connected to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida.

Race card aside, I just had a feeling that something as evil as randomly killing people in some way involved a foreigner or African-American connected with the Muslims and my journalistic instincts proved right when it was reported that authorities had narrowed their search down to 42-year-old John Allen Muhammad, (nee Williams) who was stationed in Fort Lewis, Washington during the Gulf War and his 17-year-old stepson, Lee Malvo. But we’ll analyze that amazing revelation some other time, because I also was more astounded to learn that racism had reared its ugly head in the midst of all of the turmoil and tension caused by the so-called “Beltway Sniper,” who had killed his 10th victim when this article was being prepared for publication.

With everything else to worry about, would you believe that Montgomery County Maryland’s African American Police Chief Charles Moose has become the media’s whipping boy? It seems that the frighten citizens had a problem with Moose being the official spokesman for the police agencies that were searching for the crafty sniper. On conservative radio and TV talk shows, callers have actually said that Moose was “too stupid to lead a search,” and intimate that his lack of expertise could well give the deadly and obviously surreptitious sniper the edge. What’s up with that? Quite frankly, Moose does lack what one might consider charisma and his almost subdued manner of speaking certainly doesn’t inspire confidence in people who are fearfully expecting to be shot at any second.

“This is too big for him,” one caller said of Moose. Then again, how would you expect for a man confronted with such a dilemma in his county to react? Like Chris Rock? Or, perhaps, Moose should have called in James Earl Jones to speak, while he lip sync. Naturally what transpired in Maryland is no joking matter, but was downright silly for racist White folks to vent their frustrations and anger by attacking a Black man, who they feel was too dumb to be given so much national TV exposure. It’s unfortunate that our Attorney General John Ashcroft was too busy defending homeland security’s wanton trampling of our constitutional rights to take charge.

Nevertheless, African-American News&Issues would be remiss not to defend Moose, who certainly didn’t ask for the spotlight. Then again, looks can be deceiving. That’s certainly the case with 45-year-old Moose, who was sworn in as the 15th police chief in the 77-year history of Montgomery County Department of Police on August 2, 1999. The native of Portland, Oregon supervises over 1, 000 officers and is held in such high esteem, until he was recently presented the gold eagle collar insignias, denoting the rank of colonel, the department’s highest status.

Now get this: Moose has a doctorate degree in Urban Studies/Criminology from Portland State University and a master’s in Public Administration. He is also a history buff, who holds B.A. in U. S. History from the University of North Carolina. Space is running out, but I must add that Moose’s $125, 000 salary, isn’t adequate for 25 years of accomplishments in law enforcement, that includes being the recipient of nearly 30 awards. In 2001, U. S. Attorney General Janet Reno presented Moose with the William French Smith Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cooperative Law Enforcement.

Footnote: Moose, a member of 19 national and local professional organizations, was instrumental in bring Oregon police chiefs and union officials together to sign a resolution against racial profiling, for the first time in America’s history. In essence, Moose might not look the part and his name doesn’t help, but I think he has proven the fact that he’s equal to the task of dealing with the sniper. As well as the racial sniping.