Who Should Feel Threatened

As David Codrea reported on his blog yesterday, an anti-gun editor was terrified by a box of mailing labels left on his porch.

A state police bomb squad team inspected the package delivered to the Christiansburg home of Christian Trejbal and found no bomb, town police Lt. Mark Sisson said. Police cordoned off the residential street and advised neighbors to stay inside while a bomb-sniffing dog and X-ray technician inspected the package, he said.

The brown cardboard box about 15 inches by 15 inches was full of mailing labels similar to those used by mail delivery services, Sisson said. He said the package had been delivered by a DHL truck and left at the front door...

Extra police patrols were ordered Tuesday at the home of a newspaper editorial writer after a suspicious package was delivered there following a storm of criticism of a column he wrote about concealed weapons permits...

Trejbal's column Sunday was accompanied by an online database that listed the names and addresses of more than 135,000 Virginians who are licensed to carry concealed weapons...

Sisson said police will make extra patrols around Trejbal's house "until we feel there's no threat."

Today, I read a horrifying story about a real threat.

A 17-year-old girl who spent weeks looking for her missing dog unwrapped a box left on her doorstep and found the pet’s severed head inside, authorities said...

After Crystal Brown’s 4-year-old Australian shepherd mix wandered away last month, she put up “missing” posters in her neighborhood and went door-to-door looking for him. She called the St. Paul animal shelter and rode the bus there several times.

“I felt empty,” Crystal told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis. “I couldn’t talk to anyone. He was my dog. It was just me and him. ... I told him everything and he never shared any of my secrets.”

Two weeks ago, a gift-wrapped box was left at the house Crystal shares with her grandmother. The box had batteries on top, and a note that said “Congratulations Crystal. This side up. Batteries included.”

Crystal opened the box and found her dog’s head inside. The box also contained Valentine’s Day candy.

Crystal screamed when she saw her dog’s face.

“She was just hysterical,” said Crystal’s grandmother, Shirley Brown. “She was screaming. She said, ’Grandma, it’s my dog’s head!’

“I said, ’no it can’t be!’ ”

Authorities say the case is an isolated incident and the suspect likely knew the family. A motive is unclear.

“This was so cruel,” Crystal said. “This is one sick, twisted person.”

Now, who was really threatened? Big, tough Mr. First Amendment who was frightened of criticism? Or some poor 17-year-old girl who found that grizzly package - from, according to police, SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THEIR FAMILY?