Hunley: Caught between the moon and Manassas city

We witnessed a supermoon Sat­urday, which some considered a harbinger of all manner of doom, including the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

I don’t know about that, as I was lucky to pass any science class I had to take in school. But as a fan of the hapless Washington Redskins, I would associ­ate any talk of a “super­moon” with defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth’s lazy behind.

Also, as Dave Barry might say, “super moon” is not only a good name for a band but also a better-than-average choice of moniker for a professional wrestler.

But anyway … No matter its cause, we have seen lots of weirdness around these parts over the past few days.

For example:

» A woman’s burned body was found in a trash container in Woodbridge on Wednesday.

» A 30-year-old corrections officer was hit in the face at the Prince William-Manassas regional jail March 17.

» A Prince William County police officer was assaulted the next day at Coast Real Restaurant in the Manassas area.

» A 25-year-old Prince William police officer was charged with domestic assault and battery after an incident Saturday.

» A low-life vandalized a church in Bristow, causing $2,000 worth of damage.

» And a similarly respectful fellow swiped a purse from a car outside another church Feb. 3, Manassas police announced this week.

What is wrong with people? Harming someone is bad enough, but burning her body and dumping it in the trash?

Insult to injury? This is insult to death.

All the fights, unfortunately, have begun to seem like standard fare around here. But it is surprising that law-enforcement officers were struck two days in a row.

Not because many folks still respect them. They don’t seem to. But just because you get in so much trouble for taking the fight to the crime fighters.

Punch me in the face, and you will be thanked in many quarters. Smack a cop — any cop, anywhere — and you’re in for more trouble than you probably realize.

But perhaps most troubling are the church incidents.

All religions and, well, faith of any kind, can arouse strong feelings.

I once walked out of a church I was visiting in Spotsylvania County when I felt a discussion was becoming hostile toward homosexuals.

And that wasn’t a superconservative, “holy roller” operation, if that’s what you think. It was a mainstream Presbyterian congregation.

But it’s hard to imagine being so angry that you would break a TV, discharge a fire extinguisher, and urinate and defecate in a hallway at a house of worship. “At a house of worship,” being the key prepositional phrase.

However, that’s what happened at the Manassas Assembly of God Church.

Apparently nothing is sacred.

Don’t think me a schoolmarm here, either. I’m not even saying don’t vandalize in general (though that ought to be understood).

The deal is just this: If you can’t have overall respect for mankind, at least have a modicum of value for a church, for goodness sake. Same goes for the pursesnatcher. A purse-snatching really isn’t that big of news anyhow. Ordinarily, it might not even make the paper.

But this guy had to steal AND do it when his victim was in church? Come on.

Big ol’ moons may bring out the werewolf in some, but what we have here?

Chalk it up simply to humans behaving badly.

Jonathan Hunley is a staff writer at the News & Messenger. Contact him at 703-369-5738, or at jhunley@insidenova.com.