I want to say something about the hiker who was murdered while hiking in North Georgia. It’s going to be terrible and I want people to read this whole thing before being mad at me.
What the hell was she thinking?!?! Witnesses said they saw her walking up the mountain talking with the man who killed her. Their dogs were playing together. Talk about being lulled by your surroundings.
If Meredith Emerson had run across Hilton on the streets of Atlanta, she would have clutched her purse tighter and probably turned on her heel and gone the other way. If a toothless, crazy looking guy like Hilton had approached her and suggested they walk off into a remote area together she probably would have run for the nearest police officer. As she rightfully should have.
Sometimes tragic things happen and the best you can do is take a lesson from them. I think this murder falls square in that category. The lesson is that if you would react in one way to someone in a given setting, then that’s probably the way you want to react in every other setting that involves that person. If someone looks dangerous, psychotic, or serial killer chic, in an urban environment, don’t let a nice view and some trees change your interpretation of that look.
I know this reeks of blaming the victim, but that’s not my intention. Women should be able to hike alone in the mountains and enjoy them without fearing that a psychopath is stalking them. Women should be able to greet people who cross their paths. But the fact of the matter is… they can’t. It’s a sad commentary, but remembering it could keep you alive.
