The Quail on the Grassy Knoll, Part 3

Harry Whittington did something today that confounded millions. He apologized:

"This past weekend encompassed all of us in a cloud of misfortune and a sadness that is not easy to explain, especially to those who are not familiar with the great sport of quail hunting," said Austin attorney Harry Whittington, who was discharged from the hospital Friday. "We all assume certain risks in whatever we do ... accidents do and will happen and that's what happened."

He added: "My family and I are deeply sorry for all Vice President Cheney and his family had to deal with this week. ...We hope he will continue to come to Texas and seek the relaxation he deserves."

Once upon a time, such an honorable speech would have been notable. In these days, however, honor seems hardly understood.

Harry Whittington and Dick Cheney both made mistakes one week ago that ended with the Vice President felling his Whittington in the Texas brush country. Many experts - some real, some imagined - hold the Vice President solely responsible for accident. This is not right, as hunters - all hunters - have a responsibility to know where their companions are and should be, and this lack of knowledge not only led to Cheney shooting Whittington, it put Whittington in a position where he could be shot.

Luckily, both men survived with a harsh lesson learned. In this sue-happy culture, some expect and even hope for a lawsuit because personal responsibility is not something they understand. Harry Whittington could sue and would probably win in court, but as a sportsman afield, he understands that he bears at least partial responsibility for his wounds, as Cheny bears the other part. As the media and the ever-aghast howl about non-existant conspiracies, there is something about honor and personal responsibility to be learned from this tragedy.

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Tying Up Loose Ends
As for the many conspiracy theories floated, most were “reality-based,” but far from having any basis in reality. Of those potential theories that did appear even slightly plausible, only two seemed worth exploring because of apparent discrepancies between different versions of stories told by actors in this series of event at one time or another.

The first item of interest was the question of shot size. While pundits right and left proved their basic firearms illiteracy by not knowing the difference between buckshot and birdshot, a more subtle question emerged when it was stated by the attending physician that Harry Whittington suffered a very minor heart attack as the result of a pellet traveling through his bloodstream and stopping in his heart. The doctor claimed that the pellet was "roughly 5mm" in size.

While inconsequential to most, I knew that the #7/ 1/2 shells fired by the Vice President do not contain pellets nearly that size, and after a little bit of digging, determined that the size shot claimed by the doctor isn't even made for the relatively uncommon 28-gauge cartridge favored by the vice president. Obviously there was a discrepancy here, as lead pellets don't grow.

The shot size issue has faded away, and profile pictures of Mr. Whittington today clearly show various small wounds that indicate he could not have been hit by the large-caliber “roughly 5mm” shot the hospital original claimed, putting this inconsistency to rest as a mistake in estimating shot size on the X-ray.

The second question was a question of position, which I will readily acknowledge that after reading various conflicting accounts, I still cannot claim to understand. All accounts I've read establish the Vice President as being on the far right side of the group of hunters, but accounts vary as to whether he tracked the quail left or right on the way to firing the shot that hit Harry Whittington.

I still don't understand all the details, but the Kenedy County Sheriff's Department investigators on the scene surveyed the accident site, and felt informed enough to close the case. That they and the victim are in agreement makes me feel comfortable with the outcome even if I don't get it.

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When all is said and done, this was a horrible accident brought about by a lack of communication and situational awareness between two hunters. Hopefully, both men with learn from this and recover to enjoy the sport the both of them and so many others obviously enjoy so much. If we are very lucky, other hunters will learn from this near tragedy as well.

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The Quail on the Grassy Knoll

The Quail on the Grassy Knoll, Part 2