In Aurora, Colorado today 12 people were shot to death and 59 people were injured by gunshots. Hopefully the number will stay at 12 and the remaining injured will peacefully heal their wounds.
I was also hoping this would not be politicized. Obviously I asked for too much. Already one politician has used this opportunity to blame attacks on religious beliefs as a cause for the shooting, Brian Ross from ABC news incorrectly cited a Tea Party member as the shooter, and I have seen several Facebook conversations about gun control.
Already?! It's way too soon. This community is less than 20 miles from Columbine and the horrible tragedy that happened there, and now another massacre. These people need time to grieve; the community, the victims and the survivors.
If a person told you their child over-dosed on medications would you ask them why they didn't have the medications locked up? No, of course you wouldn't, because that would be unbelievably cruel. And that's how I feel about today. It's just not appropriate, not loving, and not humane to talk about a overly politicized topic like gun control. There hasn't even been any funerals and we are pointing fingers and getting all outraged. I'm guilty myself of wondering out loud why people had children, and even an infant at a midnight showing of a PG-13 movie. But my mother-in-law pointed out to me that it is summer break and people keep a vacation schedule. She's right and why is it my business anyways. I don't have the guts to ask those parents to their face why they had their kids out that late so what gives me the right to judge them out loud?
Just for today we need to grive, just for today we need to be grateful and just for today we need to love.
As far as the children in the theater go ahead, call me judgemental if you will, but in addition to the infant in the room (which I can sort of understand for the same reasons stated by Kari), there was also at least one 4 yr old and a 6 yr old (who was killed) there. I find that shocking on a variety of levels. One being that it was midnight. Another is the nature of the movie which is totally inappropriate for that age group. And I do not mention this as a way for me to stand up on a pedestal and shake my finger at these parents who are surely going through unbelievable pain right now. But rather I bring it up in the context of an important question for our society today - if we are raising extremely young children in a way that exposes them to violent, realistic images before they are ready to understand them, how can we be so surprised by these horrible acts? Will seeing a Batman movie at the age of 4 create a mass murderer? No. There are a lot of factors that lead to that end. But I certainly do think that desensitization to violence, pain, and suffering plays a role in our increasingly violent society.
I never had the type of baby who would sit through a movie, even when I was pregnant they responded to loud noises in-untero with lots of kicking and movement. But I have seen some newborns sleep right through a loud movie which would give their parents a chance to chill out. I do not think it was appropriate for kids under the age of 10 years old to be in that theater at a midnight showing and anyone under 13 shouldn't have seen that movie because of the rating. A 6 year old girl did die that early morning and I am sure her mother wishes she had had her stay home in bed where she belonged.
Some fact, now that this is decending into a gun control issue: 1. The gun was a semi-auto rifle. Not an automatic weapon. 2. Many gun owners go to the range and shoot hundreds of rounds in a session. It is not unusual for someone to buy thousands of rounds. 3. Colo. allows for concealed-carry, but the theater does not allow handguns. It may have slowed him down and saved lives is there were a few armed in the theater and able to shoot back. Even though he had protective gear he would have been slowed down and some folks may still be alive and certainly fewer injured. These are all things to consider. Also... Many politicians who are ardent gun control advocates have their own concealed-carry permits. Don Perata years ago said that he got rid of his permit only to find out later that he simply moved it to another county. I have been told many times that both Diane Feinstien and Barbara Boxer both are deputized fedaral marshalls so that they can carry into a federal building. My point? Gun-control never reduces crime or deaths by guns. The cities with the most strict gun control sufffered the worst crime rates. Let's keep this about what it is. A terrible tragedy that is athe result of a deranged man. It could have been worse had he not used a gun and used something like explosives. Let's pray for and grieve with those who lost loved ones instead!
http://www.nrawinningteam.com/calnra/perata/