When a person makes the decision to take so many lives - as
happened in Aurora Colorado early Friday morning - it can lead to many
questions that no amount of evidence collection, witness interviews, or the
inevitable and seemingly unending media attention can answer.
Of
course, there have been many devastating examples of senseless violence in
recent US history. The 9/11 attacks, acts of arson, and bombings such as
occurred in Oklahoma City are just a few examples. The effect of these events
is difficult to overstate. No discussion of other tragedies can or should be
allowed to diminish the horror of these events in anyone’s mind.
Finding
recent examples of murder on a grand scale is made easier by the fact that three-quarters of the deadliest mass murders in the United States have occurred since 1980.
And while mass murder comes in many forms, most of these deadliest acts involved firearms as the exclusive or primary weapon.
How
does a person not only decide that they want to put bullets into the bodies of
other people – people they’ve often never even met – but seem to revel in the
act of random “up close and personal” murder?
We must assume that mental illness played a role. The alternative to
that assumption is that these acts could in any way be considered sane. Personally,
my reaction to the most recent of these events in Colorado was extreme and
visceral. My struggle and the struggle of my community to overcome the shooting
rampage of January 2011 are obviously still fresh in my mind.
Contributing
to the repugnance of the violence is the context of the killings in both cases,
as well as the cases of the murders at Columbine High School and Virginia
Polytechnic Institute. Consider the contrast of these acts with the activity
that was taking place in each location.
Self-betterment through education represents one of the most
noble of human endeavors. (Columbine and Virginia Tech) Attempting to further
the democratic ideals of our society by keeping an open communication between
politicians and the people is also an example of a human virtue. (Tucson) The
arts are also a reflection of the potential of human endeavor. Just one of the
abilities of the arts is to enable self-examination that can be the catalyst of
positive change. (Aurora) Further, the moralistic themes of the Batman series
to date have been studies in the pursuit of the betterment of society and the
conflicts and contradictions that arise when attempting to right wrongs which
are inherent within and outside the system.
Destruction of the type that happened in Columbine, Virginia
Tech, Tucson and Aurora is not only a senseless taking of innocent lives as if
that weren’t enough. Nor is it simply a salvo toward an institution or
industry. Whether it was a motive or not, it is an attack on these core societal
ideals, values, and aspirations. Serious discussion about how to limit the
ability of rogue individuals to visit this torment on others without unduly
hampering the rest of us seems as inevitable as it is unlikely.
In these immediate days following the killings in Colorado,
our thoughts and efforts surrounding Aurora must be primarily concerned with
the victims, their families, and their community. Stories are beginning to
emerge of the heroics of the moviegoers, first responders and medical care
providers. Yet another community that has been challenged in the past comes to
terms with a horrible day that will tarnish a date on all future calendars. Friday
mornings’ events painfully remind us of the heights and depths of human
potential.
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