How 24-yea-old Brian Holmes could boldly walk into a movie theater and kill boys and girls, men and women... and a little 3 month old baby is beyond belief.
The initial shock waves will move across the country on many levels.
Many of us will keep crying.
Many others will cry out for gun control.
Those people will be in error. It may be just the opposite...
The issue may be that there was no one attending the grand opening of the film who legally carried a sidearm and could have come against the shooter, defending the audience.
The truth is that such random acts of violence may continue to occur... in theaters, schools and even in churches. Shooters are deranged individuals with no sense of the common good, and only thoughtful men and women who have permits to carry and are legally doing so, when police are not there, can be the armed society that protects others.
We honor the men and women who protect us on police forces across America. Certainly, the police and sherrifs of Aurora, Colorado are to be thanked for apprehending the shooter and for their kindness in dealing with the carnage of death and destruction.
Yet, the thin blue line of police civility does very little when an individual opens fire on a theater. In fact, it is not intended to.
The truth that was a part of Colorado (and America) 100+ years ago may still be true today: An armed society is a civil society.
Hollywood often understands this truth in the movies they produce.
Will they understand this truth in the movie theaters in which their feature films are shown?
Sadly, the politics of gun control may soon take a higher profile than the precious people who died.
Still, my heart is broken for the deaths in Aurora.
Den
A reasoned and heartfelt response Dennis.
Posted by: Kevin | July 21, 2012 at 09:27 AM
I'm afraid you're right.
Posted by: Paineite | July 20, 2012 at 08:21 PM