NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- I was working in my home office when my 18-year-old son bust in with "Dad, a guy with a bomb killed a bunch of people in a movie theater in Colorado when they were watching the Dark Night!"
I responded, "Henry, knock it off. I'm busy. Knock it off with all the video game violence on the Internet with your friends."
By the way he looked at me, I realized he wasn't joking -- definitely not when he pleaded, "Put on CNN. It's on there right now."
I hit the button and punched in the remote. Suddenly we both stopped talking. Then I said, "Oh my God."
He went back to his room and continued chatting it up with his friends online.
And here I am now, thinking, "What next?"
As someone who has made a living in journalism covering violent crime and everything that goes with it with cops and courts.
And as much as I was stunned when my son and I stared in silence for a couple of minutes, it hit me: We are living in a "New World Order" where violence and insurrection around the globe hits closer and closer to home.
And while we worry about our children being exposed to violence in video games with their friends, my son's reaction showed me our real world is a veritable violent video game.
There is so much hate, envy, and retribution where human lives are worth less to those with an agenda.
Being that this happened in Colorado where Columbine became a household name associated with mass murder, a 24-year-old gunman armed to the teeth and outfitted with goggles, tear gas and a shotgun becomes surreal.
Situations like this give all of us reason to pause; to realize our lives are expendable to those with evil intentions. We are truly vulnerable in a 21st century digital world where everything moves so fast and we pick up the pieces.
.