EDGEWATER -- To say I was stunned when I heard about the tragedy in Colorado is an understatement. You would think that after all that has happened in recent years these things would not shock us so when they happen.
Each time one of these events happens we all want to believe it was a bizarre one time thing. Sadly that is not true anymore.
My first thought when I was listening to the coverage was what in heaven's name were children doing at a midnight showing of a violent movie? A responsible parent would never drag them out of bed into a noisy movie theater in the middle of the night and subject them to sights and sounds from the screen that would terrify them.
Unfortunately, this seems to be a sign of the times. This time however they were subjected to way worse than whatever was about to come from the screen. Some of these victims of all ages will forever be warped by the experience and may well become the next assailant. It’s a vicious cycle we are in the clutch of and I don’t know how we will stop it. Of course, I was immediately concerned for the survivors and have been praying for everyone involved ever since. I saw a young man who was shot helping a mother and her two children who looked to be 4 and only months old get out of the theater unharmed. He said he does not hate the gunman. He feels that hate and resentment just perpetuate these kinds of things and are not good feelings for anyone to harbor. His words gave me hope for the future. If more people think and act like him just maybe there is a way off this merry-go-round of violence.
My condolences go to the victims and prayers to the survivors. God help us all to find a way to make this world a better place