I’ll never cease to be amazed at tragedy. Just when you think you have heard the very worst a human can do, a new story arises.
My oldest son went last week to see the midnight premiere of the new Batman movie, “The Dark Knight Arises.” He went with this cousins and uncle. But thankfully it was to a movie theatre in our hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Not so lucky for those who attended the premiere in Aurora, Colorado. A crazed 24-year-old man came into one of the theatres, tossed in some tear gas and then opened fire. At last count it was 12 dead and 59 wounded.
From what I understand a six-year-old lost his life. And another one of the injured was a three month old baby. The whole thing is just sick and saddening.
For some in Colorado, it brings back memories of a shooting incident just 13 miles from where this took place. In April, 1999, Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado was the scene of another deadly carnage.
That tragedy resulted in the deaths of 13 people and injuries to 23 others before teenagers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold took their own lives. Needless to say, my heart goes out to Colorado.
My heart goes out to those innocent victims, who went to enjoy a movie and saw their lives shattered in an instant. My heart goes out to all who are shaking their heads and wondering, “What has happened to this world?”
It is so hard to try and make sense (not that you can) of these tragedies. Our children live in a world that has so many uncertainties. And now some are afraid to go watch a movie.
It’s important to keep the communication lines open and to be there for your children when they hear these types of stories. Talk about what happened, allowing the opportunity for feelings to be expressed.
And if you think to, say a little prayer for the families who are dealing with the loss of life and those who have been injured.
Related Articles:
Dealing with High School Tragedies
Exposing Children to Catastrophes
Photo by wili_hybrid on Flickr