We watch movies to escape. Whether it's our minds escaping to places never before imagined or just us escaping the hardships of our daily lives, movies set us free.
Last night in Aurora, Colorado, 12 people were killed and dozens more were seriously injured during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises, when a cowardly piece of human shit walked into the crowded, dark theater and opened fire on them. It's nothing less than sickening.
It's sickening because innocent people lost their lives, and were seriously wounded. It's sickening because the survivors, both those whom were in the theater and those whose loved ones were injured or killed, have had their lives irrevocably changed for the worse. It's sickening because no one expects a trip to a movie theater to become a deadly experience.
Most of all it's sickening because some disenchanted loser decided to take his anger out on a mass of innocent people instead of just blowing his own useless head off.
The girl in the picture below is Jessica Ghawi. Like everyone else who attended last night's midnight screening, she was nothing more than excited to see the movie. Her last Twitter posts are chilling, to say the least.
The poor girl was nothing more than thrilled to death to see a movie that she had been waiting for, with no clue that her life was about to end.
It's sickening. It's maddening. It's terrifying.
For those directly affected by these events, it's absolutely heartbreaking.
This is a LINK to a story about her. As profoundly sad as it is, the most sobering part comes towards the end.
"Ms Ghawi also wrote a poignant final blog about her feelings after she narrowly avoided a deadly shooting in Eaton Mall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada on June 2 where one man was killed and seven others were injured. She wrote: “I say all the time that every moment we have to live our life is a blessing. So often I have found myself taking it for granted. Every hug from a family member. Every laugh we share with friends. Even the times of solitude are all blessings. Every second of every day is a gift. After Saturday evening, I know I truly understand how blessed I am for each second I am given.”
Perfectly stated, and desperately true.
We're truly sorry that she and the other victims of this senseless tragedy have lived their last seconds.
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| We're still going to see The Dark Knight Rises, you know why? Because fuck living in fear, that's why. |
I've heard of theater shootings since I was a child, and it's something that's always in the back of my mind for some reason. When I think about it too much while the previews end and the screen goes dark, it's as if I can sense a gun being pointed towards the back of my head. Whenever a weird looking motherfucker with a chip on his shoulder walks in and past me to a seat I think to myself, "This guy better not try some shit." Having these strange thoughts and feelings on a semi-regular basis at the cinema makes this event even more uncomfortable than usual for me.
ReplyDeleteThere are all sorts of mentalities when it comes to public "non-personal" violence (something I find senseless, irrational and personally am against)... and happen to think this guy truly is a fucking piece of shit. He's not insane either, so his public defender better not try that bullshit. Don't let this fucker get out of this, that's a message to the "general public".
Amen, Drunketh.
ReplyDeleteNot to start some political or moral debate here, but Colorado does have the Death Penalty...
...and that fucker needs to ride the lightning.
And the most ironic part, the theater has a "No firearms" sign which people with concealed carry permits have to abide by, leaving them totally defenseless in the theater. More dumb-ass laws in place to keep us "safe". How surprising, it didn't work...AGAIN.
ReplyDeleteTantrix, a few of us here at THC have CCW's, and in Michigan we can't carry firearms in a theater either.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a gun nut by any stretch, but if someone is deemed legally fit to carry a concealed weapon, they should be able to carry them wherever they go.
Then again, two people having a firefight inside of a dark and crowded theater could have made things worse.
I don't know.
I don't think the laws will ever change.
That is Not hoe the Joker would have done it .... the guy was just a pissed-off nutcase..... I hope the baby that was injured will be well....
ReplyDeleteIt's such a heartbreaking, infuriating situation. Twelve people murdered at a movie because one maladjusted son of a bitch couldn't deal with his own shit.
ReplyDeleteMy "something's not right" sense can be hyper-aware at times (since I am a lady and all), but I still don't know for certain how I'd react in such a situation. Hopefully with at least a very rational "hide and call the cops". I sincerely hope this asshole spends a very, very long time in prison, and anyone in his life who hand-waved the warning signs (i.e., "oh, he's just odd" rather than getting his ass to a psychiatrist) can pay for his surviving victims' therapy.