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Normally I would use PYHO Wednesday to talk about something personal or something happening in my own little world. But today, I decided to talk about something weighing on a lot of people-- Aurora, Colorado.
The more details come out, the more chilling the story becomes. We all know what happened (hopefully). So I won't talk about details or even the shoote himself. I want to pour my heart out for the victims.
12 dead. 58 injured. The shooting is being deemed the largest shooting massacre in our nation's history. I find it terrifying that one man took 12 lives. These 12 people died simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I didn't personally know any of the victims but my heart aches for them and their families.
One victim was a 6 year old girl. Many were around my age. Ths rips my heart to shreds.
But what pains me more is how some of us are reacting to this tragedy.
I've been reading comments on the news stories being published online and some of it just sickens me. One one article, the comments turned into a heated political debate. I understand that it is an election year, but I feel it is disrespectful to the victims.
In the midst of sympathetic thoughts, there are comments like "This is Obama's fault!" or "If Romney is elected, massacres like this will stop."
It doesn't matter if you are Democrat, Republican, or a political party that wants Spongebob in office. THAT is not how to mourn the dead. We should be mourning these lives lost instead of arguing over candidates.
Even worse, on a story by People magazine about the victims, somone commented:
"and there goes the meaning of the word hero. getting shot by a crazy gun man does not make you a hero. And yes, I feel sorry for all the victims and the survivors (victims and families). But they are not "heros." You can find that story here.
Men were diving in front of their girlfriends and wives and taking bullets. Men were dying for those they loved because some guy decided to go crazy and shoot a lot of people. And they aren't heroes?
I hate to question where our morals have gone. We have so much divsion and hate and just a lack of consideration among us these days. THAT is the true tragedy here.
We should remember and mourn these victims for the heroes that they were, not argue over politics and question whether they were heroes to begin with. These people diedfor seeing a movie.
They died heroes.
R.I.P
Gordo Cowden, 52
Micayla Medek, 23
Jessica Ghawi, 24
Matt McQuinn, 27
John Larimer, 27
Alex Sullivan, 27 (It was his birthday)
Alex Teves, 24 (Took a bullet for his girlfriend)
Jonathan Blunk, 26 (saved his friend)
Alexander Jonathan "AJ" Boik, 18
Rebecca Ann Wingo, 32
Veronica Moser-Sullivan, 6
Very well written post. I've been feeling the exact same way lately listening to the different stories coming out about this. I read the link you posted and cried. Such a horrible tragedy.
ReplyDeleteThank you =] It is very horrible. And I wish some people would just be more respectful of it.
DeleteThank you for posting this--especially the political piece. I hate how this tragedy becomes one more notch for anti or pro gun control or this or that political party's fault. This is the fault of one mane with serious issues. The end.
ReplyDeleteAnd when I read about people trying to protect one another I was struck with awe. Even at one person's darkest, other's people shared their light. "A light shines in the darkness and darkness cannot overcome it." May we all remember that one act of evil might get a lot of media attention, but one act of kindness and selflessness affects a life, and therefore, the world.
I'm a new follower!
Reagan from Where is the ME in Mommy?
Thanks! And thanks for following. I'll definitely be following back =]
DeleteI agree with you 100%. Such a beautiful way of explaining these heroes sacrifice. At least some good could come out of the evil.
Wow, this just breaks my heart. I agree with you, they are heroes. I am sometimes so upset by the insensitivity of comments online...I read somewhere that due to the internet and reality tv and such, our generation is the most desensitized yet. Nothing really reaches us and we don't see the seriousness of huge, violent events. I hope that changes and people begin again to care and empathize with one another. Very good post. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYes. The desensitization of people today is a tradegy in itself most definitely.
DeleteThanks for commenting!
I agree with you completely. They are heroes. And this, of all things, should not be a political stage. Thank you for writing this.
ReplyDeleteMy feelings exactly.
DeleteThanks for commenting!
It's so sad that people would use something like this for their own political purposes. Doesn't matter who was president- they wouldn't have prevented this. And while I can sort of understand the debate over the word "hero," that was not the place for it, at all!
ReplyDelete