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Jul

22

Colorado Cinema Shooting

Filed Under General | 6 Comments

When I first heard the news the other day, I tried really hard not to think too much about it. I preoccupied myself with other things to keep myself from thinking about it, but now, today, I realized I could not get it out of my mind. For much of the night last night, I looked online and tried to learn about the victims as much as I can. I don’t know why. Perhaps I wanted to make a personal connection to who they were… get to know them for some reason.

But why? Why do I care? I guess it’s because these people may have been geeks like me. They were, after all, in the cinema to watch Batman. I myself am planning to watch it tomorrow. Across the thousands of miles that was our connection. These people had something similar with me. It was as if it was me in that cinema. It could have been me.

Who is to blame? James Holmes? Guns? It is true that it is James who did the killing, but I dare you to deny that if he had an axe instead of guns, he would have killed far less people. Guns are a big part of why these 12 people are dead. This is something America needs to accept if they wish to keep the death toll from things like this down. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure many in America would not. And that’s the tragedy. And so more of this will happen. Denial makes it inevitable.

Here in the Philippines, it has been a part of life to submit oneself to bag and body checks whenever one enters malls, hotels, schools, transport depots, public buildings and so forth. This all came about after a spate of bombings in the 90s that resulted in tightened security across the country. It’s a measure that’s never really gone away. People have come to accept it as a way of life, and in fact, people feel weird and strangely insecure when no such checks are made or if such checks are made so perfunctorily.

It is certainly some sacrifice on personal freedom, but it’s a sacrifice I am personally willing to pay. I think the time is coming that America may need to adopt such measures. It’s a sad world that we have to do this, but this is now a part of life. We can take the negative view and consider it oppressive, but I think it’s all a matter of choosing, and fighting to see the good in things.

My condolences go out to all the families who have lost loved ones. In spite of what I said earlier, I’m truly hoping these things will never happen again.

Comments

6 Responses to “Colorado Cinema Shooting”

  1. Mico Suayan on July 22nd, 2012 11:14 am

    Guns make you feel powerful and in control. What’s scary about this tragedy is the gunman is just an ordinary guy without any criminal or violent history. What made him just snap and shoot those people? I believe its the guns.

  2. Ed on July 22nd, 2012 4:56 pm

    Nakakalungkot nga nung nabanggit sa kin ni wife ang nangyari.

    Madali pa rin bang makakuha ng license to own a gun sa States? Or masyado silang confident sa securities nila? :-\

  3. narj on July 23rd, 2012 3:03 pm

    hi gerry! ang pagkakaintindi ko sa nangyari, pumasok muna sya sa main entrance na walang dala at lumabas sa emergency exit just after the show started. saka nya pinasok ang mga armas via the same exit suot ang gas mask at bulletproof vest and then, fire in the hole..

    swerte pa din tayong mga pinoy at least hindi tayo basta nakakabili ng ganito katinding mga armas online. umorder ka nga lang ng laptop, siguradong hihijackin ng taga customs ng ilang iraw kung wala kang panlagay..

  4. Paul Garcia on July 23rd, 2012 11:36 pm

    First, for the Americans, it’s their every right to own a gun. It’s in their vaulted/beloved constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights. It’s anachronistic to say that the Americans already fail to outlive the essence of having a gun during peacetime. Second, gun lobby in the States is very, very, very strong. Advocates and supporters are legion, both in the U.S. Congress and even the Republican Party. These people will fight to the bone on using the Bill of Rights of having firearms despite the obvious and contrary empirical evidences that irresponsible gun usages (and essentially, owners) are unnecessary for a quiet society. Third, some people like the suspect above are very lonely types, with creepy, if not psychotic, and anti-social tendencies to do something nasty. I’m not saying that all lonely types are such. What I am pointing out is that in America, such people exist for INDIVIDUALISM is given priority to each and every being there. Privacy is then more paramount than being a more social types. Isn’t that America possessed a share of serial/wacko killers and their profiles are disturbing–loners, anti-social, and weapon-loving types. I reckon the suspect planned this attack, not randomly. Serial and wacko killers are the same, they plan their attacks, study the targets among others. In the Philippines, no such personalities exist (except for misguided souls) for privacy at par in the States is virtually impossible. What happened in Colorado is sickening, giving Batman a bad reputation already. America needs to reflect very, very, very hard.

  5. Jennelyn on July 24th, 2012 2:28 pm

    sad sad tlga nangyari sana d na mangyayari and hope na walang pinoy madadamay

  6. Gerry Alanguilan on July 25th, 2012 9:45 am

    Gun advocates really need to accept that if James Holmes did not have a gun that night, he would have killed far less people. Yes, I do believe James Holmes is the one to blame, and it is HE who killed those people. Whatever weapons he carried that night, he would have killed people nevertheless… but let me repeat, you cannot deny that guns gave James Holmes the ability to KILL MORE PEOPLE, compared to what he would have done if he brought an ax or knife instead. Gun advocates want to their right to carry guns. FINE. But they have to take some freakin’ responsibly when things like this happen. You can’t want guns and then be blind to the consequences later. They have to accept that these things will happen.

    As for why James Holmes did it, who knows? That brain of his is completely fucked up. Whatever triggered his killing spree, I really hope we find out because that is the only way to head off anyone else wanting to do the same.