A Tragedy Hits Close To Home

Going to take a serious moment here. I had hoped to post a
review today for The Dark Knight Rises but recent events are occupying my mind
too much.

The events that took place in Colorado are devastating. I
can’t even imagine what those people in the theater and their friends and
family are going through right now. Even though I was sure nothing would
happen, I still had anxiety while sitting in the theater for The Dark Knight
Rises last night. And it made me sick to my stomach to see Fox News and other
outlets sitting outside the theater to interview fans. It reminds me why I
steered clear of regular news reporting in my career.

While interning at a NY news channel many years ago, I was
in my element. I loved the bustle of the news room and I felt completely at
home. But there was that day I went out with a reporter who was doing a story
on a 4-year-old child who was accidentally run over by her father as he was
backing out of the driveway. As if that wasn’t tragic enough, we sat outside
their house waiting to see if anyone would come out. We knocked on their
neighbor’s doors to try and get comments. It was disgusting and completely
unnecessary and it was the day I decided I might not be cut out for that
particular brand of journalism. Or at least, I wanted no part in it.

It’s important to give news, and I don’t think anyone should
shy away from stories because they are upsetting, but there’s good journalism
and bad journalism and what I’ve been seeing in the wake of the Aurora shooting
is a lot of the latter. It’s a sad fact that there are people out there who are
so disturbed they’ll kill another human being. No matter what the media
will sensationalize, or what the
offender themselves claims for their reasons, they are psychologically
unbalanced and that is why they did what they did. Entertainment is not the
cause of violence. People are. If entertainment really was the cause, all of us
would be out there shooting up theaters. But we’re not, and that’s why the
blame should not be directed toward movies, video games, etc. A single person
made the choice to walk into a theater, heavily armed and armored, and kill his
fellow human beings. He is the one responsible.

Considering the connection of this recent crime to the field
I work in, I find myself having to write about something I’ve tried to avoid
for a long time. My only hope is I
can do so with respect and truth and encourage others to do the same.

Please do what you can to help those affected by the
shootings. Donate to the local Red Cross chapter or volunteer if you’re in the area. You can also help by donating to the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance.