Don't Stand Alone in These Strangest of Times

Last Friday morning, I was at karate camp. I woke up dead tired, because the night before that, we had taken all of the junior counselors to the midnight viewing of The Dark Knight Rises as a reward for doing a great job all week. Friday is the last day of camp, and all you do that day is pretty much get up, eat breakfast, pack up, and head for home. In my daze, I could hardly believe it when I heard a friend of mine say that they had their radio on 92.3 WTTS that morning and heard that in Aurora, Colorado, that a guy had started shooting everyone in the movie theater during Dark Knight Rises about five hours before that time.

First of all, I was shocked. I had been in Denver/Aurora, Colorado just a week before this. Literally, one week before. It was bizarre to think that I may have seen some of those victims just a week before.

As a teacher, I feel the responsibility to give some advice on how you might talk to your kids about this kind of thing. That having been said, I'm a little late on the upswing. I'm sure you've long since crossed that bridge.

But in this movie, Batman stops Catwoman from fighting crime using a gun. In fact, in the comic books, cartoons, and previous movies, Batman has always refused to use a gun to fight. You see, this fictional character's parents were shot before his very eyes. He knows this is no way to do anything. So if you're still hard-up for how to talk to your kids about this? Don't mention the fact that the man who killed all those people out in Colorado learned things from the Joker. Mention what he failed to learn from Batman. He was clearly one of the bad guys.

This was the work of a sick individual. Neither Christopher Nolan nor Christian Bale nor anyone else involved in this movie contributed to this dirtbag's actions in any way. Neither did society. This is a man who made bad decisions. These bad decisions caused other people to lose their lives, and for that, only one person is to blame.

Luckily, I am confident that your children will always follow Coach John Wooden's rule: "Consider the rights of others before your own feelings; consider the feelings of others before your own rights."

Thank you for raising children who won't cause this kind of mayhem. Lord save us from those who won't heed Wooden's words.


EDIT: Doggone it! Once again, someone went and put it much better than I did. I wish I had thought up and used this woman's words. Read and feel a little better.