My heart broke this morning when I woke to the news that at least 12 people were killed and 50 others were injured (including a 4-month-old baby) at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado. To think, these innocent people were out to enjoy the hype and excitement that surrounded the newest Batman movie. Now, the lives of so many are changed forever by 24-year-old shooter James Holmes. Why this movie theater? Why this showing? Sadly, there are no answers ... yet.
To be real with you: my heart broke again with the recent reports out of the Pentagon that some members of the military were either killed or wounded during the early morning shooting.
No, the sacrifice of these military members is no greater than the other civilians in attendance. But man if those involved deployed overseas and have seen combat, then there's no denying it's certainly tragic.
I dated an Army guy for a while who deployed to Afghanistan twice. I experienced what it was like to be on the other side of a deployment, hearing about all the scary, bone-chilling things happening on the other side of the world thousands of miles away. It wasn't easy. When these service members come home, it's a huge victory. It's a breath of fresh air. Which is why it's so hard to hear the stories of men and women who have served our country overseas, and then face an untimely death in a completely different scenario here on our own soil.
I guess many of us live in this bubble. We like to think that here in America, we are safe. The truth, as we are painfully reminded by events like last night's shooting, is that we never REALLY are. No one could have predicted what happened in Colorado last night.
My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the families affected by the shooting. Hear more about last night's massacre and see President Obama's recently released statement, here:
How did you first hear about last night's Dark Knight massacre?
Image via eflon/Flickr
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Comments 17
To go to war, survive, come home a hero, and then die in a shooting at a movie is beyond horrible. Every loss was tragic, no one is denying that, but to lose our warriors this way, when you least expect it, is heartbreaking. When our soldiers go to war, every family member is always aware that they could get devastating news. But when they are home, you expect them to be safe. So I get what you are saying.
Well said I am too a military wife and my husband is on deployment and they saw what happened over here.It ws so evil to kill those people.Young old and the military soldiers.My daughter was TDY there and she was going to go to the movies that night with her group and they changed their minds and I thank God for that.But it doesn't change the fact that lives were lost.