Curmudgeon's Corner

Will Such Incidents Ever End?

Posted by Al Campbell on July 21, 2012

U.S., Quality of Life, Police, Political

Another seemingly senseless shooting rampage has occurred and we will very soon be plunged into another debate on guns.  James Holmes, accused of killing 12, so far, and of having injured 50+, bought everything he used on line and legally over some two months according to the police in Aurora, CO.

We search each time for some sense of why the person or persons involved did what was done, and there often seems no rational decision-making process was involved.  We may learn more about the motives of Mr. Holmes as this case is adjudicated, but I wonder if we’ll understand the motive if we are sane.

It is very difficult for me to see what I would define as a sane person doing what was done, except in time of war to defend one’s self and country.  This man is acknowledged to have been quite intelligent but that doesn’t equate to being sane.  To be able to rationalize what he contemplated and then carried out is simply not possible for me.  I am thankful for that inability, frankly.

He supposedly spent time ‘playing’ violent video games; we hear that habit ascribed to many in these kinds of incidents.  Yet video games with a lot of gore and killing remain very popular; in fact, they probably become more popular after such an occurrence, unfortunately.  Of the millions who enjoy that technology, a very tiny percentage ever goes over the edge.

There will be much gnashing of teeth over the fact that Holmes was able to purchase what was reportedly an AR-15 semi-automatic weapon and large drum magazines capable of holding 50 or more rounds of ammunition.  He also purchased some 6,000 rounds of ammunition over the Internet, as well, during this brief period.  It is presumed, at least for the moment, that these purchases were all legal.

The debate will center on access to such weapons and the belief of some that this access ought to be denied.  It will wage back and forth for several months, or at least several weeks, and then the noise level will diminish and things will go back to normal, however one defines ‘normal’.  This has occurred several times in the past following such a shooting incident and nothing has changed following any of those incidents.

People who become somewhat ‘unhinged’ seem able to carry on in our society and that is probably okay since the definition for being ‘unhinged’ could change to involve those who aren’t suffering from significant mental issues if we were to drop our guard and willingly give up freedoms.  It is nearly impossible to continue to enjoy the freedoms we value highly, and to not occasionally suffer such a tragedy.  We seem destined to have to go through such occurrences every once in a while.  With the population of our country at 350 million or more, there will be such occurrences.  It is probably a wonder that there are not more of these occurrences, and yet I am thankful that I and my family were not directly involved; and, I pray for God’s blessings for those who have lost a loved one or have loved ones wounded in this incident.