No More Scapegoats Please

By now we are all familiar with the tragic account of the shooting that took place at the theater in Aurora, Colorado during the midnight premiere of the much anticipated Dark Knight Rises film. The account is as follows: PhD candidate, James Holmes, entered the theater through the Exit doors, released smoke bombs and opened fire on the audience, killing 12 and wounding 58 other innocent civilians; all under the delusion that he himself was the Joker, the villain from the previous Batman trilogy movie, The Dark Knight. The suspect was arrested on scene, and informed the Aurora PD that his apartment was full of explosives. After dismantling the bombs and entering the apartment, the police found an arsenal of weapons and explosives as well as a lot of Batman paraphernalia. Holmes had his first day in court today, with his hair dyed a hideous bright orange and red, in "honor of the Joker".

This story is a tragedy, and I cannot begin to imagine the horror that the victims are and were faced with. My heart and my prayers have gone out to them everyday since this terrible event. Sadly, like every other major event to happen in the world, the fingers of blame are being pointed every which way, which is what I would like to discuss today.

The Movie Industry: Within hours of the shooting, the news media was pointing the finger at the movie industry, accusing them of using too much violence in today's films. This may be true, and there are plenty of studies proving this accusation true. I will admit that the amount of violence that is found in today's movies is unnerving and hard to handle at times. BUT, in reference to the Batman movies (specifically Christopher Nolan's epic trilogy), they have been in production and on the big screen since 2005, and until now, none of the extreme violence has been put into action by a viewer. There is also no denying that the character of the Joker is extreme and eccentric; in fact the character itself is partially to blame (by many) for the death of actor, Heath Ledger. Until now, however, the quality of these films and the violent nature of them has not been scrutinized. So after seven years of no Batman villain copycats, can we really blame director Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros for this crime?

The Comic Book Industry: The police reported that when they entered the apartment, it was full of Batman collector's items, specifically a poster and mask. Of course the fingers of shame were shook at the comic book industry, for inspiring violence in young people. Yet it can be said that they also inspire heroism and bravery, because of characters, such as Bruce Wayne, who is a "normal person" with no super powers, who chooses to protect his city from those that attack it. But again, a scapegoat was needed so that the actual criminal didn't have to take responsibility for his actions.

The Gun Industry: I don't even know where to begin with this one. Like the two previous poor little goats, the blame started immediately after the crime. Anti-gun protestors starting accusing the NRA and other pro-gun organizations for the horror that happened. I don't blame a gun or the makers of the guns for this crime, any more than I blame my Rachel Ray kitchen knives, or Rachel Ray herself, when I cut my finger while I'm making dinner. It is not the instrument's fault when there is an event, it is the person handling said instrument that is to blame.

Reality: In reality, only one man needs to take the blame for this heinous crime - James Holmes. He alone allowed himself to become obsessed with Batman, which like millions of children for over 50 years, probably started as a small child, and continued into adulthood. He alone chose to purchase 4 guns and over 6,000 rounds of ammunition, burst into a crowded movie theater and open fire on innocent Batman fans, much like himself. All of us go to the movies, get attached to a character and allow ourselves to get lost in the plot for a while. But nearly all of us are capable of pulling ourselves out of the fiction and into reality. Apparently Holmes was not. We need to stop pointing fingers in every direction possible, and instead focus on the facts and the matter at hand. One man did this - the other 16 million that went to the film this weekend DID NOT!


I would also like to acknowledge the quick action that Warner Bros has taken since the tragedy:

- The preview that aired before the premiere of Dark Knight Rises was for a gangster movie, in which the mafia opened fire on a crowded movie theater. The production company has pulled all previews for this film and is in the process of cutting the entire scene because of the incident.

- Warner Bros is supporting the survivors and families of all of the victims with financial support. This act of kindness was released this morning, although the amount that has been donated was not disclosed. It obviously does not heal the wounds that were created on this terrible evening, but it is nice to see that they care about the victims.