Tags
Aurora, Aurora Colorado, CBS News, Colorado, James Holmes, New York Times, Roger Ebert, United States
My heart goes to the families of victims of Aurora tragedy.
I can not stop thinking of Jessica Ghawi, who had escaped shooting by minutes only a month earlier, of Alex Sullivan who was celebrating his birthday and marriage anniversary, of six years old girl who went to the theater with her mother, of three men who took bullets for their girlfriends… I can’t stop thinking of victims and injured and their loved ones and i can not stop thinking of what’s wrong with us and how can we stop the suffering.
‘Collateral damage’ is a phrase which was thrown around a lot during wars in ex Yugoslavia, but i think very few among us could ever think of death of another human being in such terms, we perceive others as individuals with their dreams, fears and hopes, as someone’s child, someone’s friend, someone’s neighbor.
Yet, it’s somewhere out there – the line – which if crossed – can lead to tragedies, such as shooting in Colorado.
Media is covering extensively the fact that James Holmes, the alleged killer, was a PhD student with enviable scientific achievement – ABC News has even obtained a video of his speech at the science camp.
In the video, James Holmes states he’s been working on the Temporal Illusion – “an illusion that allows you to change the past” in his words and further on expands on his mentor’s interest in subjective experience in reality as juxtaposed to fantasy.
All of these are subjects of definite interest to the majority drawn to philosophy and art, these are some of the ideas i explore in my own writing; but where exactly James Holmes has lost it?
He comes across as sane and intelligent in that video, how is it possible that he dismissed the fact that people in the movie theater were someone’s children, someone’s brothers and sisters, someone’s friends and significant others?
When was it that he, to the detriment of all, stopped perceiving people – as people – and began thinking of others as a part of some delusional pseudo scientific experiment or a video game?
I presume that the assigned public defender might claim insanity – but the suspect gunmen does not come across as psychotic, he seems to have planned the tragedy thoroughly and executed it with blood-chilling precision.
University of Colorado which he attended has made very few disclosures in these three days and the suspect himself, according to CBS News, does not speak, but even little that we know so far should make us all think deeply.
I believe it’s a warning not to ever think of others in any other terms, then as of fellow human beings, individuals and our own extended family; it’s dangerous to think of others in any other way – even in terms of their nationalities and religious affiliations – because that too is a halfway to generalization and there we are already on a shaky ground.
And we’ve seen it all, or have heard of it – of religious leaders blessing the killings of those others for they call their God another name; we know of monstrous tortures being executed in the name of science – of diabolical Nazi human experiments and Japan’s notorious testing of biological weapons in China, to name only a few.
I can’t wrap my mind around it, how is it possible, how can a human being deliberately cause such suffering, but sadly it is obvious there are those of us who are incapable of empathy.
I was thinking of what can be done to stop them and to prevent such tragedies. It seems the logical first step would be gun ban – albeit Colorado governor has claimed it wouldn’t have prevented the massacre… we can’t know that.
How could someone described as ‘weird’ by his former colleagues and as ‘recluse’ by his neighbors, someone rejected from a gun club – be allowed to purchase tactical gear and “drum magazine” which fires 50 or 60 rounds per minute?
If there is one thing for which i’d applaud our own government – it’s the systematic implementation of the gun ban ever since the campaign in 2004 – regardless of the centuries long predominance of the gun culture and widespread sentiment that ‘house is not a home without a gun’.
Of course, it’s of help that – being a small country with service based economy – we don’t have a gun lobby, or any other industrial lobby per that matter, but i believe it has to be done in States too.
In today’s New York Times op-ed film critic Roger Ebert says he is not sure ” there is an easy link between movies and gun violence.”
The link is obvious to me – we are living in a culture where violence is promoted even to toddlers, where even children’s TV programs, cartoons and video games are filled with violent content. How can there NOT be a link?
Also, James Holmes, like most mass murderers From Columbine to Virginia Tech, was on prescription drugs at the time of the massacre. Mood altering psychiatric drugs taken every day by tens of millions of Americans, including millions of children, can and do push some users over the edge.
I can’t recommend strongly enough Generation RX – a documentary about pharmaceutical lobby which sold an entire nation a scientific hoax: that millions of children have “chemical imbalances” in their brains and require treatment with profitable pharmaceutical drugs.
Behind all of it – behind violence in movies and games and behind the industrial lobbies – is greed and lack of empathy.
Prosecutors are considering pursuing death penalty against James Holmes; i believe that those who – even if indirectly – have enabled such tragedies by engaging into corrupt business practices and marketing of violent entertainment, should be brought to justice too.
the video obtained by ABS news http://www.youtube.com/watch?v47DpqTZoBw
CBS News coverage http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57477595/james-holmes-not-talking-ahead-of-first-court-appearance-after-aurora-theater-shooting/
NYT op-ed http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/21/opinion/weve-seen-this-movie-before.html?_r=1&hp
Generation RX trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xehHwkPpevk
It’s all too horrible, perhaps because these things seem to happen more regularly. In Scotland we had the Dunblane massacre. Another arse-hole with access to guns and a chip on his shoulder about something or other. Where does responsibility lie? At the end of the day, it just comes down to a person with a gun and a particular mind-set. Guns are not commonplace in Scotland.
I don’t know that changing any existing gun legislation would make any difference.
The internet just makes availability easier 😦
I wish I could come up with a quick and easy solution, but there isn’t one. Just try to raise children taht don’t think that violence is a good way to get what they want….
Ali x
Thank you for commenting, Ali! Gun ban has reduced number of incidents and deaths here, that’s why i am supporting it! Other than that – i really don’t know, i always think solution is in the change of consciousness – yet it seems many are unwilling or incapable of doing so… I just said to my father – maybe the solution is something way more earthly – like they did in Netherlands where soft drugs and prostitution are legal, i swear i don’t remember seeing calmer people than i’ve seen there… I don’t know either. 😦
I think you raised some very pertinent issues – especially the absurd level of prescription drugs and the whole corrupt quagmire of the pharmaceutical companies. the fact that all the killers were on prescription drugs should have been enough to cause a major outcry. If they are on the prescription drugs that are suppose to ”normalise” them, then clearly they are not. Obviously an outcry has not happened.
Managua, it is heartbreaking… That documentary, Generation RX, i saw it 5 or 6 times, i cried my eyes out, the medical hoax and what has been pushed on kids, it’s… inhumane. 😦
Ruth, I missed your blog. Something is going on with my blog. I received an email from someone on wordrpess: the momentsthatmatter@alive.com
They requested that I email them. I did, with a confidentiality agreement written in my email. After that, I am not receiving your blog and many others. I am wondering if anybody else has experienced some sort of problems on wordpress with others trying to unfollow what one follows? Next reply I will tell you what I am thinking about the movie massacre. I just clicked on the follow button again so I hope to receive your replies.
Wow, how strange is that?! We need to ask around what’s going on! I tried googling – to no avail… But, Mercury is RX and this kind of things to happen! 😦
Well I am concerned about hackers on wordpress. Seems this is way nowadays…people trying to destroy one another in the virtual world.
Anyway, look at the Aug 2011 violations the University of Colorado received for animal neglect and abuse in their LAB!!!! What sort of pressure was Holmes under in the program? Did he have pets, love animals?
Here is what is on my mind about the suspect.
1. What sort of animal experiments did he do at the University of Colorado. I am going to go on the SAEN site now to see what inspections I can come up with for lab animal research http://www.all-creatures.org/saen/
2. I am an avid animal advocate, and have studied the lab research issue in depth. What kind of grant did Holmes get and from where?
3.Where are the copies of what he stated what he would do in the grant with regard to animals?
4. Is the university hiding documentation of experiments done on animals, if he did them?
5. Was he an animal abuser?
6. I noticed that the CNN report showed the bombs all clustered together in his living room with wires extending. Doesn’t this appear to you as the image of human brain with synapses and nerve endings extending?
I am going to watch the video you put up of his speech at the university. They are keeping pretty mum about the grant and what he was going to study. Did he drill monkey’s heads and insert rods? What was he doing with his experiments before he got the grant. There are many animal abusers working in labs. A fine line to cross. Just a thought on the travesty. I hope you receive this comment.
Goodness,you bring up things i didn’t thought of – but sadly that really makes sense in the context! And it would explain why the University is silent! I don’t believe that people can be cruel to animals, yet somehow merciful to other people, cruelty is cruelty… 😦
I have to see if I can find the grant by the National Institute of Health given to the university. I have read these grants before, and there are explicit answers that must be supplied by the university – all bullshit- they hurt animals.
I think something happened inside that lab. He withdrew from getting his PHD? Why. The focus now must be on the university by the news. I just left a message for CNN to think on this perspective. They need to go inside the lab where Holmes experimented. This is my thought on the issue.
Here is the inspection page for the University of Colorado, Fort Collins lab research
http://www.all-creatures.org/saen/co/res-fr-co-csu.html
The last inspection was done in 2011. As you can see, there are violations.
I just watched the video you provided of Holmes speaking. The ABC news journalist stated that Holmes BEGAN TO STRUGGLE in the grant program. I am making a bet that it had something to do with torturing animals.
2010 Federal Inspection of Colorado University Lab.
See animals they experiment on.
Note they do not breed
Note how clever the federal inspection report is done.
What sort of experiments was he doing regarding Temporal Allusiion and his study of subjective experience on animals? If he was doing such experiments, pain would be a subjective experience would it not?
News release Colorado University Grant Neuroscience Dept.
http://www.ucdenver.edu/about/newsroom/newsreleases/Pages/Neuroscience-Program-and-Holmes-information.aspx
They forget to offer information on what experiments the students must do.
Yep, just making sure all the world knows they are PC… “Among the 35 graduate students as of Fall 2011, 65 percent are women, 14 percent underrepresented minorities or disabled and 9 percent are students from rural colleges and universities in the Rocky Mountain Region.” As if in this case it matters, for goodness sake it is not an advert for the course/ grant – but presumably a press release on what exactly was working the alleged mass murderer!
what a tragic event 😦 what a monster from hell. hope he doesn’t get off on an insanity plea.
I’ve been following the case – the guards say he is pretending he doesn’t know where he is or why… They don’t trust him. But it does seem he cried for help – he had sent sketches of the murder a week before to Uni’s shrink… goodness, if only those had arrived in time!
I doubt that we will ever know exactly what motivated this young man. He might not even know himself. There have been such mass killings in the US and the gun culture is deeply embedded.
On reflection, I realised that these events have become the norm now, just like any other natural disaster. We can expect to see more of them. People still deny the impact of the US gun culture.
There are more than 900 million guns in the US community and only 300 million people. 30,000 people per annum die because of shootings – accidents, suicide and crime. That is 20 times the number of people who died in 9/11 and yet the US is still preoccupied with the so-called war on terrorism. The Terrorist is indeed within.
I think it is too late for the US to wind back its gun culture but Obama did say there was an argument to restrict the sale of automated weapons. It will be interesting to see where this idea goes but I am doubtful that it will be accepted.
After the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 where 36 people died, Australia changed its gun laws. The problems are contained now. not altogether eliminated, but it is unlikely that another Port Arthur massacre will happen again. Australia is much smaller than the Us (22 million people) and there was more ability after Port Arthur to see the dangers of unrestricted gun availability.
Personally, these sorts of issues are very complex and there are probably many other contributing factors to the Aurora shootings. The reality is, however, that the availability of guns and ammunition was indisputably a major one.
I do agree with you! I know there are many nay-sayers and definitely there are many sides from which this problem must be addressed, but i witnessed the change here in Montenegro with my own eyes! I believe there are very few nations on the planet (if any!) more into guns than my compatriots – after all, the whole nation descends from highland warrior tribes and there isn’t a single Montenegrin whose ancestors weren’t warriors; for goodness sake, even the religious leaders who were later canonized as Saints, fought ferociously! But at one point of time, just before the campaign in 2004, it became impossible! See, here guns are used traditionally at weddings, other happy occasions and even on Christmas! Spending Christmas in Montenegro is like nowhere else – because all the night you here machine guns being fired! What does it have to do with the spirit of the Holiday? Nothing! Also, before the ban, when you would go in the morning for your coffee to the piazza – a very Mediterannean thing to do – first thing you’d hear would be who got shot last night over some petty fight, or wounded during wedding celebration – or killed while celebrating the birth of someone’s first child! So, at some point it seems someone from the gvnmt (and i believe under pressure from abroad) said ‘NUFF!!! And the statics are out there – the numbers prove it, but you can feel it in the air and i don’t remember i heard a shooting recently, while as before i spent most of the weddings which i attended UNDER THE TABLE! And you know, it’s just the way it should be – settle your problem with words, or lawyers, or even feasts, but no guns, please!
This week’s Guardian newspaper (UK) has some very good articles on the US and guns. It’s very hard to accurately estimate how many guns there actually are:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/25/gun-ownership-us-data
Sometimes, I think that I don’t live there and it is really up to them, Where I am affected is when the need to resolve things by violent means spills out into every aspect of our lives, as it does through US open and clandestine foreign policy.
I do know also that there are some wonderful people in the US and deep veins of authentic spirituality.
It’s the gun lobby – and ultimately the greed behind it… I spoke with my father the other day, he is diplomat in career and was Ambassador of ex Yu (had quit when Milosevic came into power because he refused to conduct his politics, anyway)because it is for long time now that i am trying to understand what is the moving factor behind politics generally… It’s military industry and greed, it was even during the cold war, from both sides – and it is beyond me how are we going to overcome that… And can we overcome it in the first place. Montenegro only benefited from US foreign polices, without their support – the country as tiny as ours could not make it in such an unstable region as Balkans; for me personally – whatever sources i turn to in my own studies be it Kabbalah or I Ching, it’s coming from US because it is there where both Jewish culture after WWII and Chinese thought after the “Cultural revolution” was preserved. The thing is that in best part of the world we don’t have enlightened individuals in power, in my view – it is only during some revolutionary times that such people strive to become leaders – at all other times, normal people tend to be busy with normal things – their families and jobs and hobbies, and whom we have in power and what motivates them – i am afraid the researches which point out most of them are psychopaths, are true. 😦
Interesting thoughts. I guess human beings struggle collectively in how best to organise society. Capitalism. communism, and variations of both should work in theory but come a little undone because of human nature :). Greed is one of the most unpleasant of human qualities. So is envy and so is fear.
I suspect the US is in a state of devolution and change, much of that economically driven. Things may get worse before they get better but I hope they manage to sort things out. So much that is beautiful and good has come from the US.
The series of Guardian articles have some interesting observations about the background to the gun culture. One of the is that US citizen believe in the primacy of individual rights and reluctantly cede any of those to the State. The extreme of that is that some of these citizens believe they have to defend themselves against any loss of rights and therefore against the State. Ultimately these people believe that guns are legitimate in helping them keep what is theirs. Strange logic
I believe that we have individual rights but also a responsibility for the collective good. Guns are inherently dangerous and therefore should only be available to those who really need them. It’s like we regulate to prevent dangerous toys flooding the children’s market. We regulate about the safety of cars, roads and buildings.
Anyway, we can through prayer and conscious thinking, and through our own kindness to others, change things for the better. We are not entirely powerless.
I hope things are peaceful now in Montenegro and in your life 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and sharing your thoughts! Back in my twenties, i believed in revolutions – marching with Otpor in Serbia; joining the protest against the wars here, but our circumstances changed for better, and i changed too; last time i was ‘in the streets’ was when we regained state independence back in 2006 – celebrating- and since then i turned into an ‘arm chair revolutionary’. 😉 It is calm here, thanks goodness, as we had enough of turmoil – and i don’t see myself involving actively into any cause anymore… I would really love to focus more on small things in life, pleasurable ones – and as you say – keep praying and being conscious. The older i am, the more i believe that we actually initiate changes for better the most in that way. 😉
Love&Light
mdr