And so, as the clock struck midnight, the bullets flew from side to side, bangs deafened the screaming and gunshots muzzled the feared, silencing it for eternity. Twelve people died and fifty-eight are now in hospitals. I can picture myself there, in the emergency room, probably just doing inventory, then the doors blast open and in comes a gurney with a twelve year old boy–two shots to the chest, one to the knee–and the darkest of prognosis.
What happened? I can see myself confused, just rushing to the corner and stepping away from the chaos. I have nothing to do. I want nothing to do with this. It’s obvious, no one has to tell me, I just leave the emergency room and wait for the chaos to subside, which won’t happen tonight, or tomorrow. It will take a couple of months, three perhaps. Then most of society, except for a handful of saddened relatives, will forget until it happens again. And it will.
It will happen because we are too violent and we are happy with it. A crowd cheers an athlete that hits another one, a crowd cheers when a superhero smacks the shit out of the villain—probably a black or Asian enemy—and a crowd cheers when a country wins a war. We are too competitive and we justify success directly with it: we celebrate when our nearest competitor declares bankruptcy since it means more money for us. We are too selfish and we are happy with it. And we are all guilty.
But, strangely, that’s not what worries me. With the amount of people in this world, it was bound to happen. What worries me is this: if we were to tell someone, anyone, within say, a mall, that in the parking lot there are thousands of rounds and rifles, ready to be used at the flick of an “insanity” switch, people would flee, the building would probably be evacuated and abandoned within seconds.
Then why didn’t it happen?
Stricter security measures? Not useful. Social places are ideal for relaxation and tougher active-security measures would render us tenser and, hence, more violent. The idea that suppressing the likelihood of another attack is a thing of the past. Corrective actions shouldn’t happen, especially in this age of technical advances and “the peak of society as we know it”. Maybe passive-security measures will work.
Tougher gun control? Probably will work, though I know many friends with rifles and guns that won’t go on a killing spree. Again, I know many I wouldn’t trust a gun with.
Lesser violence? Surely. After all, humans are formed in their houses.
More education? Definitely.
Hospital Of Life 
To me, this is a symptom of a damaged, patchwork community of others. So many people are isolated. There’s no human network to warn of an unhinged relative needing care. We’re all separate in our little boxes watching repetitive images of violence (with blood and without) and emotionless sex–with the message to consume because this is the only life we’ll have so we’d better buy now. It’s only natural that we’re unhealthy and breed this kind of insanity.
On the spot with that comment.
Thanks, B.M. I admire you for pursuing the medical profession in times like this. Or any time, really.
Though my job is not completely related with medicine (as in we don’t deal directly with patients), it still takes a bit of strength to walk into hospitals everyday. Thanks for your comments!
Unfortunately, I think private organizations will have to tighten up security. We already have metal detectors at my local movie theater (and you hardly notice it). I believe that that will become nationwide.
The thing about making guns illegal is that criminals don’t give two shits whether or not it is legal. My state (Arizona) has pretty lax gun laws. I mean, I could carry a conceal weapon almost anywhere and I don’t have a permit. But we have less shootings than many other states with stricter laws.
Of course, we did have a shooting in a parking lot involving the US Rep Gillfords last year, but I’m not quite sure how it could of been prevents in an outdoor location like that.
Criminals are going to commit criminal acts. The rest of us need to retain the legal right to protect ourselves from criminals.
Lizzy,
I believe all citizens have the right to bear arms. We might reinforce the educational aspect behind firearms and the people surrounding them. Unfortunately, we become increasingly more and more violent and Aurora is only a preview of what we are to see in the future.