Nation mourns: Tragedy in Aurora should put some things into perspective

There is something about watching a father break down as he frantically searches for his son that puts real life into perspective.

All of a sudden, politics seems trivial and you understand just what should matter in your life.

And for many across the nation, that is exactly what happened this weekend.

We watched with tears in our eyes as picture after picture flashed across our television screens and read the stories of the victims whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Some of us then thought about our own children, our own families and what it would feel like to hear that we had lost them in such a needless and senseless way.

The sad thing about events like the Aurora, Colo., shooting is that there really is no explanation for why it happens -- and no real way to prevent it.

A man as crazy as the 24-year-old who came up with this scheme likely could not have been stopped -- even if someone had been smart enough to see it coming.

The problem is, no one did.

And the reason for that is simple. Most people cannot fathom hating the world so much and having such a disregard for human life that you would come up with a plan like this.

We did not see it coming in Columbine, at Fort Hood or anywhere else in the world where evil takes over.

There will be talk about what to do now and how to make sense of a tragedy like this. There will be thoughts and prayers for the victims who are gone and those who are still fighting.

There will be tears shed for the families who must go on without a cherished loved one, and for those who are sitting by hospital beds.

And many of us will still wonder why and if there is a way to stop anything like this from ever happening again. And perhaps there might be a few answers that are generated from those discussions.

But for right now, we grieve.

Published in Editorials on July 21, 2012 11:45 PM