Reaction to the Movie Massacre

Numerous thoughts flooded my mind as I read the news reports describing the madman’s rage on Friday night. This evil man stole the lives of other people; yet all the media seems to care about is what political party he was affiliated with. ABC news bent so low as to search on Google for some far-fetched way to link the villain with the Tea Party (claims they later had to renounce, of course). Anchormen began perpetrating lies regarding the literature he read before the local police had even disarmed the booby traps enabling them to enter his apartment. Yet, many Americans are more interested in learning about the lives of the most popular movie star as opposed to discovering the truth and extinguishing the lies that media sources enjoy producing.

Guns do not kill people; deranged, wicked people kill people. When an individual is so consumed with evil that he cares for no one but himself and will willingly steal life from others, that individual will find any way to kill. Taking guns away from law-abiding citizens only makes the innocent more vulnerable to danger.

We have become a society consumed with entertainment and ignorant of our civic duties, of our patriotic responsibilities. We flock to theaters to watch massacres on a screen, yet we cry out in horror when it happens in reality. We can fill our minds with only so much before simple thoughts are not enough and actions must ensue.

Talk shows and media networks will interview psychiatrists and psychologists in hopes of revealing the reasoning behind this maniac’s devious actions, but God’s Word has already provided the answer—“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). This man’s evil heart coupled with the unhealthy content and messages he fed his mind led to his nefarious actions.

When I visited Israel in May 2011, our Israeli tour guide informed us that by coming to Israel we had refused to allow a terrorist to control our lives. He showed us the Hula Valley that, in 2006, endured 3,000 missiles fired upon it by Hezbollah terrorists. He pointed out that no monuments honor the tragedy; instead a fruitful valley today gives a slap in the face to terrorists. Israelis mourned the loss of life and then worked to create a valuable resource to sustain life. In a sense, we must do as Israel has done. We must quietly mourn with those that have lost loved ones, but we must not allow this lunatic or others like him to control our lives. He does not deserve to be made famous; he does not merit our time. His name is not worth mentioning over coffee with a friend nor is his picture so important as to be flashed all over the news. Let the justice system determine his fate without any cameras involved. 

What do I take away from this massacre? Be aware not afraid. My God has given me means to protect myself and others. I live in a country that still allows me to carry a weapon to use when I feel threatened or when I see others being threatened. Furthermore, it is my Constitutional duty to educate myself on the weapon I choose to carry, and it is my patriotic responsibility not only to keep my government in check but also to warn other evil individuals that while they can use whatever materials to create a deadly weapon, I and my fellow law-abiding citizens still have weapons to safeguard ourselves and those we love. I have also been reminded to be careful what I allow into my mind and heart; for what I allow in will eventually come out. Finally, I am challenged to share with others that while evil abounds in this temporary world, God is still in control.