"Terrorism: the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat
of unlawful violence to inculcate fear…." Dictionary
of Military and Associated Terms, U.S. Department of Defense, 2005.
The early Friday morning shooting in an Aurora, Colorado, cineplex
in which 12 people were killed and at least 50 others were injured was, in my
view, an act of terrorism. The alleged gunman, James Holmes, 24, hurled two
canisters of an unknown gas and opened fire at audience members watching the
midnight premier of the new Batman film “The Dark Knight Rises,” according to The Washington Post. Law enforcement
authorities took Holmes into custody in a parking lot behind the theater after
the attack. He reportedly carried at least three weapons. Among the injured was
a 3-month-old infant.
Frankly, I’m at a loss of what can be done about gun
violence, including mass shootings such as this one and the 1999 massacre at
Columbine High School in nearby Littleton, Colorado. Even if there was a
crackdown on illegal guns, anyone who carries a gun legally could go nuts and
do something heinous.
I won’t, however, let this incident scare me away from the
movie theater and other “soft targets” where people gather. That’s what
terrorists want, for us to be so afraid that we can’t or won’t leave our homes.
I love the movies, especially independent films. If, heaven forbid, some
shooter comes in while I’m viewing “Moonrise Kingdom” at the Tower Theater in
Sacramento, I’ll go out swinging.
Writing Diva
