Foreword: I haven’t updated this blog of mine in over
seven months, as the theme behind it is ranting about topics that irk me and I
just hadn’t found much to seriously gripe about over the past year. I did find
a couple of topics that I’d planned to rant over for my big comeback, but
they’ll be taking a backseat for now as I share my personal and heartfelt
feelings on a very important matter (I was partially inspired by the young
woman quoted above from a similar blog post she wrote following her recent
near-death experience in a Toronto shopping mall. Unfortunately, she and many
others are no longer with us, hence the topic of my following post).
When the
pioneering silent film The Great Train Robbery was released in theatres back in
1903, the iconic final shot of the outlaws’ leader (played by Justus D. Barnes)
pointing and firing his gun at the camera reportedly caused moviegoers to
scream and duck behind their seats, such was the magic of a then fairly new
medium known as the movies. Who would’ve ever thought that 109 years later,
life would tragically imitate art in a Colorado cinema packed with Batman fans
of all ages eagerly awaiting the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises?
Admittedly, I’ve
been feeling pretty shitty these last few weeks over the mass shootings that
have occurred in such close proximity to each other this summer. Being from
Toronto, I was already reeling pretty badly from the two public shooting
incidents that occurred here before the big one in that packed Aurora, Colorado movie theatre completely
shattered me emotionally. I didn’t know any of the victims of these heinous and
senseless murders, but their deaths have affected me deeply nonetheless.
In all three cases, these were just ordinary men, women, and
children out enjoying the summer and life in general. There’s so much darkness
and evil in the world that people should have the right to at least put it all
aside for a bit and enjoy themselves without fear of being gunned down. What
makes random murders like these so scary is the fact that any one of us
could’ve easily been among the victims, so I take great offence at any attempts
to poke humour over something so gravely serious (sadly, I’ve already seen a
few Batman-related “too
soon?” jokes posted online, and needless to say I’m NOT laughing).
Maybe it’s because I’m often out in the open riding the
subway throughout the city, or because I regularly visit shopping malls at
least once a week, or on account that I enjoy watching movies on the big screen
and have been to many huge opening night showings over the years. Whatever the
reason, I feel our rights as human beings to go out and enjoy life have been
completely violated this summer and think that mass murders such as these are
no laughing matter.
I’m a spiritual man and a firm believer in God and the
afterlife, but I strongly feel that we should all be allowed to live long happy
lives here on earth and achieve whatever it is we were meant to without the
thread of our lives being tragically cut short so senselessly. When I started
the Ranting Zone last December, I never imagined that any of my future posts
would be as serious and sombre as the one you’re reading now, but I just had to
get these thoughts off my chest.
I will be “moving on” and returning to more light-hearted
fair shortly (I won’t let the gunmen behind these three vile acts break my
spirit), but will always keep the victims of the summer 2012 shootings in my
thoughts and prayers. I hope we’ll never forget these tragedies and will work
hard to create stricter gun laws and harsher punishments for anyone who carries
out such crimes.
Life is a precious gift, so appreciate it and make
every last second count. Put nothing off that you wish to do or accomplish,
even if others attempt to ridicule or discourage you from doing so. Find
something to believe in that will inspire and motivate you throughout life,
since it could be quite empty otherwise. Spend as much time with your family as
you do with your friends, for blood is thicker than water. Tell your relatives,
significant others, and children that you love them everyday, as tomorrow isn’t
guaranteed. Be cautious while out in public, but still go forth and enjoy the
rest of your summer; eat in food courts, attend block parties, and go to the
movies. If you want to watch The
Dark Knight Rises, then do so and have a great time. Thank you for reading, and God bless.
May violent scenes such as this famous climactic one from The
Great Train Robbery remain strictly in the movies.
