Why Do We Fall? 07.20.2012

What happened on July 20th in Aurora was the act of an evil man, not an insane one. It was an act of terror designed to make us live in fear. I've seen TDKR 3 times since it came out, because America doesn't negotiate with terrorists, and I won't appease one by allowing him to win.  This "Joker" killer is obviously a man who would rather die in jail famous rather than live in society as no one. And from all accounts that's what he was. An introvert. Shy. Timid. Meek. Conversations don't start if its left up to him. Its clear to me that he is a smart man, a federal grant of $26,000 in neuroscience seems to back that up. And while the media continuously reports of Batman merchandise and "paraphernalia" scattered across his apartment and the fact that he dyed his hair red "like the Joker", I'm not so convinced.  You see, I'm a Batman fan. I know, as does every sixth grader in America, that the Joker, in every incarnation of Batman, has green hair. I also know that the Joker is virtually everyone's favorite baddy in the Dark Knight Trilogy that this movie is the concluding chapter of, so if you're that obsessed with Batman, that's a detail you're really not going to miss. Furthermore, the Aurora shooting occurred during the midnight showing that I myself attended right here in Ohio. Apparently this "Joker" isn't too concerned with what happens to Batman if he's shooting up the very first showing.  

My opinion: this guy planned this shooting to correspond with the movie's opening for four months in advance, buying guns, ammunition, riot gear, and making bombs to booby trap his apartment. This coward tells police he dyed his hair like the Joker, spits on guards, is refusing to cooperate and has been described as "acting in a movie". The Dark Knight Rises is by far the most anticipated film of the year, and this monster knew the theater would be packed. That's it. It has nothing to do with Batman at all. Everything else is an attempt at the insanity plea to escape the death penalty. So he can sit back and watch as the media runs headlines like "IS HOLLYWOOD TO BLAME?" and "DOES AURORA SHOOTING CALL FOR GUN CONTROL?". This man wants to live on our taxes, eat three square meals a day and watch us all stay home in fear.  

The Dark Knight Rises is a movie. I know that. Batman is fiction. We know the difference. Its heightened reality, but the film is a reflection of real life. Terrorists don't dye their hair green and put on lipstick, nor do they wear masks that pump their bodies with steroids and call themselves Bane. But terrorists exist. They existed before Batman Begins, and on July 22nd we were reminded that they exist right here at home.  And that's the point of the Dark Knight Trilogy. Of Batman as a character really. That point being: there will always be evil men doing evil things. From Adolf Hitler, to Osama Bin Laden, and beyond James Holmes, evil men will remain in the world. But as long as there are good men doing good things, hope is never lost. Men like those three brave souls who gave their lives so that those they loved could continue to live. These are the kinds of men who hold that darkness at bay.