President to visit Aurora - orders flags to fly at half mast...

why?

Lest you think me cruel and uncaring, allow me to say that what happened was terrible and I can't even begin to imagine what the family and friends of the victims must be feeling.

The thing I find curious is the response.

My question is:  What is the cut off number of victims for how we'll do whatever it is we decide to do?

From Second City Cop:

Shooting totals climbing again:

• Three men are dead and at least 18 other people wounded from gun violence across the city since Friday night.
  The weekend’s first fatal shooting happened in the 400 block of North Austin Boulevard, after a man intervened in a domestic argument between the suspect and a woman, police said. The suspect left to get a handgun, then returned about 12:50 a.m. and opened fire, striking the man and two other people.

Collateral damage and 20+ shot overnight.

This is a fairly typical weekend in Chicago, yet Mayor Rahm Emanuel doesn't order the flags fly at half mast and the president doesn't fly in to offer comfort to people.  Oh, by the way, Chicago has very strict gun laws. 

Just wondering about these things.

I sort of like what Rick Moran said at PJ Media:

I would like to propose that anyone and everyone who writes anything about the massacre in Colorado save their work and, when the next mass killing occurs, simply republish the article, plugging in the new names, dates, and places where appropriate.

This will not only save time and effort, but, since we’ve already read what pundits have to say and we know all the arguments by heart, we won’t have to read it again. Thus, the news-consuming public will be spared the angst-ridden diatribes against guns, or immorality, or our broken mental health system, or violence in the media, or how it’s the left’s fault or the right’s fault — even articles like this one that complain about pundits writing about the same subjects every time a mass shooting occurs.

The post-massacre media environment gives true meaning to the cliche “deja vu” — “already seen” according to Wikipedia. I challenge anyone to come up with anything original written by anyone in the last 24 hours that didn’t follow the now traditional meme-making and narrative-setting path that every major public bloodletting has followed in the last decade.  read the rest

P.S.  I understand that the current president is simply making a quick stop-over in Colorado for a photo-op on the way to a slew of fund raising events.   What a guy!

Other things:

Newsbusters:   Congressman on Blaming Tea Party for Aurora: The People Are Smarter Than That

Western Hero:  Integrity is Destiny


Left Coast Resistance:  Another Obama Victory: US Poverty on Track to Rise to Highest Since 1960s

Woodsterman:   Thank You Oh Great One

Aurora...

Joint Statement of Archbishop Samuel Aquila and

Bishop James Conley on Aurora Shootings

Last night at the Century Movie Theater in Aurora, a gunman walked into a full theater and opened fire on scores of moviegoers.  In the largest mass shooting in America in more than five years, 12 people were killed and about 50 were wounded by gunfire.  We are shocked and saddened by this tragedy. Our hearts and prayers go out to those impacted by this evil act.

In the chaos of the moment, people poured from the movie theater into the darkness of the night—the darkness of confusion, of ambiguity, of despair.  We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters cast into that darkness.  They do not stand alone.   As Catholic bishops, we “weep with those who weep.”

But in Aurora, which means “the dawn,” the sun rose this morning.  In a city whose name evokes the light, people of hope know that the darkness may be overcome.

For those who were killed, our hope is the tender mercy of our God.  “Neither death nor life,” reflected St. Paul, “can separate us from the love of God.”  We commend their souls, and their families and friends, to God’s enduring love.

For those who were wounded—physically, emotionally and spiritually—our hope is in their recovery and renewal.  To them we offer our prayers, our ears to listen, and our hearts to love.  The road to recovery may be long, but in hope we are granted the gift of new life.

We hope also for the perpetrator of this terrible crime, and we pray for his conversion.  Evil ruled his heart last night.  Only Jesus Christ can overcome the darkness of such evil. 

We hope that all of us may find the peace which surpasses understanding.

The Archdiocese of Denver stands ready to assist the victims of this tragedy, and our community.  Regina Caeli Counseling Services of Catholic Charities will offer counseling over the next few weeks to those who need it.  We look for opportunities to pray with our community.  And we continue to work to support families and communities in forming people of peace.

+Most Reverend Samuel J. Aquila
Archbishop of Denver

+Most Reverend James D. Conley
Auxiliary Bishop of Denver

May Christ reign in our hearts now and forever.