Today I woke up to the tragic news of a gunman who opened fire on a movie theater in Colorado, killing at least 12 people and injuring up to 50 more. Such a senseless act is difficult to comprehend, and like many parents I’ve pondered about whether or not to talk to my children about this tragedy. My children are 7, 5, 5 and 3, and at this time I’ve concluded that they are not mature enough to process the idea of a mass shooting.
Read more about why I decided not to talk to my kids about this recent tragedy at my blog on Babble Voices. And also, some analysis of the human impulse to assign blame in the midst of tragedy:
Now, a small child at a midnight showing might raise an eyebrow. However, I would hope we can agree that immediately after said child’s death is not the time to call into question what would otherwise be a relatively inconsequential parenting decision in the scheme of things. Reading Heather’s post reminded me, though, of how many times I’ve seen this impulse to judge in the face of tragedy. It reminded me of the Trayvon Martin case, and how many people suggested that perhaps Trayvon could have been spared had he not been dressed like a “thug”. It reminded me of the time that a well-known blogger discovered that her son had drowned in their family pool, and how quickly people jumped in to make assumptions about her negligent supervision (which was not the case). It also reminded me of my friend Katie, who lost her teenage son to a tragic drug overdose. Katie is a well-known blogger and there is a website that seems to make a sport of speculating on Katie’s son and their relationship. It’s disgusting.
Read the rest here.
