A Hero's Best Weapon

22nd July 2012 - "A Hero's Best Weapon"

I've been struggling with writing this post for a couple days.  The Batman Shooting rocked the country on Friday morning and we're still recovering, especially residents of Colorado like myself.  Hero-Hearted blog is for supporting Heroes, so I felt the need to post something in response to such an appalling, villainous attack.  My heart goes out to the victims & the families.  May God give you peace!  

Without a doubt, the Batman Shooting was performed by a Super Villain.  A Villain may act when an opportunity arises: rob a convenience store, kill out of jealous passion, etc.  This attack, however, was premeditated.  Premeditation or meticulous planning is the M.O. of a Super Villain.  People weren't killed because they got in the way of the villain's plan.  No, the shooter went in to kill.  Plain & simple.  

It's a scary situation because the shooter's attack caught people blindsided, right when they're trying to escape the world through a heroic movie.  I've seen a lot of people reacting to the shooting with fear & anger and I can't blame them.  Some are calling for more gun control while others are running for a Concealed Carry Permit.  I can't blame either action directly but neither can I condone them.

To the Gun Control mindset, this shooter got his weapons through whatever means he could.  If he had no legal access to guns he could have gotten them illegally.  The shooter could have done as much or more harm with a wicked combination of household chemicals; think about Timothy McVeigh.  The truth is, the only way to stop people from hurting each other is to lobotomize society, which is a horrible thought in itself.

To the Conceal Carry mindset, are you willing to take a life?  More importantly, can you live with yourself if you pull a weapon in a similar situation & you miss, taking the life of an innocent bystander?  Getting a Concealed Carry Permit allows you the ability to carry a weapon but it doesn't teach you how to keep your head in a high stress, combat situation.  It doesn't teach you how to deal with a no visibility, scream-filled chaos, with all the pressures that come in a real-life situation.  If you're not willing to make the lifestyle choice to train daily with your weapon, in & out of high stress situations, then for you there may be more harm in carrying then not.

To both mindsets I have a suggestion: train your awareness.  In the my years of martial training I've learned that the most important weapon you can have in your arsenal is a fine-tuned awareness.  If premeditated, meticulous planning is the M.O. of a Super Villain, then daily, meticulous training is the M.O. of a Super Hero.

The victims were caught off guard & in total disbelief.  If one person was a little more aware in the theatre it might have made the difference.  I've heard it said that a real-life street fight, where there are no rules, last on average only a few seconds.  Seconds are often the difference between life & death.  Awareness can give you those seconds.  If one aware person could have alerted people, slowed the shooter, or maybe even stopped him, could that have saved one more life? Could that have made the difference for a few people?  A dozen people?

We could debate back & forth for the next month on how the Aurora shooting could have gone differently but that is all hind-sight.  Hind-sight is always 20/20.  What can we do now as good people to help avoid these horrid situations in the future?  Get Aware.  Notice the small things around you.  Do not ignore the tickling thought in the back of your mind when something doesn't look right.  Awareness is a skill, train it daily in everything you do.  In boxing, the knockout punch isn't always the hardest punch, it's the punch you don't see coming.  Awareness can make the difference.  

Let us never forget this detestable tragedy for the right reasons.

PS: Mass Media - please treat this atrocity the right way.  Help people remember it for the right reasons, to honor & morn the lost.  DO NOT give attention to this psycho.  The last thing the world needs is a copy cat.  Mass Media, you have the power to make a difference. Choose right.