Skip to main content

The Buildings that Remain





I cannot begin to express my sorrow for the families’ friends and communities of those lost in Aurora and Newtown. I do not pretend to understand the depths of their grief and cannot say how I would react if directly affected by a tragedy of that magnitude. That being said, this article can be taken with a grain of salt. It is largely insignificant coming from a source that was not directly affected by the acts. I would like to reiterate that throughout.



In the wake of the Aurora and Newtown mass shootings much discussion is taking place regarding the buildings that remain.

In Connecticut, Newtown has made it clear that Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 20 children and 6 adults lost their lives, will be closed indefinitely after the December 14, 2012 shooting. It is not known at this time whether the building will be demolished, but it has been made clear that it will never again open as a school.

In Aurora, Colorado t
he Century 6 Theater, site of the July 20, 2012 mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 12 people, is scheduled to reopen its doors on January 17th, 2013. 


The reopening of the theater has prompted opposition from many, including families of some of the deceased. They make the argument that the reopening dishonors the dead. They state that the decision is more in the interest of business and has been made at the expense of the grief stricken.They argue that the building should be preserved as a testament to those who lost their lives.  



What is the difference between these two tragedies? Why does the building in Newtown get closed for good while the building in Aurora reopens? Why two dramatically different courses of action when, at the core of both of these tragedies, lives were lost? 


After some extensive thought I have come to a conclusion: 


I agree with the decision to close the Elementary School. Simultaneously, I agree with the reopening of the Movie Theater.

I am not claiming that one event is any more or less tragic than another. I do not claim that the loss of any one life is more or less tragic than the loss of another. I am just looking to understand, to justify if you will, the decisions made by those in charge in the wake of these mass shootings. I found my answer in the nature of each establishment and the age of the deceased.

Nature of the Establishment:

A school is a place of learning. Security. Growth. When one or more of these factors is interrupted the facility stops being a school. A child cannot be expected to learn or grow if they do not feel safe where they are expected to do so. A school is open 9 months out of the year. Elementary age students spend the majority of their time on any given year with one teacher in one classroom. If a traumatic event takes place in their classroom would it be reasonable to expose children to the same setting again and again, day after day, for the rest of the school year? A child is required to attend school to learn. If the Elementary school were to be reopened students would be expected to attend. Teachers and students know one another. They know their classmates and they know the kids in the class down the hall. Everyone in the building is intertwined.


A movie theater is a public forum in which people, many who are strangers to one another, gather for a recreational activity. Not to say that the relation of the victims changes the nature of the tragedy. It is the choice of an individual to attend this establishment. In the wake of the shooting, a person can choose whether or not to come back to the location.

Age of the deceased:


With the exception of one, all of the victims of the Aurora shooting were adults. All at varying points in their lives having made some foot print in the world. Some were on dates, some with their families, some with their children or friends. The survivors of the attack were also by in large young adults. Adults emotionally developed and resilient to the workings of the world.

The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school claimed the lives of 20 children. In the presence of 400 + more. These children do not share the coping skills we as adults have developed over time. They do not have the same ability to "bounce back" from a tragedy of this magnitude. To remain in the building where 20 classmates and 6 teachers died would not be a wise move toward recovery for these children.  

A final factor to consider. The criminal in the Century 6 Theater shooting is alive. In my opinion, to close the doors to the movie theater would be to give more power to the individual guilty of perpetrating this crime. Furthermore, as a society, we are showing other potential mass shooters that they will leave a visible mark on the world. To the shooter these 12 victims were just numbers. To him they are irrelevant. He did this for the notoriety. To close the doors of this theater is to erect a monument to his crime. To show him that the building where he committed this heinous act is preserved; is to show him that his memory and the horror of what he did is preserved. Don’t give him the satisfaction. He has left scars on a community, and while they will never completely heal, they will begin to fade in time. Remember the victims. Honor them but don’t let their killer be single-handedly responsible for closing a landmark in the community. A landmark that exists to bring joy and entertainment, to bring people together, to enrich lives has to keep doing just that. 



The opinions expressed in this article are just that. Opinions. I apologize if any offense was taken in this sensitive subject area. As an individual, I struggle to understand situations like these and search for the tangible. The only intent behind this article was to share my experience.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Give JR a Break

Recently, I've been reading some sites that have criticized James Roday, the lead actor on the USA show PSYCH for an apparent weight gain. But you know what? Who gives a flying fizzle stick if James Roday is slightly larger than he was 4 years ago. Apparently, it wasn't enough to scare away his current girlfriend/ co-star Maggie Lawson. (Who is one hell of a Catch!) And NO they are not engaged. That seems to be nothing more than a rumor, but there is a very high chance of it happening in the near future. Anyway, as long as PSYCH continues to entertain I don't mind about James Roday's waist. He, and Dule Hill, and Corbin Bernson too, can eat all the fried broccoli they want. The last episode of PSYCH wasn't so smashing, but I don't blame it on dietary issues. QATFYG: Are you keeping up with Psych? And who is hotter, James Roday or Maggie Lawson? (Trick Question but idk why) PS: If you have heard any more news on Roday and Lawson becoming Roday-Lawson, send it...

No Time to Fuck: The Goldfrapp Essay

Konnichiwa! This is Irina Cummings and I'm here to discuss one of the most brilliant, innovative, and creative artists in the entire history of mankind: Goldfrapp – or as I like to call them , GODfrapp – the fantastique, highly inspirational, and sometimes criminally overlooked electronic music duo from London consisting of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, whose godly music has certainly influenced the vast majority of today's synthpop ladies, including Lady Gaga, Little Boots, La Roux, Annie and Florence + the Machine (not electro but still worth your while). They're primarily known for their mind-blowing music (which have spanned pretty much every style of electronic music – and some non-electronic as well), their abstract, sexually ambiguous – at times forthright – lyrics which are often not gender- specific , and their elaborate shows, not to mention the amazing visual aesthetics of their work, conjuring images that masterly complement ...

Spotlight/Shoutout: OG Mudbone (One Year of S/S)

!!!ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!! Can you believe it's been a year already since Spotlight/Shoutout started off on the third Thursday of August? The first ever s/s went to Kyle MacLachlan, and then the spotlight was stolen by OG Mudbone...........the funniest man on earth according to some Youtube videos. For those of you who do not know, OG is an FOC "Freak of Co*k" adult film actor. And yes, I censored the C word, just in case the word cock offends anyone. OG Mudbone takes the 1 year prize because he's enormous (and he shoots and scores), and it doesn't matter if his adult entertainment masterworks are real or fake. His foul mouth is more exciting than many. Seriously, get some google images. height="385"> In other news, Spotlight/Shoutout has had some great ups this year. I hope there are many more to come, and indeed there will be. QATFYG: If anyone has seen his films, can you still drink soymilk? I can't! Happy 1 year!! s/s