Colorado tragedy

I awoke this morning to my husband telling me the news of the shooting in Colorado.  By now, I'm sure you've all heard the details. James Holmes, 24, a PHD student living in Aurora, entered a movie theatre at the midnight screening of Dark Knight Rises and opened fire. He shot and killed 12 people and injured approximately 30, including a three-month-old baby.

It's a terribly tragic event that I can't comprehend. We ask ourselves the same questions after a shooting like this one. What was happening in this person's life that was so terrible he felt he needed to go and kill a bunch of strangers? Or, how did no one warn anyone that this person was in dire need of help? Or something that I find myself asking, are people really born this evil?

The shooting early this morning reminded me of a movie I had recently seen, which happens to be my book club's pick for next month called, "We Need to Talk About Kevin."

It's the story of a mother who has trouble bonding with her baby boy, who at the age of 16, consquently goes on a shooting rampage at his high school. It's a discussion about nature vs. nurture. If this mother would have been able to bond with her son as a baby, would he have grown up to be a better person? Or was this child born inherently evil? Is it the mother's fault for not showing him enough love or was there really nothing she could have done to change the outcome?

If you feel comfortable discussing, I would love to hear your thoughts on this. It's so heartbreaking.


-Melina