On being grateful…

Last night, I got to crowd into a theater and watch a special showing of the new journalism film, “Spotlight,” about the Boston Globe’s exposure and coverage of the Roman Catholic priest childhood sexual abuse scandal in the early 2000s. This was arranged by Central Connecticut State University, and thanks for that. So today, I …

If you’re a politician who takes NRA money, I’m not voting for you

Since Thursday’s theater shooting at Lafayette, Louisiana, which killed two and wounded nine, there’s been a petition started that asks Republican presidential candidates to refuse or return campaign contributions from the blood-gargling National Rife Association. That includes Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a big gun supporter who suspended his campaign for a while and said discussing …

The last really good day

I spent Saturday in New York with friends, including one who is a PK. On the train on the way back, she mentioned that she had palms in her garage that she needed to get to church early yesterday morning — Palm Sunday. Easter Week is profoundly sad to me, the kind of sadness that …

Some good after some very bad

There were reports that some victims in the Aurora, Colo., movie theater shooting were facing insurmountable medical bills, but Colorado hospitals decided to waive some of the bills, and Warner Bros. (the studio responsible for “The Dark Knight Rises,” which was showing at the time of the shooting) kicked in some more. If you feel moved …

The homicide rate dropped, mass killings continue, and other Dark Knight news

This Washington Post article explores the strange juxtaposition of a homicide rate that has dropped in the last 20 years, while the number of mass killings (like the one last week in that Aurora, Colo., movie theater) have pretty much stayed steady. From the article: The United States experienced 645 mass-murder events — killings with …

And another thing…

Oddly, the New York Times reported today that the Colorado theater shooting suspect, James E. Holmes, bought much of his arsenal online — “It was pretty much as easy as ordering a book from Amazon,” the story said. Twelve people were killed and dozens more were injured in the shooting. Holmes goes to court today. …

Prayers for Colorado

This is senseless. It makes no sense. Prayers for the survivors, and prayers for the families. UPDATE: They’ve just identified the shooter.