Once again, Colorado at the epicenter of violence

THE 24-year-old man who allegedly killed 12 people July 20 inside an Aurora movie theater has again made Colorado the epicenter of the new normal — and the whole world is wondering why.

Many are comparing the chaotic bloodbath that erupted during the midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” to the shootings committed by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold at Columbine High School in 1999.

It’s too early in the investigation to determine what motivated suspect James Holmes to accumulate explosives, four guns and 6,000 rounds of ammunition in order to carry out this premeditated, methodical and fatal attack.

Some recollections offered by neighbors and classmates of this former neuroscience student are eerily similar to sound bytes describing other mass murderers: “He was very quiet and kept to himself.”

Still, local and national speculation about Denver’s relationship to these heinous acts gobble up newsprint, airtime and the Internet like mosquitoes on a hot summer night.

Rabbi Bernard Gerson of Rodef Shalom, who admits that the July 20 killings “feel a lot like Columbine,” says that posing difficult questions is a typically Jewish response to tragedy.

“As human beings and people of faith, we have the right to ask questions, even though we won’t always find satisfying answers — or any answers at all. It is our tradition to frame these questions within the context of community.

“Anger,” he adds, “is natural. Anger is our immediate, instinctive response. And it’s way too soon to forgive.”

BMH-BJ’s Rabbi Ben Greenberg, who paused the flow of last Friday’s morning service to pray for the victims, notes that July 20 marks rosh chodesh Av, the beginning of the nine-day period commemorating tragedies that struck the Jewish people over the past 2,000 years.

More reactions from area rabbis in Chris Leppek’s “Jewish community reacts to Aurora tragedy“

“If there’s one lesson we can learn from this narrative arc, it’s that we must come together as a community in times like this,” he says. “And this applies to any community that experiences a senseless, baseless, violent act.

“We need to rebuild.”

As for comparisons to Columbine, Greenberg suggests that the microcosm often mirrors what’s happening in society at large, such as the need to discuss gun control and easy access to lethal weapons.

This past Shabbat, as 58 people remained hospitalized, area synagogues overflowed with Jews honoring the dead and praying for their families and the injured.

RABBI Joe Black, senior rabbi at Temple Emanuel, spoke toward the end of the nationally televised prayer vigil that took place Sunday in the Aurora Civic Plaza.

Black was the only rabbi addressing the predominantly Christian audience.

“The purpose of the vigil was to shape the conversation away from the sensational stories, focus on Aurora’s loss and praise the incredible response of the city and first responders,” he tells the IJN.

From the dais he saw family members sobbing for murdered loved ones, a man confined to a wheelchair and the heavily bandaged.

“The grief was palpable,” he says. “It broke my heart.”

Still, a victorious tone permeated the event.

“Jews don’t celebrate when there’s a loss,” Black says. “We grieve. Much of this was very Christian, with numerous Christological references. I’m used to this, but some Jews on the dais felt uncomfortable.

Read IJN commentary “The dark night descending into a gun obsessed culture“

“For many, however, this is exactly what they needed. Several lead pastors came from fundamentalist backgrounds, and the people were very moved.

“They felt like, ‘This is the city of Aurora, we are united in the face of tragedy, and we don’t want tragedy to define who we are.’”

The suspect’s name was consciously omitted throughout the vigil. Even President Obama, who visited the injured at the University of Colorado Hospital, refused to utter his name at a press conference.

“This is a man who committed an evil act,” Black says of the omission, which he connects to blotting out Amalek’s name in the Torah. “He should not be part of this. Why give him the publicity?”

Black is adamant about the necessity to address the issue of gun control in the wake of the Aurora massacre.

“I understand this is not a time for politics,” he says. “However, we need to acknowledge that this tragic event highlights two crucial needs in our community: real gun control legislation, and access to mental health.

“These are two crying needs in our community,” Black says. “There may be no way to prevent this kind of tragedy, but we are not excused from trying.”

Dr. Evelyn Lifsey, a clinical psychologist in private practice, heard the news at 5 a.m. the morning of July 20. “My immediate reaction was shock,” she says. “And concern for those poor kids and their families.

“It will take a lifetime for them to wrap their heads around this tragedy.”

She says that while numerous mass murderers are clinically mentally ill, others are hardwired into violent computer games and TV shows but are otherwise sane.

“Some have a psychiatric history — for example, hearing voices. Others spin out of control, and you can’t understand why.

“But I do know that what happened at the movie theater was not an impulsive act.”

Lifsey, who dismisses the film “The Dark Knight Rises” as a factor in Holmes’ rage, says that the documentary “Bowling for Columbine,” which argues that acting out negative fantasies is tied to the availability of guns, may offer some insight.

“We are a culture that has immersed itself in the glorification of guns and violence,” Lifsey says. “There’s a notion out there that if we enacted stronger gun control measures we would somehow weaken society; that our institutions would fail and that we need guns to protect ourselves.”

Judaism’s emphasis on free will “holds people accountable for their actions,” she stresses. “No branch of Judaism will dispute that. I also hold all people accountable for their behavior.”

Despite her initial shock, Lifsey is not surprised by the events that unfolded July 20. The scenario has happened before, and she anticipates it will happen again.

“Our society is pockmarked with these incidents, which have occurred throughout the decades,” she says. “They exemplify an element that exists in the context of a free society.”

Lifsey would love to see the establishment of early support programs that might circumvent destructive behavior later in life.

“We could start by how we parent children,” she says. “By putting parenting support in place, we could interrupt more disruptive problems.

“We are always going to have rogue fanatics and mental illness — but we can strengthen society through prevention. And prevention is far less costly than dealing with the chaos that ensues.”

IN Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice,” which proclaims Christianity’s moral superiority over Judaism, “The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven,” blessing “him that gives and him that takes.”

Perchance by accident, the Bard has inadvertently hit on an authentic distinction between the two religions in his anti-Semitic play.

Forgiveness in Judaism is actually a formulaic, proscribed process that dates back to the Talmud.

Anyone guilty of a transgression can ask for forgiveness three times before being freed of the obligation to seek it again. And the offended party can refuse to grant it.

Of course, Jews are encouraged to forgive whenever feasible, with “feasible” being the operative word.

“Everyone has the right to ask for forgiveness,” says Rabbi Gerson. “But there’s no automatic guarantee that they’ll get it. In this case, forgiveness may be possible — or impossible — once we understand the circumstances that possessed this individual to do what he did.”

According to the tenets of Judaism, the individual requesting forgiveness must demonstrate remorse and contrition, as well as a commitment not to repeat the sin.

In his first court appearance Monday, July 23, Holmes’ expression alternated between unfazed and mildy dazed.

“He’s not showing any remorse,” Gerson says. “Whatever happens over the next weeks and months can only soften his image because it’s quite hard.”

However, Rabbi Greenberg says that some acts, like taking a human life, are impossible to forgive.  “You can’t forgive murder. There are ways to make restitution and restore one’s good name — absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt.

“But taking a life is the ultimate act. You can’t simply say you’re sorry and expect forgiveness for that.”

Despite the most unimaginable nightmares, life moves forward — but awareness is forever changed. Eyes scan crowds with an abundance of caution. Anyone who deviates from the norm is cast in a suspicious light.

“We must take universal precautions,” Gerson says, “but we can’t live our lives in total anxiety. We have to believe that most people have good intentions. Having said that, we can’t let our guard down.”

As of now, no evidence suggests that the Aurora massacre was a coordinated attack, Greenberg says. “This was the act of one person. Now we must learn what Israel has learned — you don’t let this interrupt your daily life.

“Tragedy calls upon us to see the humanity in one another, not the differences.”

Dr. Lifsey agrees.

“You must choose not to live in fear,” she says. “You have to be willing to go forth every day and live freely, because if you don’t, you are not really alive.”

Copyright © 2012 by the Intermountain Jewish News