The School Shooting in Connecticut

First off, this is a tragic event and I really am sorry for everyone that was affected by this in any other way other than the “OH!  The shock…” kind of thing.  And it must suck to be in that kind of position and I really am sorry and lucky that it doesn’t directly affect me.

When something like this happens I am always reminded of how few people actually try and make a situation less tense by laughing about it.  Yeah, more people laugh about it later on, but I kind of find a way to laugh about a few minutes after I hear about it or it happens to me.  I mean, when I fall down I just start laughing trying to imagine what my face must have been when I hit the ice, and that is for a) the benefit of everyone around me so that they know I am okay and b) for myself so I feel better.  Yeah, murder is a little harder but at the same time I kind of do the same thing.  I am sure that makes me sound like an awful person but in the car when my father was explaining to my little brother that the shooting happened at a elementary school and my brother asked “Did the guy go there?” I just had to respond with “Yes, the shooter was a fourth grader.”  That earned me a very stern look from my father.

In truth it sucks that these things happen but they happen and everyone going around moping about it doesn’t really help move forward.  I am not the only person to do this.  Who hasn’t joked about how Bush went after the wrong country for 9/11?  Who hasn’t mentioned that the Aurora shooter had died his hair to look like a red headed Joker?  Yeah, it may seem inappropriate.  It may seem insensitive but it is my way of grieving   In fact it makes sense.  When tragic things come up in a conversation nothing ends it faster than just leaving it to silence and acting awkward.

Of course, the comedic route isn’t always best.  If you are around someone that was directly affected it is not a good idea.  If you are around people that will take it the wrong way it is best to just leave it to silence sometimes.  Though other times you say something and count how many people give you the “Why the firetruck are you joking at a time like this?” look.  But some people really deal with these things exactly like I do.  They make jokes to ease the tension.  Sometimes the jokes come too quickly and sometimes they really sting but eventually the jokes will come out.  Society gets over these things with jokes.

I mean, there are Hitler jokes and he took out so many people, and if society can joke about that then eventually my jokes about these other things will be okay as well.  I think I just let them out a little too soon…