My IGN is made of fans, fans who love games, movies, comics, film, and all other aspects of our culture. We're a community of, if not like-minded, then at least like-interested individuals who genuinely care enough about said interests to come together and discuss them. It's not a stretch, therefore, to assume that many of us were at midnight releases across the country, waiting in anticipation and excitement to see a movie that we've been talking about for well over a year. Like all midnight releases, I'm sure there was an energy at the theater filled with fans buzzing about plot predictions and their favorite Batman moments. It's a routine, a ritual we all know so well, making such tragedy hit fairly close to home for many of us who are part of that culture. It's one that I've personally called home growing up when my friends and I used to share Nintendo secrets before there were websites like IGN, and it's these people with whom I'd go wait in line at one of the few theaters within 20 miles of my Mississippi home.
It wold be impossible for me try to completely empathize with the terror those people felt in that theater, when their excitement turned to pure horror. It's unimaginable, and to try to say I completely understand would diminish the tragedy that the families of the deceased and the injured have undergone. My thoughts, as well as those of the larger community I'm sure, are with them. I just can't help but feel like this heinous act has stricken the fan community harder than the media will care to cover. I think a statement from fan favorite George Takei can sum up my feelings about the tragedy:
Many victims of today's tragedy were fans of science fiction/fantasy. They stood in line to be the first to see, to be inspired, and to escape. As a community of dreamers, we mourn this terrible tragedy and the senseless taking of innocent life. --George TakeiThere will be people who immediately politicize the issue. There will be people who immediately leap to the movie's defense. There will be people who immediately blame gaming culture for James Holmes' actions. And all these people will take focus away from the victims of one of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history and from the lasting effect this will have on the larger fan community. We can ponder the sources and issues later. We can wonder what this all means later. For now, we can reassure each other that the interests we share bring us together in a way that we can collectively mourn those lost while finding solace in our commonality.
My initial reaction was not to find solace in the community we've built. It was anger. Anger at Holmes, sure, but also anger at the fact that I could guess exactly how this media issue would play out. I knew, like you all did, that the culture we love would be attacked and the people harmed would be glossed over. I knew that while families sought prayers of comfort, people were already making sacrifices to god of media politics. But I was most angry at the fact that in a week or two, people will forget that all this happened. I could see it all, and it pissed me off. I felt like the community I love was targeted and victimized.
For as long as I can remember, I've been a fan of science fiction and fantasy. Maybe I don't know anyone in Aurora, but I damn sure know their interests, their passions, and their mindsets because so many of us were waiting in line for a shared experience. These were members of our community, and we all owe them our most solemn respects. All we can do now is keep the conversation going and continue to share in the culture we've grown to know and love.
My best to you all,
--David
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