I’m sure we all remember the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado.

he night that The Dark Knight Rises premiered, James Holmes entered a sold out theater, armed with as much ammunition as he could carry, guns, and tear gas. He 12 and injured 70 people. His trial, by the way, begins on Monday. We dearly hope that justice will be served.

It is interesting how many people pursue many paths to justice and fairness. The district attorney trying the case in Colorado will be seeking the death penalty. Some families have started a campaign to rob mass murderers of their notoriety in the news, insisting that the murdered innocents should have their names elevated instead.

Others, however, choose to take advantage of this tragedy. Others see guns as the problem in this country, and attacked the gun industry. Some of the families of victims from the Aurora shooting sued BTP Arms, Sportsman Guide, and BulkAmmo.com were all sued by some of the families of Aurora victims. The lawsuit was encouraged by The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. The lawsuit was thrown out by a judge, who concluded that the plaintiffs did not make a compelling case AND that the gun and ammo distributors were protected by state statute. Now, the defendants (the gun and ammo distributors) are asking for compensation for lawyers’ fees in the case. There’s a good chance that the families of the victims will have to pay approximately $250,000 to the gun companies.

There’s also a good chance that the Brady campaign won’t reach into its deep pockets to aid relief to the families. They will take advantage of a tragedy, but I’d be willing to bet they won’t be there to support the families now that they’ve lost their ridiculous lawsuit.

Tragedies demand our attention. They demand our conversation: frank, honest conversation about the causes of that tragedy. Frivolous, politically-motivated lawsuits are NOT the forum for that conversation. Nor will they ever be.

This story should remind us that we shouldn’t take advantage of tragedies. We should help victims grieve, but we should not encourage them to act rashly. Instead of finding a way to be the victim, we should find a way to change the world around us. Frivolous lawsuits aren’t the way to do that.
More guns equals less crime: that’s a world-changing idea that we should all get behind. Go out and buy yourself a gun! You’ve been listening to Come and Talk It!, with Michael Cargill.