Apologies for my site the past couple of days; it seems to be having a major temper tantrum. I’m working to resolve the problem.

On July 28, there will be an event at the Edge Ice Arena (in Littleton) to honor Jessica Ghawi. For more information, here is the facebook page, and the MHH post that informed me of it. There is also a scholarship fund being set up in Jessica’s name (presumably for aspiring female sports writers). The goal of $20,000 has already been surpassed, but if you feel inclined to donate, please do so.

The Colorado Avalanche have yet to announce how they will honor Jessica and the other victims, though I am imagining it will come some time during the beginning of the season. Other teams in the area have also paid their respects. During one of the Colorado Rockies (MLB) home games, they held a moment of silence for all of those affected by the tragedy. They also put the names of the 12 dead on the big screen. Most impressive, however, was the Denver Broncos (NFL) decision to visit all of the hospitals and reach out to patients, and the healthcare providers in person. Lead by Peyton Manning, a rather large contingent of players spent the day speaking with patients, and giving thanks to the doctors and nurses who have done so much since the shooting occured.

The best pictures of Peyton Manning involve him pointing and making a speech. Photo: Tennessee Journalist/Flickr.

Yesterday, Alexis Boucher wrote about Jessica Ghawi on Intermission Report. Jessica, who wrote under the name of Jessica Redfield, was killed in the shooting at the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. She was attending the midnight premiere of the newest addition to the Batman franchise, The Dark Knight Rises, when her life was senselessly taken.

Jessica was an aspiring sports reporter, and she was known by many in the Colorado hockey media community. Adrian Dater of the Denver Post was hit especially hard by the news, and wrote a small tribute to his friend here. Mile High Hockey also posted a remembrance post. She worked in an internship capacity for the You Can Play Project, and the official twitter feed of the group tweeted: Our staff is despondent today over the loss of our intern Jessica Redfield. We will miss her intelligence, kindness, and work ethic greatly.

I did not know Jessica Ghawi. I read one post from her blog (I remember being amused in August, when it showed up on my Tumblr dashboard. Titled “I Like My Hockey How I Like My Men,” I recall thinking that she was the type of fan I wanted to be friends with.) Yet, I feel a sense of profound loss with her death. She was smart, beloved already in her short tenure in the Denver sports media community, and she had so much ahead of her. In Jessica, I see a kindred spirit. I see a girl who was just beginning to blossom into the beautiful flower she would become. Her death, and the deaths of the other 11 people all register as a jarring tragedy, an unexpected blow.

John Burroughs put it best when he said:

“I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see. “

One can never determine when life will end, only that the end will come far too soon.

In the coming days, much will be made about the man who caused the massacre. Many will try to figure out what caused this man to initiate such an inhumane act. People who knew the murderer will come out of the woodwork, claiming that they always “knew something was off about that guy”. While we may feel pity for the person who felt that mass murder was an acceptable activity, it is our social responsibility to take the story back to the victims, those who suffered. For once, let us remember the names of the victims. Do not let this man join the ranks of Jack the Ripper, the Zodiac Killer, Timothy McVeigh, killers whose names have outlasted those they harmed.

Jessica Ghawi. If one name sticks in your mind from this entire affair, let it be hers.

I’m not sure who to give credit for this picture. It was used on several blogs, including Adrian Dater’s, and it was also shown by several local news channels. Suffice to say, I have absolutely no ownership in this picture. If you do, and want credit, please contact me.