**OPINION COLUMN: The views are those of the writer and only the writer.  But if you agree, please feel to share.

By John Bishop

Another senseless American tragedy.  At least one dozen were murdered watching a movie where senseless violence is one of the primary themes.

But the fault for what happened in theater 9 at Aurora, Colorado's Century 16 movie theater wasn't caused by the movie or the culture of violence portrayed in countless Hollywood productions.

Nor should fault be placed on the so-called American gun culture that leads to a "madness of unleashed guns" as breathlessly exclaimed by this knee-jerk column in The New Yorker.

Nor is a solution found in the endless number of Tweets, Facebook posts and message board trash offered by the internet illuminati suggesting that more concealed-carry laws would have prevented the mass casualties.

Friends, we must take a stand here.  But not just a stand against this kind of callous violence, but against the extremists who insist upon hijacking the issue and twisting it into their own narrative.  A narrative that leads to divisiveness, anger, hate and feeds the raw emotion of those who wish to do as James Holmes did in the early morning hours of July 20th.

The answer to Aurora isn't more guns or less guns.  It isn't censorship.  The answer is compassion.  Compassion for all.  Compassion for those who suffer in silence.  Compassion for those who are here physically but not "here" mentally.  Compassion for those who find no other way out than to shoot up a movie theater.

This isn't a gun issue it is a mental health issue.  It is no longer acceptable that we allow "troubled" individuals like James Holmes to continue to function in society without our help.  No doubt over the coming days we will piece together the twisted puzzle that led to this terrible event and no doubt we will all ask 'how wasn't anything done about this sooner?' 'how did this young man go untreated?'

Sadly, there is nothing that can be done about James Holmes or any of his victims.  But there is something that can be done for so many whose thoughts paralyze them - in both small and large degrees.

Please.  Please, America.  Let's attack the real issue here and not each other.  Let's put down the cries of "vigilante justice" and "gun bans" and pick up each other - especially those who suffer.

It's an issue of compassion.