Over the last few days we have seen and been reminded of two massacres. Last weekend Norway remembered the first anniversary of the 77 victims of a bomb and gun shooting. During a brief television clip a young Norwegian man said that this tragedy hadn't changed Norway's commitment to an open and transparent society, if anything it had made Norway stronger. And in a wreath-laying ceremony at the bomb site, the Norwegian Prime Minister said the perpetrator Anders Breivik had failed in his declared goal of destroying Norway's commitment to being an inclusive, multicultural society. Earlier this week, President Obama having visited with the survivors and families of the Colorado cinema killings promised that their strength and courage will long outlive the deeds of the shooter. He said, "The perpetrator of this evil act has received a lot of attention over the past couple of days," "What will be remembered are the good people impacted by this tragedy." A moving message to a country in shock. Yet America has witnessed an upsurge in people rushing out to buy guns after this massacre, many convinced that they need guns for their own protection. Different kinds of terror lead to different reactions but such tragic incidents also say something about how individuals and nations choose to react and remember.