How does The Dark Knight Rises fit in the trilogy?

Tragedy, and the endless question of absolute freedom

There's a world of emotions that go through your mind when violence occurs.  One can't help but insert themselves in that moment and imagine what they would've done.  They question and judge the actions of parents that would've allowed their children go to a midnight showing of a summer blockbuster.  Judgement on the actions of a man in moment of crisis.  The criticism of  the violent lyrics and images that maraud our imagination.  We are drawn to these conversations in the aftermath of a tragedy.  Honesty is not an American virtue, well it hasn't been for a long time so let's not stumble through that argument.  Let's be honest with each other now and say that we are not just drawn to the conversation but to the action.  Art and Reality confronted each other early Thursday morning in Aurora, Colorado.  The very root of it is the human condition.  Albeit, one sick individual who I will not pretend to know what his true agenda, or inspiration perpetrated these acts of violence. This wasn't a mankind action, we haven't gotten their yet, but we get damn close in declarations of war and the knowing and inevitable murder of families from across the globe. Then the celebration of these acts consciously and indirectly. Now the line up of psychologists, and commentator types will be giving you their opinion. The twittersphere, blogosphere, Facebook Copy & Paste-sphere will all weigh in with some borrowed phrase on what should happen to this man, what "I" would've done, and what should happen to the gun laws or the movies.   I don't write these thoughts down as a recommendation for change in anyway.  I'm not so bold, or wise for that matter.  What I do say is that we consider what is on the table here.  We have the freedom to feel and share how we feel openly here in America.  We have the right to watch the art of violence unfold in high definition and 3D if you so choose... We have the right to arm ourselves, and currently we have the right to arm ourselves like this guy--like we are ready for war.  All of that is freedom, and to limit that would be an abasement to our freedom. I know people will say guns don't kill people, nor does art.  Art influences the mind and plays to our emotions both in the beauty and and the horror.  I love art.  I love the movies.  I loved this movie.  Anyone that watched Nolan's epic trilogy realizes that it is not a glorification of violence but an ode to the human spirit.  A glorification, if you will, of an ordinary citizen giving everything for the common good.  The scary thing is that this personification of evil--and I will never say his name nor watch the monetization of his name in the 24 hour news cycles and printed words to come-- had access to weapons that he had the right to.  This lost soul was an ordinary citizen that acted and had the tools and resources to take not just one life but the lives of many.  The holes that are left in these families are permanent.  Nothing that happens to this soulless coward will ever change the void and the ripple effect.  How we as a society move forward is the only way we progress as a species.  We can either arm ourselves even more, or have a real conversation on what are the limits or should we have them? In the end I know that you can't kill someone with a movie.  I know that Christopher Nolan is carrying some of the weight here.  That is unfair.  I again, don't write this to defend Nolan or anyone for that matter.  I write this as a question about society.  A society that fails to act but quickly boasts what "they would've done".  I love America, and I love freedom.  I don't think it's out-of-bounds to say that when we were given the right to bear arms our forefathers didn't envision the world we have today.  Now you will question my patriotism for using my right to free-speech.