Last night inside "a very darkened theatre" in Denver Colorado 14 people were killed and 71 people injured during the midnight premiere of Batman, The Dark Knight Rises. The movie had barely begun before James Holmes, a 24-year-old-man wearing a gas mask and in possession of a rifle and handgun was arrested for the death and injuries he inflicted on the movie going audience.
Police chief Dan Oates admitted to the media that the Holmes also had made mention of explosives stored at his home and they had evacuated the area. Some of us like to believe that watching Batman and Superman get the job done right, is lifting, not only because because of their super powers, but because of their belief in justice and truth for all.
Have our fantasies been broken once again this morning?
Batman apparently has no superpowers and gets the job done.
Holmes entered the movie theatre with a shotgun and a bulletproof west, and nobody suspected anything? He gained entrance by kicking in an emergency door - and no one heard that? Or if the door had been open why didn't anyone notice?
Batman is a great detective and convinces others to do the same to fight crime.
In theory to some of the American public, all the moviegoers should have been armed as well, and opened fire on the gunman at the first sign of trouble. Let's not even go close to the argument that if everyone had been armed with a gun; things would have been better. If the people in the theater had been armed, there would have been even more panic and confusion and the death toll would have been higher.
Batman does not follow the rules and uses fear in his enemies as a weapon.
A three month old at University Hospital is the youngest victim and it's incredible how many people are in denial about the relationship between gun culture, free gun availability, and killing sprees. Imagine the fear Holmes has inflicted on others for the rest of their lives.
Batman has some cool stuff like a car, and some cool gadgets.
Between this incident, the Tucson shooting and the fact that over 2,000 guns cross into Mexico each day to fuel the drug wars in that country; there needs to be a renewed discussion about gun control in this country.
How did this obviously deranged man get a gun, and please explain how weapons are a benefit to society? Come on America; it's time to give this crap up! Guns are not cool!
Batman is a millionaire in real life and really hates violence
The gun did not put the thought of mass murder into that mans head. The gun as a tool enabled Holmes to efficiently execute his plan.
The Solution?
The right to sue the guns and ammo industry!
Batman has some attractive women around him like Catwoman and sometimes admires their words.
Just another result of a society steeped in physical violence, verbal violence, and the culmination of hate, suspicion and doubt in this country. Michele Bachmann received the most tepid rebuke ever from fellow right wingers for her insane accusation of a "Muslim Brotherhood" sleeper cell in the State Department. I believe in freedom of speech, but hate speech should be swiftly dealt with.
In an eerie twist Jessica Ghawi/Jessica Redfield, an aspiring sportscaster who just missed being shot herself at the Toronto Eaton Centre in June was one of the twelve people killed at the Denver Theatre last night. Ghawi had written a blog post about surviving the shooting in Toronto, in which two people were killed and six others were injured.
Batman fights evil for the good of Gotham.
People can't own hand guns in many places in the world, but this nonsense continues to occur time after time in the U.S. because anyone can buy a gun.
Stock footage of the funerals and aftermath should now be available as there are too many nuts with easy access to guns. If guns had been illegal his only weapon last night would have been a knife. He might have stabbed only a few before he was caught, but instead 14 are dead and 71 wounded because of the capabilities of his weapon, not himself.
"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
"We impose meaning on the chaos of our lives. We create form, morality, and order. It's a choice we have to make every second of every minute of every day."
Batman
Linda Seccaspina
Photos from Google Image.
Linda is off for the summer but this had to be said.
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Comments
r.
Marsha. and many will argue with you
Jon... that is is
Sheila.. I cannot even imagine the bloodbath it could have been
Little Kate- I so agree
Surazeus- I was going to put that here actually as it crossed my mind a hundred times. Im trying not to think that once again Limbaugh was a cause of anger. He is just as well as detriment to society as guns.
Gun toting is more male macho B.S. and it's horrific when it gets to the point of this event. Not surprisingly the only attractive heroes who are entertainingly violent are those who live only on a screen. The ones in real life are always repulsive.
The US is emotionally and socially retarded in many ways.
Leave those guns on the screen.
DandyLion_ That too had me confused.
Zanelle:I hate hearing about gun anything.. Yesterday local police in a US town thought they had the man they were looking for at a private home and shot him. Ahh wrong house.
Surazeus- This was nothing but a tragedy all around
sweetfeet- NRA, Beck, the list goes on.. I am so anti gun and that is why I had to do this. I do have friends with other thoughts but I respect them but we both know how each other feels.
People lost their lives last night because of craziness and it has to stop before more families lose their loved ones.
-r-
(snugs)
Agree. But the NRA and its beholden congress always has a rationalization. That is why nothing much is said by anyone about the gun problem. Including the president.
xoxo as always,
~J
Guns need more regulation or you will have sharp shooters everywhere soon. I agree one person should not be compared to millions of others, that is for sure.
Canada is not much better this week with a block party that 50 people were injured and two people shot. The shooter was apprehended within 24 hours and the guns came across the river from Buffalo.
I sometimes point fingers but for the love of God something has to be done here.
Both parties are chicken when it comes to the NRA. I would love to see a politician running for office actually do what's right. Assault rifles/weapons, multi-shot repeaters, and the sale of multiple guns to the same person at the same time (who will then sell them in the parking lot for 3X the original price) has to be outlawed. Open carry is asking for trouble. Just as Travon Martin. Oh right.
Two policies have to be addressed to save this country from itself - campaign finance and gun control. Re gun control...this week, lots of talk. Next week, it will all be forgotten.
Start saving the footage
Christine.. Ironic how the lady from the Toronto shootings got shot last night. My son said_ Final Destination (movie)
Interesting it's come back to Constitutional amendments, in this thread. Free speech = hate speech ; Hate speech = free speech, & your own quote :
"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
This guy's idea of happiness was to blow away people in a theatre.
My understanding of happiness is it's not something you pursue, like a hunter pursues a deer ; more it's a given, if you're good, & deserving.
Great piece, Linda. I like the way you tied it together.
...and I was just telling Youngest at dinner last night all the reasons why I wouldn't let him go to the midnight showing of Dark Knight with a friend last night....Husband's gone, I was so tired, he almost wore me down...
Not that we're in Colorado, but who knew?
Excellent post, Linda.
Ai yi yi.
Those poor families.
CCDarling..funny isnt it.How we forget and those who got injured never will and those that got killed are forgotten
Just thinking.. no one will ever back down in their thinking but you're right.. It could have been one of my sons. Seriously..
Sam: I don't back down from anything.. You like guns I don't and we will never agree. Sad to say its as simple as that.
You just disagree.
Linda not candid, not sincere?
Ha.
JTBack to chaos.. I could use some help here..:) Hard Labour everywhere..:)
So many unstable people with too easy access to firearms.
The guy's booking photo smile reminds me of Loughner's.
The shooting seems to be getting worse,and Life has become so insecure that we canthank God for each day we stay alive.
I like your comment and want to invest hope into it.
"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
~r~
Also, it should be pointed out, before the feast of familiar gets too heavy, that most of the gun owners in this fast declining country are hunters--and have nothing whatsoever to do with this country's fast decline. If you took hunting out of the mix in most small towns in the Northern and Western states, things would be far grimmer economically even than they are at present. And look at who keeps winning elections in those areas and those states...look at Wisconsin and Michigan. So...this is not so smart as it pretends.
I agree Heidi
Chicken Maan.. There are more and more each day of these pervasive ignorant, fearful people with illegal guns in their hands. 70% of Oakland crimes are done with stolen guns. The gun used this week in Toronto with stolen guns. How was this man allowed to buy 3 guns? There has to be some sort of tighter laws.
Dr William Lee- I understand hunting as it is a necessity for some.. But owning multiple guns is not. Like I said I respect gun owners opinions but I have mine too.
Lezlie
Lezlie: I personally think its the hyped up media on some fronts that gets people going and then possessing one too many firearms.. Jessica Refield who I wrote about in my blog that was killed last night in the theatre and narrowly missed being killed in the Toronto Eaton Centre last month. She is a good friend of my sons secretary. Another young life lost to guns.
Linda: I loved this. You're right about one thing: The Caped Crusader is basically not pro-violent behavior, and simply wants justice done--with panache, and cleverly.
Trouble is, every villain in each storyline is malevolence personified, and each has the ability to slaughter many innocent people, and generally has super powers of some kind via technological advances most of us would never dare dream up. This then shows up on screen as gratuitous, sensationalized violence, something kids then tend to play at.
Back in the 60's nothing looked, sounded nor reverberated in so real a fashion as it does now, with advances in theatre technology. It all SEEMED unreal, looked fake, and so was thought of naturally as being unreal. We could fake it ourselves in response, pretending we were on TV or in a movie.
I keep getting a feeling that we've forgotten it isn't always justified to make screen violence so seemingly REAL. Especially where young kids are concerned.
Rated
Go figure..
Kevin I am too.. I came out of summer hiding for this
RATED WITH LOVE, NOT HATE
BAN GUITAR HERO
**hug** Rated!
This and the shooting in Scarborough in one week .... enough. See you in the fall, Linda.
Rated!!!!
Have a wonderful summer.
Andrea