Shooting at TDKR in Colorado

[Progmetty]

Are we comparing the importance of discussing a piece of shit movie to talking about the loss of innocent lives? Be them related or unrelated to us, they are us.

[Kosmo]

Why are more people talking about this than the actual movie?

I really don't see what the mystery here is.. It doesn't make it any less tragic that people on this board weren't involved, just because I live far from where this happened doesn't mean that it didn't have any impact on me, even if it was only on a mental level. This event made the rest of the day feel pretty bleak for me.

These sort of things make people think so is it any wonder that we like to discuss it?

[theseoafs]

Is empathy really such a mystery?

Jaffa, you just won about 30 points.

I don't see a lot of empathy in this thread.

I know it was mentioned in the other thread, but this is just plain sad.

Saw it on reddit.  I was pretty speechless.  Its just terrible.

The whole thing is terrible.  Read that an infant was among the injured.  I don't know what happens in somebody's head to make them do that.  The premeditation of things like this is what strikes me the most, the thought and the planning that go into it.  Absolutely tragic.

This is so horrible. How can somebody do something like that? I can't wrap  my head around it. This hits so close to home for everybody. It could happen anywhere. Wow is it sad and terrifying at the same time.

This is really sad.  Hope all the wounded make it through. 

Terrible news. My heart goes out to the victims and the families.

Hey guys, politics has a separate area to be discussed. Be respectful to this particularly sensitive topic.

I don't know what to say about this, other than that it's a tragedy.

Absolutely terrible. It's equally disgusting to know that many people will be exploiting these peoples' deaths to push their own political agendas.

Those are just a few examples (and I omitted many examples of anger at the perpetrator/news outlets, which are also technically empathy).

[kirbywelch92]

While it certainly isn't the main reason people are making a big deal out of it, this is one of only a dozen movie theater shootings in US history, and it's also the largest. I've never thought that people shooting up a theater mid-movie would be a reality, but now it is. It's a big deal because all mass shootings are a big deal, plain and simple.

[ReaPsTA]

While it certainly isn't the main reason people are making a big deal out of it, this is one of only a dozen movie theater shootings in US history, and it's also the largest.

That's actually interesting.

Those are just a few examples (and I omitted many examples of anger at the perpetrator/news outlets, which are also technically empathy).

I think that, with all those posts to some degree, the point of the post is for the poster to say "See everyone, I have the right opinion about this issue and it makes me sad."  I don't understand this impulse.

Actually, I do, because I needlessly posted in this thread to criticize it.  I needed to validate my own sense of being smart.  Instead I should go out and do something that tests my wits.

And I'm done psychoanalyzing things in this thread.  Apologies for being that annoying guy who ruin's everyone else's discussion.

[theseoafs]

Actually, I do, because I needlessly posted in this thread to criticize it.  I needed to validate my own sense of being smart.  Instead I should go out and do something that tests my wits.

 

[reneranucci]

Why do you care if there is more people discussing one thing or the other? how does that affect you, and why do you question that it affects other people? the movie has its separate thread, much larger than this one, and I don't see what's wrong with commenting the shooting, or why it would be better if more people were discussing the movie. You say people who feel empathy for real people's suffering don't have any connection with the victims whatsoever, but you surely feel a deeper and more valuable connection with a superhero film, right? The film is worth commenting, but nobody should dare say a word about a mass killing, right? Your questionings don't make any sense, and I hope you acknowledge that.

Personally, I haven't seen the movie and I don't know if I'll watch it, but I heard about the shooting on Friday morning and was shocked. Honestly, I can't relate deeply to the pain of the victims and their families and friends (although I wish they can find some consolation), but the thought of someone coldly planning killing innocent people that just happened to be watching a movie is horrifying.

[cookienut]

Taking the shooting into account here from Australia. When we had the Port Arthur massacre, the government of the day brought in some pretty tough gun laws to try and minimize these sorts of incidents happening again. They used a gun buy back scheme. Worked really well. Granted, you'll never get control of weaponry of any kind and there are still idiots out there. I seriously believe you need to take such ridiculous weaponry out of circulation. The fact there are 100s of millions of guns in th US alone would be it would take a generation to curtail the numbers.

It baffles me that time and time again, mass shootings occur on a menacing regular basis in a modern western country and yet neither side of politics have done anything about it...apologies for that bit being here and not in the political forum.

I just hope and pray that I never have to read or hear about stuff like this ever again. Makes me one sad panda.

[CrimsonSunrise]

I seriously believe you need to take such ridiculous weaponry out of circulation. The fact there are 100s of millions of guns in the US alone would be it would take a generation to curtail the numbers.

I'm a firm believer in my 2nd amendment rights. You're right though, this discussion should probably be in the Political section.

[Tick]

Tick, I'll be very offended if you wear that shirt. I hope you respect my feelings during this difficult time. Thank you.

I know your kidding, but honestly, I would not feel comfortable wearing it right now. Maybe that's stupid, but I will let some time pass.
It is a really cool shirt. I don't know if it would offend anyone, but I wouldn't want someone to think I am wearing it to get a rise. Once again, it may be stupid but that's how I feel.

[BlobVanDam]

Tick, I'll be very offended if you wear that shirt. I hope you respect my feelings during this difficult time. Thank you.

I know your kidding, but honestly, I would not feel comfortable wearing it right now. Maybe that's stupid, but I will let some time pass.
It is a really cool shirt. I don't know if it would offend anyone, but I wouldn't want someone to think I am wearing it to get a rise. Once again, it may be stupid but that's how I feel.

It's not stupid. Even if it wouldn't offend anyone, your motivation is respect, which is as good a reason as any.

[Super Dude]

Turns out there was a guy at the Linkin Park forum I frequent who was at the show that night, a genuine witness to the event. Luckily he's ok.

[unklejman]

Yeah, one of my good friend's coworkers was there. He was shot in the arm and foot. Last I heard he was surgery, but that was Friday, and I haven't talked to my friend since. 

[Scorpion]

Just read this, and I have to see that I am actually apalled how little this shocks me. Don't get me wrong, what happened is terrible and everyone affected has my sympathy, but I wasn't even shocked or anything about this.

[Elite]

Well, it's far away and all that, but considering that according to our media over in Europe this kind of stuff happens 'all the time' over 'there, in America', I couldn't really say I was exactly surprised that it happened again either. Nevertheless, I really do find it shocking that this kind of stuff happens, regardless of where it happened or whatever the motives.

Just imagine yourself, going to the movies and someone decide to fire a couple of guns in the theater. Not exactly what you'd call a nice evening out, is it?

[senecadawg2]

I'm sick of the media. All they can talk about is how crazy the gunman is. Sure he is crazy, but...

How many times does this have to happen before Americans ask the question, what are we doing wrong? The news should be reporting on that. Investigating what it is about our fucked up society that makes people go out and shoot each other?

Maybe if this was happening once a week? Maybe it would take more?

[Super Dude]

Ratings, ratings, and ratings.

[chknptpie]

Screw you Westboro Baptists

[Chino]

Screw you Westboro Baptists

I thought none of them actually showed...

[theseoafs]

Screw you Westboro Baptists

I thought none of them actually showed...

It's still being debated, I think.

They believe, naturally, that God sent the shooter.  blegjghsjghgsdhgas;dfja;slkdjf

[chknptpie]

I've seen one picture of them supposedly there... I think it was photoshopped though.

[theseoafs]

I've seen one picture of them supposedly there... I think it was photoshopped though.

This one?  Westboro released it saying it was an actual photo of the protest, but it's definitely shopped.

[Super Dude]

Who do they think they're fooling?

[Phoenix87x]

I remember when Westboro threatened to come to my University to protest a performance of Rent and about a couple thousand students lined to streets to meet them.

and they never showed up...

[Super Dude]

They came to my school to protest our drunken debauchery and our Jews. Just two guys showed up.

[bosk1]

How many times does this have to happen before Americans ask the question, what are we doing wrong? The news should be reporting on that. Investigating what it is about our fucked up society that makes people go out and shoot each other?

I'm not sure how this is somehow necessarily society's fault.  Since the beginning of time, people have done bad things because they are evil, insane, let their emotions or passions get the take over, or other bad motivations.  I don't think it is realistic to expect that to ever change.  I don't think that means that society is necessarily doing something "wrong."  And I don't think it is something that could ever be cured from society.  Why do you think that it is something about society that "makes people go out and shoot each other?" 

[El Barto]

Hell, if you listen to the Europeans here, this is a distinctly American phenomenon. 

[chrisbDTM]

the only thing that i think society does wrong, and this may be more the media's fault, is the notoriety these people get. Just like last summer when you couldn't turn on a tv without seeing Casey Anthony. this dude is gonna be everywhere. i think it's kinda cool that Obama and the victim's family members are refusing to use his name

[Cool Chris]

I will never speak out against 'innocent until proven guilty' but do we really have to refer to this guy as the shooting 'suspect?'

[theseoafs]

I will never speak out against 'innocent until proven guilty' but do we really have to refer to this guy as the shooting 'suspect?'

Some have suggested there's a racial element to the "suspect" thing, that the news is kinder as a whole to white criminals than to minority criminals.  I think the "suspect" is pretty ridiculous too; wasn't he found with a bunch of guns, calling himself the Joker?

[El Barto]

Best to set a policy and stick with it.  Call him and everybody else suspects until they're convicted. Deciding that some people are "clearly guilty" is exactly what causes the racial allegations that Those Oafs referred to. 

And yeah, if it's notoriety the kid was seeking, which appears to be the case, I'm cool with making sure that he gets none of it. 

[bosk1]

I saw something in the news this morning that bugged me that I wanted to throw out there for discussion.  Let's please not take this into a political debate about gun control, etc.  (although that may be impossible, but let's try)

The story was making a big deal out of the fact that he recently bought and stockpiled 6,000 rounds of ammunition.  My objection/question is:  Isn't this a red herring?  I mean, what does it have to do with this shooting whatsoever?

Again, let's not get into a Second Amendment/gun control debate in this thread.  Just take for granted a few facts:  Automatic weapons are illegal.  Period.  There is no debate here about whether or not he had automatic weapons that could actually cause more large scale destruction.  The gunman had no automatic weapons.  In the grand scheme of things, he didn't dump all that many rounds into the crowd.  And the vast, vast majority of that ammo was left at home. 

So why is the fact that he may have had 6,000 rounds of ammo stockpiled even part of the discussion?  I don't understand how that plays into this at all.

[Adami]

It sheds a bit of insight into the mentality.

For instance if he had grenades sitting around at home, that would speak to his mentality even if they weren't used.

[El Barto]

My hunch is that all that ammo was supposed to cause secondary casualties after his apartment went kaboom. 

[Implode]

the only thing that i think society does wrong, and this may be more the media's fault, is the notoriety these people get. Just like last summer when you couldn't turn on a tv without seeing Casey Anthony. this dude is gonna be everywhere. i think it's kinda cool that Obama and the victim's family members are refusing to use his name

This has been going around. Roger Ebert talking about an experience he had after Columbine:

Let me tell you a story. The day after Columbine, I was interviewed for the Tom Brokaw news program. The reporter had been assigned a theory and was seeking sound bites to support it. "Wouldn't you say," she asked, "that killings like this are influenced by violent movies?" No, I said, I wouldn't say that. "But what about 'Basketball Diaries'?" she asked. "Doesn't that have a scene of a boy walking into a school with a machine gun?" The obscure 1995 Leonardo Di Caprio movie did indeed have a brief fantasy scene of that nature, I said, but the movie failed at the box office (it grossed only $2.5 million), and it's unlikely the Columbine killers saw it.

The reporter looked disappointed, so I offered her my theory. "Events like this," I said, "if they are influenced by anything, are influenced by news programs like your own. When an unbalanced kid walks into a school and starts shooting, it becomes a major media event. Cable news drops ordinary programming and goes around the clock with it. The story is assigned a logo and a theme song; these two kids were packaged as the Trench Coat Mafia. The message is clear to other disturbed kids around the country: If I shoot up my school, I can be famous. The TV will talk about nothing else but me. Experts will try to figure out what I was thinking. The kids and teachers at school will see they shouldn't have messed with me. I'll go out in a blaze of glory."

In short, I said, events like Columbine are influenced far less by violent movies than by CNN, the NBC Nightly News and all the other news media, who glorify the killers in the guise of "explaining" them. I commended the policy at the Sun-Times, where our editor said the paper would no longer feature school killings on Page 1. The reporter thanked me and turned off the camera. Of course the interview was never used. They found plenty of talking heads to condemn violent movies, and everybody was happy.