A couple of thoughts on this: Colorado is the most armed state per capita and many people concealed carry. If that didn't change this event, what kind of concealed carry numbers would? Is the ubiquitous nature of firearms in this state playing a role in now two national tragedies in 10 years involving killing sprees? Being a concealed carry state and the most armed state seems to be doing nothing to lower the odds, given Colorado's relatively small population. These are events stemming from cultural problems and disturbed individuals. I don't think there is necessarily a gun policy to prevent this stuff, and only serves political purposes to try and hammer these incidents as evidence of anything (not saying you are).
I live one mile from the University of Denver, which is right on I-25. Aurora is on the other side of I-25. I'm very close, could easily bike over. In Eastern and South Denver, one wanders into Aurora without even knowing it all the time. Aurora is actually a pretty big area spatially, and borders Buckley AFB.
i've already heard questions on tv as to whether we should force people to not dress in costumes for large public events (since i guess this made to hard to identify the asshole), whether movie theaters should have armed guards, and whether the batman movie encouraged this by glorifying "super villains." Can't crazy people just do crazy things anymore without there being some hidden motive caused by society? and can anyopne seriously argue this type of thing is preventable? what stopped him from just going to the mall or any other venue with a lot of people?
There is a large Regal theater on the other side of Colorado Blvd from campus that is my preferred theater. I never go to Cherry Creek. I'm too poor East Tennessean to belong there!
Governor of Colorado and Aurora Police Department holding a live presser right now. Holmes will be in court at 8:30 Monday morning.
and i'd only do that to prevent copy cats. This is a horrible situation, but a guy with an ak can do serious damage at an awful lot of venues.
Good to hear from you. I know that it was extremely remote, but I was concerned. Execution is too kind.
I sound like my grandfathers would have, but teaching accountability and responsibility is a lost art. It permeates our society starting from birth and reinforced in our schools- not by choice of the teachers and/or principals. A kid misbehaves, not his fault because his learning disability in math calculation caused him to call his nationally recognized US History teacher a mother f u c k e r just prior to throwing his desk across the room. Can't punish him. I am on record as saying that I support teacher accountability, but the method of using a single test score on 1 day of a 180 day school year is asinine. Principals are pressured by system, state, and federal administrators to make the grade as it relates to standardized test scores. Kids aren't being taught the test (yes I meant to say that as that is what education has become out of necessity due to the system. If you don't, you won't be employed long) if they are being taught accountability and consequences by having discipline applied. As a result, they get a lecture from the principal that they do not hear a single word of and return to class. The only thing they learn from the ordeal is their belief that consequences do not exist is ingrained deeper than a wood tick on a dog. Add to that the fact that too many parents aren't involved in their kids' lives enough. Many reasons for this. Could be both parents working 2 jobs just to survive or the parents just don't give a shit. Too many are simply not being taught how to be a resplnsible contributing member of society.
There is a lot of truth to this, and the fact that even if there were armed individuals in the area, they might have been unable to intervene, or simply didn't have the desire. The attack could have been too fast, they may have simply been more occupied trying to keep their family safe, or they could have panicked. Simply having the ability present doesn't always translate to action. Especially in an ambush. More guns in the area just doesn't translate to action. Just too much self preservation in human nature. Hell, I probably wouldn't have tried to lone ranger it, and I'm usually armed. My concern would have been keeping my family on the ground and covered up.
1. Did this incident involve a legal firearm? 2. Is it legal to carry a gun in a movie theater in Colorado?