Early morning, July 20 - shot rings out in Aurora Colorado

[deep]

this will be with us for sometime and should have its own thread

[anitram]

He looks like he's on meds...

[BoMac]

I found this interesting:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/op...&smid=tw-share

[U2Fanatic4ever]

Originally Posted by BoMac

I found this interesting:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/op...&smid=tw-share

yeah, that's a intriguing article.

[Liesje]

Did I read correctly that one of the victims was already involved in some sort of mall shooting somewhere else? Wow.

[digitize]

Originally Posted by Liesje

Did I read correctly that one of the victims was already involved in some sort of mall shooting somewhere else? Wow.

Yes, a woman named Jessica Ghawi (she wrote under the last name Redfield, it appears) survived the Toronto Eaton Centre shooting last month.

[Liesje]

That's just insane. What are the odds....

[MrsSpringsteen]

He must be medicated. Either that or he was putting on his best sleepy Joker mentally incompetent act as instructed by his lawyer and/or what he read on the internets in a scary darkened room. All the talking heads saying that he might not be competent to stand trial. He was competent enough to meticulously plan all of that, including boobytrapping his apartment. But now he isn't.

A guy from Maine was arrested today when he was speeding over 100 mph. He had a massive arsenal of weapons in his car and articles about Aurora and told them he went to Dark Knight Rises in Maine with a gun in his backpack. Then he was on his way to a former employer.

Yay I haven't been able to go see Dark Knight Rises or anything else and I don't know when I'll be able to. I don't let nuts like that control my life, and I believe if it's my time it's just my time. But I'm not looking forward to going to the movies and watching the emergency exits, and everyone else in the theater as well. It's not as if I've never thought of the lack of security there. But what was it that Christopher Nolan said, about it being a place of innocence and hope for him. That's what it was for me too.

[Jeannieco]

Interesting question. Are we going to see metal detectors now at the movies? I wouldn't be opposed to it.

It's way too easy for psychos to get a hold of weapons and guns made for warfare.

There's more of a background check for getting your drivers license. Why are gun fanatics opposed to this? ( background checks, passing a safety test) What's the problem?
Or putting controls on how many bullets or what type of bullets you can buy. What is the big freaking deal? This makes me so mad.

[deep]

Six-year-old Veronica Moser, was the youngest victim shot dead in the massacre.

Read more: James Holmes: 'Dark Knight massacre gunman' appears in court as prosecutors seek the death penalty | Mail Online

[BoMac]

Originally Posted by Jeannieco

Interesting question. Are we going to see metal detectors now at the movies? I wouldn't be opposed to it.

It's way too easy for psychos to get a hold of weapons and guns made for warfare.

There's more of a background check for getting your drivers license. Why are gun fanatics opposed to this? ( background checks, passing a safety test) What's the problem?
Or putting controls on how many bullets or what type of bullets you can buy. What is the big freaking deal? This makes me so mad.

Not saying I disagree with you, but playing Devil's advocate (a.k.a. deep) here, a background check would not have prevented the Aurora tragedy.

Making it more difficult to acquire high-powered assault rifles and equipment might have worked better.

But, truly, the gun culture is so (in my opinion) ingrained in U.S. culture, I don't know what can be done.

[cobl04]

Can someone here who is pro-guns explain to me in what kind of fucking situation would an ordinary citizen need an assault rifle?

[indra]

Originally Posted by cobl04

Can someone here who is pro-guns explain to me in what kind of fucking situation would an ordinary citizen need an assault rifle?

Ah sweetheart, you just don't don't understand. Americans aren't ordinary, we're extraordinary. That's why we need 'em!

[maycocksean]

There's a good article in the Disgusting thread that points out that, unfortunately, stricter gun laws are unlikely to prevent mass shootings like this one.

[Globo14]

Originally Posted by maycocksean

There's a good article in the Disgusting thread that points out that, unfortunately, stricter gun laws are unlikely to prevent mass shootings like this one.

Exactly. In my opinion, you can't stop a murderer from doing what he or she is going to do.

[Jeannieco]

Right, I see your points ( about the background checks not preventing the massare) but didn't this guy try to enroll in a gun club or something and the astute owner or manager noticed how odd his voice mail was and said no way and turned him away? So what if an interview much like a verbal test for school, was given for mental stability? But ofcourse there is always someone who will figure out how to fool people I guess. I don't know the answers... but what we have now is not working. At least put controls on purchasing bullets. I mean really... how many bullets do you need to shoot Bambi?

[cobl04]

Originally Posted by Globo14

Exactly. In my opinion, you can't stop a murderer from doing what he or she is going to do.

Originally Posted by maycocksean

There's a good article in the Disgusting thread that points out that, unfortunately, stricter gun laws are unlikely to prevent mass shootings like this one.

Neither of these are good reasons not to tighten gun laws.

[digitize]

Originally Posted by cobl04

Can someone here who is pro-guns explain to me in what kind of fucking situation would an ordinary citizen need an assault rifle?

So that we can invade the Federal Reserve's building in Washington when they refuse to end their evil dictatorship by keeping us on fiat money.

[notsomadLisa]

As I posted in the hugs thread, I personally knew of the people that were there. Unfortunately her boyfriend died in order to save her.

She's a friend of mine, and we went to the same school. Since it is a small school, it is certainly hitting home to a lot of us.

[Moonlit_Angel]

I'm so sorry . Sending along my condolances.

That boyfriend is a hero.

Originally Posted by MrsSpringsteen

A guy from Maine was arrested today when he was speeding over 100 mph. He had a massive arsenal of weapons in his car and articles about Aurora and told them he went to Dark Knight Rises in Maine with a gun in his backpack. Then he was on his way to a former employer.

Oh, how comforting . Fucking hell.

I've not had any plans to see this particular movie-I'm sure it's quite good and everything, I'm just not a huge superhero movie type of person. But to all who are going to future showings (or hell, who want to go to the theater, period)...stay safe.

Originally Posted by Jeannieco

Interesting question. Are we going to see metal detectors now at the movies? I wouldn't be opposed to it.

I don't know. Didn't seem to stop the guy at the Aurora theater, though. He was hanging out by the back exit at one point.

cobl, your question is mine. Apparently some people think they need to prepare for some big shootout with...someone soon. For something. They don't know what, but they want to be prepared, damnit! And second amendment rights, and stuff!

I don't get how someone is able to legally buy this crap. It's ESPECIALLY ironic that this guy could get a hold of so much ammunition in this post-9/11 climate legally without suspicion. Meanwhile, as Jon Stewart noted on his show tonight, 10 years on and we still can't bring bottles of shampoo onto an airplane. Something is horribly wrong with that picture somewhere.

As I said in the "Disgusted" thread, the most guns I think any civilian needs are a hunting rifle if they do that sort of thing, and a simple handgun, if they absolutely feel they need to have some sort of protection in their home. And that's it. There's no reason of any sort why anyone not in the military or law enforcement should need or want any other type of a gun.

No, we won't be able to stop every psycho out there from buying guns, but if less of them are available and less people have them, then there's going to be less mass shootings. And that sounds like a pretty good setup to me.