12 dead, 58 injured in Colorado at midnight showing of Dark Knight

It would have helped our morbid, voyeuristic curiosity over events like this. (and I'm including myself in 'our').

 

Well, for one, the camera would've unblinkingly captured what exactly went down in that theater so police aren't relying solely on statements from traumatized eyewitnesses. Maybe it picks up some other details -- possibly the presence of an accomplice, the path the guy took, any other information that could be helpful in getting a conviction and eliminating any wiggle room of which this guy's lawyer might try to take advantage.

 

Speaking of theaters and their exits ... will this cause any of us to go to a theater and now scope out the best exit in case trouble starts? Or try and sit near an exit?

 

No.

 

I go to movies about once every other year, but when I go, I do scope out the exit configurations. Not particularly out of fear for my life or anything but only in the interests of possible bathroom break strategies.

I can usually hold on for two hours, but you start chugging away on one of those icy Coke Zeros, and the clock starts ticking.

 

Not expensive. But how the hell you going to find one from midnight to 2 a.m. Again, this is a worthless argument.

 

In the summertime? BFD. Of all the issues this shooting raises, this is one of the least important. This guy could have walked into a Saturday matinee. The timing isn't the point.

 

... and only because whoever took it was dumb enough to put it on YouTube instead of waiting for the highest bidder among the cable networks.

 

I don't even go to theaters anymore. I wait for the blu ray to come out, put it in the player and watch it on my wide screen TV with surround sound.

 

Jumping back a bit.

What 'system' for this? If the guy never has been arrested or convicted of anything, is it fair to anyone with a mental illness to be tracked as having such? What if the DMV said "Oops, mental illness. You can have a permit but you must have a licensed adult with you at all times, like when you were 15."

There are varying degrees of mental illness. Not all of them are psycho delusional nutjobs like this one. According to the "Nightline" report I saw, it sounds like he was picked on, a loner, "a quiet kid" and then it all crashed around him in Aurora. Reminded me of the song "Jeremy."

But should all people of any degree of mental illness be tracked and have federal government records indicating such? I'd argue, strenuously, they should not, and at any time. It's wrong.

What might be next? Terminal illnesses? "Guy has terminal cancer, we can't sell him a gun. He might go shoot someone because he's mad."

 

I was just pointing out the limitations of restricting guns from those who are mentally ill. From my understanding, the background checks vary by state because there isn't a national standard for defining the mentally ill.