Jessica Redfield
by JAMILA RIZVI
Jessica Redfield was an aspiring sport reporter and blogger. She was raised in Texas, she had red hair and she loved hockey. She was self described as sassy and feisty and she loved social media.
Two days ago, she went to see a midnight screening of Hollywood blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises and along with 11 others, she was killed.
It’s hard to describe the feelings you have when you hear of a tragedy like this. There is something about the normality and the similarity of the lives of those who were killed and our own, which makes us feel it all the more. That sense of remoteness we associate with tragedy and death in war torn countries isn’t there.
It shouldn’t affect us any more or less but it does. Because a part of you thinks: that could have been me. I go to the movies. I order popcorn. I text my friends and change my Facebook status. I tweet that the movie should have started already…
We knew that Mamamia needed to cover this truly awful event. But how? We could use our platform to join the chorus for changes to gun control in the US – a cause we heartily believe in. We could speculate about what makes a murderer; is a killer born or are they raised? We could ask ourselves about the role social media has played in shaping the community’s reaction to what happened.
The youngest victim, 6 year old Veronica Moser who was killed at the theatre where she was watching the movie with her mother who was wounded in the massacre.
But it all seems like it’s not enough. Because our words can’t convey to you how it feels to be one of the survivors of that shooting and to be left living in fear. We couldn’t possibly contemplate what the friends and family of the victims are going through today.
But one person could have told you what it’s like to survive an event like this and that is Jessica Redfield. Although she lost her life two days ago, she astonishingly survived a shooting at a food court in Toronto, just months earlier.
At the time, she wrote in her blog about how it felt to get away, how it felt to be given another chance at life and why we should live every minute of life to its fullest.
Her words say more than any of ours could:
I was shown how fragile life was on Saturday. I saw the terror on bystanders’ faces. I saw the victims of a senseless crime. I saw lives change. I was reminded that we don’t know when or where our time on Earth will end. When or where we will breathe our last breath. For one man, it was in the middle of a busy food court on a Saturday evening.
I say all the time that every moment we have to live our life is a blessing. So often I have found myself taking it for granted. Every hug from a family member. Every laugh we share with friends. Even the times of solitude are all blessings. Every second of every day is a gift. After Saturday evening, I know I truly understand how blessed I am for each second I am given.
I feel like I am overreacting about what I experienced. But I can’t help but be thankful for whatever caused me to make the choices that I made that day. My mind keeps replaying what I saw over in my head. I hope the victims make a full recovery. I wish I could shake this odd feeling from my chest. The feeling that’s reminding me how blessed I am. The same feeling that made me leave the Eaton Center. The feeling that may have potentially saved my life.
Some of the victims of the Colorado shooting including Jessica Redfield.
RIP Jessica. And to the other 11 victims of this senseless tragedy:
Veronica Moser, 6
Gordon Cowden, 51
Matthew McQuinn, 27
Alex Sullivan, 27
Micayla Medejm 23
John Larimer, 27
Sgt. Jesse Childree, 29
Alexander J. Boik
Jonathan Blunk, 26
Rebecca Ann Wingo, 32
Alexander C. Teves, 24
[For parents, if your kids have heard or seen the news about Colorado or you think they'll hear about it at school tomorrow, take a quick look at this great post about how to explain tragedy to children: http://www.ivillage.com.au/age-by-age-guide-talking-kids-about-tragedy-and-the-batman-movie-theatre-shooting/150050]
Comments
98 Comments so far
Too sad. Even sadder is that it doesn’t shock me like it used to – in my lifetime there have been so many of them in the US:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/11/timeline-america-shootings
Since this was written we’ve had the Tucson shopping mall shooting in 2011.
Sad.
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Those poor people. I feel for all of them. Such an horrific event. RIP
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Oh, so sad. Every word of Jessica’s blog sent chills up my spine.
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Like Jamila, it has taken me a little while to reflect on this even and have a reaction other than shock. And disgust at American gun laws. Some have suggested that it is more than about the right to bear arms or not, and that the US constitution will never change because pro-gunners will be doing more than just bearing their arms if their right is threatened.
Clearly there is a culture of violence in the US, but what will change it? Are most Americans really so stubborn they can’t look at the bigger picture? The fact remains that the number of killings by shooting in the US is outrageous and disproportionate to that of any other country. James Holmes killed 12 people with an automatic weapon he obtained without any criminal background check, and no regulation whatsoever. He ordered 6000 rounds of ammo by mail. Again, there is no regulation for this in the US. Stop for a minute and take that in. 6000 rounds of ammunition. That alone is enough to make me sick to the stomach.
Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world. Yet they have comparatively very very few killings/mass shootings. Why? Because the laws about gun ownership are so strict. You cannot carry them loaded in public, you cannot obtain them in the mail, you cannot obtain them without a criminal record check and purchasing of arms is strictly regulated.
Yet in America you can walk in to a store and buy a gun almost as easily as you can buy a packet of cigarettes. And because of the lack of regulations, nearly 10,000 people were killed by gun shootings in the last year. 10,000 people. In Australia, that number is 39.
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper claims that Holmes was so intelligent he would have found a way to make guns or kill people in another way… well sorry Hickenlooper, but I call BS. Creating bombs or using another weapon would have had taken far more premeditation and meticulous planning than walking into the cinema at letting fire. With a gun, seconds is all it takes. It is time for US politicians to pull their heads out of the sand and take a stand for what is right.
RIP to all the victims of Aurora Colorado.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/bradycampaign
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While I agree with what you’re saying, the killer actually did meticulously plan and premeditate this crime. There was a bomb in his apartment, and evidence that he had been preparing for the day for a few months.
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I think what Lucinda was referring to was not this event in particular, but more the general emotional detachment of shooting someone. Having to physically go up to someone and stab them and pull it out and stab them again requires more ‘involvement’ for lack of a better word than pulling a trigger. I think that’s what Lucinda was getting at.
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That is true. I watched a video on ABC the other day about what the people who have performed mass shootings have in common, and one of the things was an obsession with weapons, specifically guns and bombs.
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This shooting, more so than any of the other in recent times has hit me so much than the others. I have actually felt really, tangible grief over the last few days for those poor people who lost their lives, simply because they chose to go and see a movie.
It’s such a senseless loss of life. One of the victims was a little girl who was 6. Six years old…. it’s just so unfair. What spurred on the young man to commit the shootings, we may never know. It certainly should be opening up the lines of discussion around the gun control laws in America. Something must change in regard to the accessibility of heavy duty automatic weapons in the US; otherwise events like this are going to keep continuing year after year.
I have shed tears over the last few days for the lives of the people that didn’t deserve to die. It has also given the term “live every day as your last” some real poignancy. You never know how long you have on this earth. Thinking about the grief of the families of the victims certainly puts life’s trivial issues into perspective.
May the victims rest in peace, the families of the deceased find some solace, and the coward that carried out these acts…. may he be tried to the full extent of the law.
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I was not a fan of Howard but I hugely respect what he did with regard to gun laws. He bought back half a million guns through the buy-back scheme and there has not been a single massacre in Australia (more than 5 people killed) since Port Arthur.
And admirable quote from John Howard in 2006:
“I did not want Australia to go down the American path. There are some things about America I admire and there are some things I don’t. And one of the things I don’t admire about America is their… slavish love of guns. [Guns are] evil.”
Having lived in the United States, these are the two main arguments I’ve come across:
1) ‘I want to be able to protect my family during a robbery or home invasion’
Studies have shown that even with good training, to be able to grab your weapon and shoot accurately is difficult. You are more likely to wake up with a gun in your face than wake up, find your gun and shoot the burglar.
2) ‘If more people were armed in the cinema, less people would’ve been killed.’
A cinema already filled with smoke due to gas cannisters, oh yes, what a great idea, more people shooting. I’m sure they’d be able to get a direct shot and kill the shooter even though he was wearing protective gear on much of his body and it was dark and there was chaos and people running everywhere. Yeah, that makes sense…not.
it really boggles my mind because I’d grown up all my life in a place where no one really suggests that it should be their “right” to own a gun. Since Port Arthur, Australia collectively said enough is enough and we really haven’t looked back. The thing about the NRA (National Rifle Association) here is that everybody talks about how powerful it is and the sway it holds over both the Democrats and the Republicans but it’s possible that everyone is just going on what they think is the case. The NRA may not be as powerful as it seems.
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I grew up* in a place where
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Yes I was definitely not a fan of Howard but what he did with the gun laws was extremely admirable.
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I agree about Howard. I am very proud of what he achieved. I read somewhere that Howard said that was one of the things he was most proud of during his time as PM.
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I would have to agree. I personally didn’t like him very much and thought some of his other policies were BS but the man has undoubtedly saved lives through his heroic removal of so many guns from the hands of the public.
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This issue is more complex than cries for gun control. Gun control is desperately needed in America – it is absurd he could buy such high powered guns legally – but America also needs to look at why gun violence is so prevalent when other countries that have a high portion of people with guns – like Switzerland – don’t have the same scale of gun tragedy. It is not just about the access to guns, but something about violent culture in general.
As the saying goes, guns don’t kill people, people kill people. And American people seem to like to kill more than people in other countries who have easy access to guns. I support gun control but that won’t solve everything.
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“guns don’t kill people, people kill people”
And in the words of the great Eddie Izzard, “I think the guns *help* – after all, you probably wouldn’t have much effect if you just stood there & yelled BANG!”
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After watching the Project last night where they interviewed an American NRA member I fear there is nothing that can be done to make the U.S. safe
He said if they tried to change gun laws the Colorado massacre would seem like nothing compared to what would happen then. Scary stuff!
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Are you kidding me? I didn’t watch but did he really says that it would seem like nothing if gun laws tried to be changed??
My head hurts just thinking about this response.
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This is just so unreal, when I first heard about it I thought/hoped it was a joke.. But it wasn’t and every time I hear or read about it I cry. I think it is so overwhelming as I cry before I even think of the victims and their families and then when I do it makes me sob – it’s so unfair that it happened and that it can’t ever be undone.
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Not that it is important in the scheme of things, but I am kind of surprise that MM did not put up a post about this over the weekend given the gravity of the attacks.
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Hi Anon
This one went up last night, so we did just catch the weekend! (I feel like the kid who crammed their homework and got it in right on deadline).
We are a small team and we don’t have a weekend staff – we usually have our weekend posts pre-planned so that we get a bit of time off.
We do try and respond as quickly as we can when big news breaks but we don’t have the resources of a big news site.
Also, I think it can be hard to know how to respond to a major tragedy like this one when we are about opinions.
I certainly didn’t feel like I had an opinion beyond feeling shocked and horrified for the first 24 hours after hearing what had happened. I needed a day of reflection to figure out how I felt before I could write about it.
Jamila
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I write a movie review blog, this ‘event’ has rocked me to my core. I also felt the need to post. I wrote this last night.
Today I went and watched The Dark Knight Rises for the second time, mainly because I wasn’t too sure about what I thought about the film and I wanted to give it an accurate review.
However, after recent events in Colorado the film has also become somewhat of an enigma now. When I was watching it today I realised which scene the guy would have walked in to the cinema and started what is to be the worst massacre in America.
It sent chills down my spine, I then thought about what it would have been like to have been there.
To me, going to the cinema is one of my most favourite things to do with my spare time. Hands down. I’m a 37 year old single woman, I work full time, run a business on the side and have recently started this blog. So although my life is not full of partners and children and the other stuff that goes with it, it is very full. Going to watch a movie is my down time, my me time.
Sometimes I go to the cinema with friends, but I often go alone. I have my little ritual where I take my Peppermint tea in my Tupperware cup (which seals completely -awesome) and usually a snack or I buy a choc top and I sit there for 2 hours plus, turn off from the world, escape and watch a film.
As of yesterday, that has now changed slightly. Don’t get me wrong, I am not scared that a masked lunatic will come and replicate what happened in Colorado.
I now stop and think about those poor people who were in that cinema.
You see, it was a midnight screening (which is the first public screening) of The Dark Knight Rises. The audience was full of hardcore fans of this genre. Some were apparently dressed up in costume. They were simple folk who made the effort to be the first to buy tickets to the film, generally sold a month or two before the screening. They were excited, there are news reports of tweets being sent before the session had started of people who were in the audience about their excitement.
Now 12 people are dead and 58 people are in critical condition, including children.
I’m not going to rave on about the gunman and what he did and what happened, we’ve all read about it over the weekend. I do not believe that this lunatic deserves even a millisecond of my thoughts, I do however feel sorry for his parents. Those poor people.
What I worry about is how many people will no longer go to the cinema. Children and adults who will now think twice before going. Ticket prices are already so expensive. I hope that this event does not become another reason to not go and see a film.
When I was a child my brother and I used to go to my Grandma’s home in San Souci for the school holidays. Every holidays she would make sure that we would always always go and see a film when we stayed with her, and we always looked forward to it. I distinctly remember her taking me to see Fantasia at the State Theatre in Sydney, I must have been about 7 years old. To a 7 year old that film was amazing, and even now as an adult I still love the State Theatre, it is magnificent. Even though my Grandma is no longer with us, it is a memory that I cherish. I guess the point I am trying to make is that going to the movies was always and still should be an event, something to look forward to.
Just take a moment and think about Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, and all of the other amazing actors as well as everyone else who would have worked on the film. They poured all of their creative talents into making an amazing film, which will now always be associated with what happened on Friday. Also take a moment to think about all the people who work in that cinema, who work there every day.
Now I worry that the simple act of going to the cinema has been tarnished, and may hurt the film industry. There was supposed to be a big red carpet event for the film in Paris over the weekend, it was cancelled. There are reports that security is now at cinemas all over America in case something else happens.
We already live in so much fear, and now this lunatic may have ruined one of life’s small pleasures.
Please don’t let it.
http://www.moviemadam.com
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You might enjoy this article that just went up on Pajiba – the role of film in our lives and how it can offer solace in our saddest moments. I found it really moving:
http://www.pajiba.com/think_pieces/the-dark-knight-rises-aurora-and-cinema-as-therapy.php
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Thank you MM for putting this post up, it’s such a wonderful piece that you guys have done. I’m really touched by Jessica and all the innocent people who have died. I just cant’ stop being upset by what happened.
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Having lived in the US for a year now, and having various conversations with American adults (including a very open-minded couple we went to dinner with last night, who struck me as much more Aussie than American in their beliefs), I can see there are so many reasons as to why these tragedies occur here.
Of course, gun laws are a no-brainer. Many Americans actively fight anything which will actually do them good, mostly because they are stubborn to change (prime example – the current Obamacare issue). Their right to bear arms as individuals somehow far outweighs the fact that everyone else then has the right to bear arms, some of whom are not mentally stable enough to do so. It seems to me that there are many who have blinkers on, and they do not want their own world to be affected by the control/laws of others.
Another issue, which I have banged on about on MM before, is the abysmal state of the health care system. There are mentally ill members of society who cannot access health care in its most basic form. The couple we went out with last night have a roommate who has been on a waiting list for access to a public health clinic, but recently got bumped off because ‘people sicker than her came along’. If you visit an ER without insurance and incur a debt (as you will do if you so much as breathe the air in there), you will get a black mark against your credit rating and a good chance you will never secure a loan in the future. Just for being sick. I know our mental health system is not great, but its much better than what they have here for people without money. Someone suffering a mental illness who has no access to treatment but access to a gun? Unfortunately, some of them feel they have no choice.
Since we arrived in the US, I have been taken aback (I’m not trying to judge, I’m trying to understand) at how conservative yet tunnel-visioned a lot of Americans I have encountered are. My gut tells me these tragedies aren’t going to stop. You would have to change the attitude of the majority for that to happen, and the formula they have works for them most of the time.
My heart goes out to the families of the 12. Whatever the reasons, there is no justification for senseless loss of life at the hands of another.
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Really well written. We have just recently moved to San Francisco and I am not impressed with the health care system here. And dont get me started on gun rights. There is an us Facebook site that I am subscribed to and some dickhead after Fridays shooting posted that these nutters give gun owners a bad name. My question is, why do Americans need to carry guns? To protect themselves from all the other idiots that have the right to carry guns. Seems pretty simple to me, remove the rights completely and there is no need to carry them.
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US Health care equation – to have health care you must have a job. If you have a serious illness (often mental) you cannot get a job. Therefore you cannot have health insurance and get treatment for your illness. It is a vicious cycle. For such a “liberated forward thinking country” I could not believe how only NOW is something like Obamacare coming in!
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The health care over in the US just flaws me and reminds me how lucky we are here. People complain about health care here, but at least you can get it without having to mortgage your home. I’ve worked in the public health system for years and have also been treated in it. We really don’t know how lucky we are.
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Floors not flaws (can’t edit again).
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I totally agree. I think we all take it for granted. My sister has had many a mishap with her two boys incl countless trips to emergency and her husband has recently had a work related injury. They are low income earners and they come to mind whenever the US health system is mentioned as I hate to think what position they would be in if not here. Health insurance here is getting more and more expensive by the year and i’m now at the stage where I am really wondering if it is worth it. does any one else feel the same about health insurance?
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I have recently turned 32 so I am *supposed* to be obtaining health insurance by now, but every time I look into it the cost blows me away.
I have loans to pay off and don’t earn enough yet that I have *spare* money after I pay my bills (i.e. not enough for shopping or holidays) but I am taxed more now because of not having it…
I understand that health insurance takes some of the burden off our health system – those who can afford to pay, should. But I don’t consider myself one of those people who can afford it, nor do I consider myself a burden to our system – as I don’t have any health problems (knock on wood).
So the tax rebate I don’t get goes towards the health system. That’s still cheaper than if I paid for insurance. I’m fine with that for now.
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Absolutely, I feel the same way. I have private health insurance and it seems that every few months I get a letter in the mail stating that the monthly rate is being increased. It has gotten to the point where I am wondering if it’s worth it, specially for someone like me who hardly ever uses it.
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I agree, I can’t believe the cost of ours these days – we’re both teachers and pay $840 a quarter and we rarely use it for anything (and that’s after the 30% rebate). And that’s through our teachers health fund that’s supposed to be cheap!
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I can’t believe I just bitched about the cost of health insurance when so many are dead. I can’t find where to delete my comment…. shame on me…
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I need private health insurance – I have a chronic illness and use it CONSTANTLY. If I didn’t have it I would be stuffed
I think they hate me haha, they’re losing money on me! It’s well worth the money for me, but I understand why the 99% of the time healthy people wouldn’t get it
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I’m in kind of the same boat. I’ve had major and expensive surgery and if my condition was to recur I would like to be able to pick the same surgeon again. Also I’ve had extras for ever. My oldest girl has needed glasses since little and we’ll be up for 2 sets of braces in the future.
The amount we pay shits me, but I’ve utilized it well.
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Listening to the radio this morning someone said about the second amendment that is was designed in mind for people to protect their land way back when it was written.
Times have changed. Laws do change. Laws are created as we evolve (social media laws anyone?)
Why cant this one?
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This incident just makes me so so sad. Reading that extract of Jessica’s blog just made me feel sick, she got away the first time and this time life was taken away from her. My heart goes out to all the families affected, they did not deserve to die like this.
It’s so worrying how easy it is to buy guns in the USA- the shooter just walked into a shop and bought them, legally! If the USA had gun laws as strict as ours, maybe there would be less tragic incidents like this.
Question- was the last massacre in Aus the Port Arthur one? Because in my 21 years of living, i haven’t really known of any mass murders that happened here…
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I believe it was and John Howard changed the gun laws after that
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Great post guys – very tastefully done.
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It’s so disturbing to read Jessica Redfields twitter. Her last 3 posts are her talking abut the Batman movie. She mentions that the movie is 20 minutes late. 20 minutes later her life has ended. It is so sad.
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What’s disturbing is her telling someone on twitter she had to convince her friend to come to the midnight screening with her. He didn’t want to go, imagine if he hadn’t agreed – maybe she would’ve stayed away as well?
…For anyone interested, her friend was also shot, but will apparently make a full recovery.
Its all so very sad
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I am so pleased to see this story focus on the victims and not on the perpetrator. I am so over seeing murderers be glamorized in the press. Thank you.
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from news reports, it seems like the shooter’s mum knew that he was troubled. I think that if we realise that people around us are facing mental health issues, we should reach out and help them or at least organise help for them. this would prevent major disasters due to mental illness.
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I’m not sure if this type of monster can be ‘helped.’ locked away, yes. But this is an act of pure evil.
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My brother has mental health issues. I know it, my mother knows it, my father (who is a psychiatric nurse) knows it. There is only so much we can do for him. He has to do something himself. This has been affecting our family for over twenty years. We can’t make him take his meds, force him to stop drinking, etc. I hate to think what society would say about us if my brother was the gunman.
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I agree Kaye. My brother-in-law has mental health issues and we’ve done everything; taken him for evaluations, tried to put him on meds (to no avail he just stops taking them), had to call the police when he goes nuts (like attacking my partner one night and biting his face) and yet we’re told that not much can be done…..
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Incredibly sad. It’s amazing the type of guns you can purchase in a regular sports shop in the US.
I think with a very powerful gun lobby and the need to hold a referendum to change gun laws, it would be extremely difficult to make significant change to the laws. This, despite the fact that they gained independence on the back of a revolution that needed so many citizens armed to win it and times have clearly changed.
BTW, I think a lot of people have thought about the age of the youngest victim and whether she should have been there. Never fear, her mother has the rest of her life to feel guilty about that decision hasn’t she.
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“BTW, I think a lot of people have thought about the age of the youngest victim and whether she should have been there. Never fear, her mother has the rest of her life to feel guilty about that decision hasn’t she.”
I do not think this is fair. At all. What a cruel statement. May peace some day come to the mother of this poor little girl.
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I don’t think Faybian wished guilt and suffering on the mother, rather they meant that people shouldn’t make it worse for the mother as she’ll already be suffering enough.
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Exactly, how cruel do you think I am Diana?
I think that mother has the rest of her life to beat herself up for that decision, so people that are quick to judge should remember that.
I know I would if it was me.
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The family has stated it was a special treat for mother and daughter…not a regular thing, just wrong place wrong time.
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That poor family….
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It was a bit eerie reading Jessica’s words. It made me so sad to read how grateful she was for each day she was given, yet this senseless act took those days away.
It must be absolutely devastating for the family and friends of all the victims and I can’t begin to imagine how I would cope. How many more of these terrible shootings will it take before the US tightens its gun laws?
On another note, is it bad that I want to point out that this post needs a fair bit of copy editing? eg “was an aspiring sport reports” and “what makes a murdered”…
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Thanks Essdee, should be fixed.
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Just heartbroken about this. Ironically, I’ve been teaching “Bowling For Columbine” to some of my students. That this is happening again, so close to where that tragedy took place, just seems unbelievable, unfathomable. I feel so so sorry for those that live there that are suffering so much.
Hearing the details – that he was so indiscriminate, that babies were targets – I can’t, I just can’t understand. But what truly angers me is hearing about the gun lobby. That the NRA are still attempting to justify their existence. Makes me appreciative of the work of Michael Moore in “Bowling For Columbine”. If Charlton Heston comes out in defense of guns like he did in 1999 I fear for the safety of my televisions and computers!! His arrogance and insensitivity still anger me…
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As Charlton Heston died in 2008 I would be very surprised if he comes out in defence of guns this time!
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Ah, I had not been paying attention to Charlton Heston news – had no idea he had passed. Funnily enough, someone else was saying they were wondering what he was going to say when we were discussing it at lunch today – this is the first I’m hearing about him having passed – apologies for misinformation!!
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This is beautifully written and really captured what needed to be said. I don’t think in the face of this enormous tragedy, any of us should be judging a parents decision to take their child to this movie. No one person aside from the shooter could’ve predicted this event.
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Just awful. My sister lives in Colorado, could of been my niece or nephew at that cinema. There were 42 gun deaths in Australia last year, over 9,000 in the US!!! how many more people have to die???
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I too feel in a weird state of shock over this incident. The more I read about this horrible tragedy and the more I hear about the awful person that did this, the more I question what he was thinking when he did this and especially the children he injured and the 6 year old he murdered. Makes me so terribly sad especially for the mother who is still unaware that she will never hold her little girl again. The footage of that poor father who was desperately searching for his son and then finding out he’ll never see him again. It makes me tear up about these events because of how truly shocking and painful they are.
May those who lost their lives rest in peace and those injured continue to fight to see another day.
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I’m going to be criticised for saying this but why was a 6 year old at a movie like that in the first place?
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I posted the same thing below. Apparently a 4 yo was there too. Thank goodness she survived.
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Regardless of the film’s midnight timing, it is M rated. Isn’t that usually 15 years plus? I’d have thought it was a scary film to take any kid under 10 to? But no, parents aren’t to blame for what took place there. No one is but the shooter. May as well lock kids up and chuck out the key because they could get hit by a car on the way to the school across the road under that logic. We wouldn’t and couldn’t live our lives if we totally avoided all risks ever.
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Not to play right into your hands or anything, but why does it matter? Would I take a 6yo or a 4 mnth old to a midnight screening? No. They should be in bed. But it was hardly a forseeable event. You don’t think “Hey better not take little hayden to the cinema tonight in case a gunman goes mental and kills everyone.”
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I’m with you Lizzie, the parents of the 6month old baby said they had just moved to the area, knew no sitters, thought the baby would sleep through the movie, all sensible, well thought out decisions with absolutely no ability to see this sort of consequence
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I agree. It’s totally unsuitable content wise. But whether the cinema-goers were 3 months old, 6 years old or 23 or 103 is fairly irrelevant given what’s happened. You don’t expect to have to run from gunfire in a cinema.
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Again agreeing with Lizzie, the parents of the baby have been on television to explain their actions, the mother after being shot in the leg – no one who survived this tragedy needs their actions judged by others, they need our empathy and support. Just because I wouldn’t take my child to this movie, doesn’t mean I can judge those that do. There has been a sweep of hate “mail” about this in the US, with some people commenting that by taking children to an ultra violent movie you can only expect violent people. It’s a slippery slope the judgement one.
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Of course I would never mean to say that by somehow taking their child to a violent movie they should somehow deserve this or that they could have known about it before. Nothing could justify that man’s actions and actually I agree that a baby would not be disturbed by the movie. A four year old and a six year old is a different matter though but I realise I probably should not have shared this opinion given the tragedy of the situation.
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Why are you focusing on appropriateness of the movie for children when people have died? Why?
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I agree with you, but there is a time and a place to discuss that and it’s not here. This post is to mourn the victims of a terrible tragedy.
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Wow really? You’re really gonna go there? Victim blaming?
How is that any different than blaming a rape victim for wearing a short skirt? I mean OBVIOUSLY it’s all her fault cos she looked like she wanted it. [/sarcasm]
This 6yo kid died.
Not because her mum took her to see a “unsuitable” movie.
Because James Holmes deicded to go on a killing spree.
Get some perspective.
None of us are saying it’s fine to take your kids to see an M rated movie when they’re 6. I’ve said that a few times. What we’re saying is that no-one in that cinema could have foreseen the events that occurred.
And if “violent” movies “cause” events like this, why doesn’t every single person who has seen an M movie go on a killing sprees? I’ve seen probably 300 M movies. I haven;t killed anyone. And I don’t plan to. I have a few brothers that play “violent” computer games. Have they gone on shooting sprees in cinemas? No.
Your point is flawed.
Again. No one is saying The Dark Knight Rises is suitable for a 6yo. Perhaps read back and check. What we’re saying is that no one, no matter their age, or the classification of the movie they’re seeing, dcould have foreseen Holmes going berko with a number of guns and killing at least 12 people. Nobody.
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I’m not sure who this comment was aimed at but that’s a massively long bow to draw, comparing the 2 tragedies, or the 2 assailants. My point, if it’s the one you’re disputing, is that the mother of this poor 6 yr old is facing permanent paralysis, doesn’t actually know that her daughter is dead yet and people think now is the time to judge her parenting choices? This is victim shaming, and is abhorrent.
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You can’t seriously claim that watching a batman movie is going to cause a child to grow up to be a mass murderer.
That’s a ridiculous and completely false statement.
And seriously offensive to the family of that little girl.
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Is it summer holidays for school kids in America? I take my kids to late-ish drive-in movies over school holidays, and lots of kids are there at that time and it’s much cheaper than the cinema.
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That wast exact thought while looking at that sweet photo. Even more sad in some way.
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Jesus does it matter?
Maybe this was a one off surprise for her because she loves batman.
It’s incredible to me that people are looking past the tragedy to critisise another parents decision, as if this was somehow something they could have stopped.
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totally, MJ. Their decision to take their child to a midnight screening of Batman didn’t threaten their child’s safety. A guy with tear gas and numerous weapons did that.
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Enough please
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It is perhaps very hard for “non life experienced people” to understand how important it is – to have a “just moment” with your children. something special…even sometimes a little bit naughty …but your special time !!!! – very exciting and very based on love…. something to be remembered for always – until…!!!!
Does it help for people to question someones parenting skills ..at a tragic time like this – NO it does not…you know nothing – so do not pretend that you do….be silent ..be humble ….and weep …like everyone else…bless all you beautiful parents who grieve so …sending love xx
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I just wondered why you would take a 6 year old child to a movie with an M classification? No you’re right, it doesn’t matter now that she has been killed, but I just wondered!
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Statements like these horrify me. This is what is wrong with the world. Very cold, callous, and thoughtless.
Shame on you for turning this into a lecture about parenting choices.
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I hope this horrible tradgedy gives impetus to tightening gun control laws in the US. That the killer could legally buy semi automatic weaponry & machine guns is beyond stupid.
On a side note what the hell was a 6 year old doing at a midnight screening of an M rated film?
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I thought the same thing re: 6 yr old at 12pm session!!! Apparently there was also a 3 month old baby
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Snap I totally agree, so so sad, but I also wondered what a six year old was doing at the movies at midnight to see an M movie.
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You should spend more time wondering why someone thought it was ok to kill a 6 year old. What a bizarre thing to say.
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Please tell me you’re joking! Twelve people actually died and you are taking issue with a parents decision to allow their daughter to see a late movie? You don’t know these people – maybe the poor little girl just loved Batman and her Mum decided to treat her to a special night out. I think you might be missing the point of this post a little bit…
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late & very violent. Just saying. Funny, America celebrates violence as entertainment (even for 6 year olds obviously), then wonder why things like this happen.
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It’s not the lateness I’m surprised about. I can’t believe those twits who have taken children to see this extremely violent, scary movie! I don’t see how they could get even the slightest enjoyment out of it. My 13 year old daughter asked to see it and I outright refused.
By the way, nobody is saying that the children were put at risk of being shot or murdered by being taken to see this film. It is a seperate issue.
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As I said “on a side note”. In no way am I blaming the mother, of course she wasn’t to know what was going to happen, how ridiculous! I was just pointing out that it’s a strange decision to take a 6 year old to a very violent movie at midnight. One has nothing to do with the other.
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If one has nothing to do with the other why raise it here? It’s a breathtakingly insensitive thing to say given the circumstances.
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Yes I see your point but I’m pretty sure the mother won’t be reading the comments.
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No, her mother won’t be reading this post but a lot of us are reading it and are still disgusted by your arguement so please enough already.
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*argument* (can’t ever edit posts on this website any more)
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Jess, I’m not disgusted. My mother asked me the same thing. My 37 year-old brother saw it and said he thought it deserved an R rating…
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Beyond devastating.., there are no words. So sad!!! Thank god we live in a country that has strict gun laws.
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I’ve been in a weird state of shock all weekend over this tragedy. I say weird because we’re almost desensitized to hearing about mass shootings, especially in America – where 300 people die from guns every week (not including self-inflicted death).
And I’ve had some fierce debates on my Facebook after posting anti-gun statuses.
But I didn’t cry until I watched SBS World News tonight when they told of several victims’ heroic actions during the horrific attack; 3 of those men who lost their lives did so as they jumped in front of their girlfriends- who each lived because of their selfless sacrifices. Some of the survivors risked their lives to rescue others from the cinema – both living and diseased
I would like to hear more about these heroes.
Because as grim and horrible as this tragedy is, their stories shine light and give hope to humanity.
RIP
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Deceased- not diseased!*
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I’m the same – I feel terrible but I do feel that I gave become desensitised to these cases in America because it feels like it happens all too often. It starts to not feel real or something? I wanted to cry but didnt. But felt emotion when heard of the truly heroic actions of ppl there. I just wonder how many more times it has to happen before they change the gun laws.
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