Newsflash: There is only one figure that should be blamed for the devastating and tragic shooting of innocent moviegoers – the gunman himself!
I am sick of reading about all the non-violent, peaceful people held to account for something that had absolutely nothing to do with them.
I have read a condemnation against the parents that let their kids stay up to watch a midnight screening. How dare they try and make grieving parents feel guilt for this tragic events. As if they are not going through enough as it is! Aren’t parents allowed to treat their children every so often without having to feel responsible for the actions of madmen!
I have read that killer, James Holmes, must have been bullied as a child, and if society was alert to the bullying we could have stopped this incident from happening. What message does this sad and sorry excuse send? That victims of bullying can be in some way excused for taking out their aggression on innocent people?
Now I read that the movie theater should have provided better security. Since when was a movie theater ever a security threat? Imagine if an incident happened somewhere else in town and the police response was hampered because police numbers were low due to a movie opening. Can you imagine the outrage? People would be scathing, calling it a misallocation of personnel.
The Colorado movie theater complex that was the scene of a gunman’s massacre this month didn’t have any uniformed security guards on duty the night of the shooting, even though other theaters operated by the same company did provide such protection for the busy premiere of the Batman film “The Dark Knight Rises.”
It’s impossible to know whether guards – often off-duty police officers – at the Aurora Century 16 would have spotted the suspected gunman, James Holmes, and thwarted the attack that left 12 moviegoers dead and dozens wounded on July 20.
Officers hired as guards are generally armed and usually spend their time roaming the complex, checking bags or dealing with minor disputes.
Cinemark provided off-duty police guards at the Aurora theater on busy Friday and Saturday nights. As for other nights of the week, theater operators decide on a case-by-case basis whether to hire security, depending on the likelihood of trouble. The attack came early Friday, shortly after the midnight screening of the Batman film began.
Click on the link to read Don’t Even Try to Huminise James Holmes
Click on the link to read Insensitive ‘Parent Bashers’ Take Aim at Grieving Colorado Parents
Click on the link to read Explaining the Colorado Movie Theater Shooting to Children
Click on the link to read How Can Facebook Allow James Holmes Tribute Pages?
Topical Teaching 
Can a Teacher Be Forgiven for a Bad Joke?
August 17, 2012I love to make my students laugh. It releases some of their anxiety and makes them more comfortable with whatever activity we are are working on. I am very aware that although humour can be effective teaching tool, it can also be fraught with danger. It is so easy to unintentionally say something that will offend others.
The New York professor facing dismissal for making a joke about the Colorado movie theatre shooter made a terrible mistake. A mistake that was made infinitely worse with the fact that a student’s father was among the victims.
Whilst I don’t excuse his dreadful judgement call, I can’t help but feel that firing him would be a bit unfair. He is probably feeling sick about what he did and I am sure he never intended to offend.
Surely a genuine apology would suffice:
A United States Merchant Marine Academy professor faces dismissal for joking about the Colorado movie theater shootings in front of his students.
A student’s father was among the victims.
The New York Times says Gregory F. Sullivan has been suspended from his tenured position as humanities instructor.
The newspaper says the academy on Kings Point, Long Island, informed Sullivan on Aug. 10 that he had 10 days to contest his dismissal.
Click on the link to read Don’t Even Try to Huminise James Holmes
Click on the link to read How Can Facebook Allow James Holmes Tribute Pages?
Click on the link to read The Need to Blame Anything and Everything for the Colorado Shootings
Click on the link to read Insensitive ‘Parent Bashers’ Take Aim at Grieving Colorado Parents
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