Religious gun nut kills Batman moviegoers

[Audley Strange]

Well to me it does seem steeped in symbolism. Some guy in gas-mask and armour goes nuts and kills 12 people in a cinema? Sounds like something out of Frank Millar's Batman.

It certainly seems, from reports, that this wasn't just a spontaneous spree-kill, but a plan.

What I'm saying is we've indulged adults who pretend to be super-heroes, we've seen them as a kind of harmless joke rather than excoriate them for the dangers of such juvenile unreality. If we consider the pop-culture allure of the Serial Killer as path to fame/notoriety it was only a matter of time before one of those socially alienated narcissist actively chose to be a super-villain. I'm guessing if James Holmes is responsible (and it does look likely) that the dickhead just took cosplay to it's logical extreme.

Wasn't Comic-Con last weekend?

[Pappa]

I don't understand why people defend these ridiculous gun laws. You went stop determined people like this but what about all the hot headed shootings that happen that wouldn't if people didn't have such easy access to guns?

I don't think there's any argument that the gun laws we have in the UK are responsible for our lack of gun massacres. Yes, we've had a couple, but guns are so difficult to get hold of here (even for professional criminals) that it's almost impossible for some random nutter to go on a killing spree in the way it is easy in the US. In part though, I think it's a culturally different interpretation of the cost/benefit of guns. Just a few days ago here we were talking about the speed limits in the US being low compared to what we're used to here. Our high speed limits are responsible for a great many deaths, but we regard it as a price worth paying for the benefit of being able to get from A to B fast. I do think the Constitutional right to bear arms is interpreted nowadays in a way contrary to it's original intent, but I also think it would be practically impossible for guns to be restricted in the US in the way there are in the UK. Imagine there was an outright ban on all firearms - there would be millions of them in circulation on the black market for decades to come. Not just criminals, but millions of ordinary Americans would refuse to hand in their guns and keep a secret arsenal. Guns would be ubiquitous for a very long time.

[Rum]

I don't understand why people defend these ridiculous gun laws. You went stop determined people like this but what about all the hot headed shootings that happen that wouldn't if people didn't have such easy access to guns?

I don't think there's any argument that the gun laws we have in the UK are responsible for our lack of gun massacres. Yes, we've had a couple, but guns are so difficult to get hold of here (even for professional criminals) that it's almost impossible for some random nutter to go on a killing spree in the way it is easy in the US. In part though, I think it's a culturally different interpretation of the cost/benefit of guns. Just a few days ago here we were talking about the speed limits in the US being low compared to what we're used to here. Our high speed limits are responsible for a great many deaths, but we regard it as a price worth paying for the benefit of being able to get from A to B fast. I do think the Constitutional right to bear arms is interpreted nowadays in a way contrary to it's original intent, but I also think it would be practically impossible for guns to be restricted in the US in the way there are in the UK. Imagine there was an outright ban on all firearms - there would be millions of them in circulation on the black market for decades to come. Not just criminals, but millions of ordinary Americans would refuse to hand in their guns and keep a secret arsenal. Guns would be ubiquitous for a very long time.

..and yet our road death rate per capita is (like our murder rate) is much lower than the USA's. Road deaths are over three times higher per 100,00 in fact in the USA and murder (in 2008) about six times higher.

[Animavore]

I wonder if not having to wear seatbelts or motorcycle helmets affects their road deaths?

[mozg]

Yeah, right. Just like Zimmerman, who followed the rules set forth by the Neighborhood Watch organization when he was trained to be one?

Why is it funny? I don't go to places where they don't allow me to carry my Glock. That includes a lot of movie theaters, restaurants, shopping malls and other private property where even if I disagree with the property owner I also accept their right to place conditions on entry.

[Rum]

Yeah, right. Just like Zimmerman, who followed the rules set forth by the Neighborhood Watch organization when he was trained to be one?

Why is it funny? I don't go to places where they don't allow me to carry my Glock. That includes a lot of movie theaters, restaurants, shopping malls and other private property where even if I disagree with the property owner I also accept their right to place conditions on entry.

I wonder if you have any idea how alien and downright weird your statement sounds to nearly everyone outside the USA.

[mozg]

Bought 4 guns and several thousand rounds without anyone noticing.

So have I this year.

What's your point?

[Rum]

Bought 4 guns and several thousand rounds without anyone noticing.

So have I this year.

What's your point?

My point is that you are probably as misguided as the Denver guy.

[mozg]

Yeah, right. Just like Zimmerman, who followed the rules set forth by the Neighborhood Watch organization when he was trained to be one?

Why is it funny? I don't go to places where they don't allow me to carry my Glock. That includes a lot of movie theaters, restaurants, shopping malls and other private property where even if I disagree with the property owner I also accept their right to place conditions on entry.

I wonder if you have any idea how alien and downright weird your statement sounds to nearly everyone outside the USA.

I'm sure it does, but the question is why it should matter what 'everyone outside the USA' thinks of how I exercise my right to self defense.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Bought 4 guns and several thousand rounds without anyone noticing.

So have I this year.

What's your point?

My point is that you are probably as misguided as the Denver guy.

[Rum]

Yeah, right. Just like Zimmerman, who followed the rules set forth by the Neighborhood Watch organization when he was trained to be one?

Why is it funny? I don't go to places where they don't allow me to carry my Glock. That includes a lot of movie theaters, restaurants, shopping malls and other private property where even if I disagree with the property owner I also accept their right to place conditions on entry.

I wonder if you have any idea how alien and downright weird your statement sounds to nearly everyone outside the USA.

I'm sure it does, but the question is why it should matter what 'everyone outside the USA' thinks of how I exercise my right to self defense.

I don't personally give a flying fuck. However I have a soft spot for your odd country and it has some blind spots that are puzzling.

[Atheist-Lite]

I'm not keen on America...some Americans are OK when they don't behave like Americans but like us. The majority are too American. They shoul stay in their own country, free it before trying to free other people.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I don't personally give a flying fuck. However I have a soft spot for your odd country and it has some blind spots that are puzzling.

Know a country that doesn't have blind spots, Rum?

[Atheist-Lite]

Bought 4 guns and several thousand rounds without anyone noticing.

So have I this year.

What's your point?

My point is that you are probably as misguided as the Denver guy.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCff4D9i ... re=related[/youtube]

[Gawdzilla Sama]

When I was fourteen a friend's father gave me 20 boxes of .22 cartridges, fifty rounds each. I stretched that out to a week's firing.