Colorado Movie Theater Massacre

[Itheus]

Society is built upon shared principles, such as--in this case--not killing other human beings. If we as a society respond to the breaking of such principles by choosin
g to ignore those very principles when we deliver our punishment, then the true "cancer", as you like to call it, is our own action. If we stoop to a murderer's level, we become the very thing that we built our society to stand against. But an argument on morality isn't likely to dissuade you of your opinion. So I want to emphasize that financially, it costs MORE to place a criminal on death row than it does to lock them up for the rest of their life. It may seem like a worthwhile investment, given that you surely feel that such a person deserves to die. But it's likely that their execution would not occur until many years after they are sentenced or not even occur at all. Morally and financially, capital punishment is a terrible investment.

Bullshit again.

Society is built upon shared principles, such as--in this case--not killing other human beings. If we as a society respond to the breaking of such principles by choosing to ignore those very principles when we deliver our punishment, then the true "cancer",

Nonsense sophistry. It's different to kill a swine like this, than to kill an innocent for no reason, and both of them are different to say, soldier killing enemies, or someone killing in self-defense. Or euthanasia.
Killing isn't wrong, murder is.
In a similar vein, grounding a kid isn't wrong, and neither is arrest, but a criminal keeping someone (say, Natascha Kampusch) in his basement for years is very wrong.
Or are you against arrests, too?

The problem that I have with your argument for capital punishment is that you aren't arguing for justice. Does capital punishment bring those that were killed? No. Does it dissuade future acts of murder happening? No. More often then not, these acts are committed by people who are mentally ill and who don't care about what happens to them. Do the criminals see it as punishment? No, if anything, it's a blessing for them as it releases them from a life in prison. So then what does executing a criminal accomplish? Nothing. The only thing it does well is making people like you feel a little bit better about yourselves, thinking that somehow, justice was served to this asshole and his death was well-deserved. However, for the both families of the victims as well as the family of the murderer, capital punishment does nothing to ease the pain (in the case of the latter, it adds to it). You argue for vengeance, not for justice. Justice would be putting this man in prison for the rest of his life and then enacting new legislation so that such acts can be prevented in the future--namely in terms of mental health awareness programs. Capital punishment won't alleviate the larger issues at hand. You can't just kill murderers off and expect that at some point, no murderers will be left. True justice strives to prevent the crime, not just treat it.

[Death Metal]

Fixed.

Don't be silly. Only American gun deaths counts as tragedies.

The death of an American is a tragedy, the death of dozens in Darfur is just a statistic?

[Revolutionarily]

hmm...i wonder if this will be used to help the public get along with the Arms Trade Treaty..hmm...

[Revolutionarily]

crazy....i am sure it will be followed up with more so that we can understand more of what happened

[Gideus]

Don't be silly. Only American gun deaths counts as tragedies.

The death of an American is a tragedy, the death of dozens in Darfur is just a statistic?

Now you see the picture.

Let's see...

Gulf War: Civilian casualties, over 4,500.

9/11: Somewhere around 2900-3000?

Then the Iraq War following... 107,500 as a rough low estimate? 117,500 as a rough high estimate?

[Typhlochactas]

hmm...i wonder if this will be used to help the public get along with the Arms Trade Treaty..hmm...

I hope you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting.

[Raeyh]

hmm...i wonder if this will be used to help the public get along with the Arms Trade Treaty..hmm...

I hope you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting.

A government false flag operation? Only the paranoid would suggest that.

[Avenio]

The death of an American is a tragedy, the death of dozens in Darfur is just a statistic?

Exactly. Did you not see the vociferous, emotionally-charged defense of maintaining a sombre, non-political tone earlier in the thread? When has that ever happened for a massacre in Syria, or a mass rape in the Congo? Or even the Norway killings by Breivik?

This was different. These weren't just some foreigners speaking a weirdo language two oceans away, these were Americans, goddamnit. They deserve some respect, after all.

[Typhlochactas]

I hope you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting.

A government false flag operation? Only the paranoid would suggest that.

I wouldn't say that the idea is wrong because the person is paranoid. That seems like an ad hominem attack to me. What I would say is that the argument is wrong because the treaty has been in the works since at least 2006, and I would expect them to have done this ''false-flag'' operation sooner.

[Vallermoore]

The perp should have been shot on the spot by the police.

[Typhlochactas]

The perp should have been shot on the spot by the police.

He surrendered, and there's a legal concept called being innocent until proven guilty, no matter how obvious his guilt may be.

[Cu Math]

The perp should have been shot on the spot by the police.

He surrendered, why would they?
They cant honestly just dispense executions every time they have a chance

[Brewdomia]

hmm...i wonder if this will be used to help the public get along with the Arms Trade Treaty..hmm...

oh good god if you seriously think...

[Galiantus]

The death of an American is a tragedy, the death of dozens in Darfur is just a statistic?

Exactly. Did you not see the vociferous, emotionally-charged defense of maintaining a sombre, non-political tone earlier in the thread? When has that ever happened for a massacre in Syria, or a mass rape in the Congo? Or even the Norway killings by Breivik?

This was different. These weren't just some foreigners speaking a weirdo language two oceans away, these were Americans, goddamnit. They deserve some respect, after all.

Although I said I was gone, I would like to point out that massacres happen very rarely in America, unlike in Africa and other 3rd world countries. The media does not report normalities, but abnormalities, because that is what people pay attention to. The reason this is getting so much attention is because it happened in America, and not a place where it happens on almost a monthly basis.

[Xsyne]

Exactly. Did you not see the vociferous, emotionally-charged defense of maintaining a sombre, non-political tone earlier in the thread? When has that ever happened for a massacre in Syria, or a mass rape in the Congo? Or even the Norway killings by Breivik?

This was different. These weren't just some foreigners speaking a weirdo language two oceans away, these were Americans, goddamnit. They deserve some respect, after all.

Although I said I was gone, I would like to point out that massacres happen very rarely in America, unlike in Africa and other 3rd world countries. The media does not report normalities, but abnormalities, because that is what people pay attention to. The reason this is getting so much attention is because it happened in America, and not a place where it happens on almost a monthly basis.

Africa: A third world country.

[Avenio]

Although I said I was gone, I would like to point out that massacres happen very rarely in America, unlike in Africa and other 3rd world countries. The media does not report normalities, but abnormalities, because that is what people pay attention to. The reason this is getting so much attention is because it happened in America, and not a place where it happens on almost a monthly basis.

Africa: A third world country.

Along with Norway, apparently.

[Typhlochactas]

Although I said I was gone, I would like to point out that massacres happen very rarely in America, unlike in Africa and other 3rd world countries. The media does not report normalities, but abnormalities, because that is what people pay attention to. The reason this is getting so much attention is because it happened in America, and not a place where it happens on almost a monthly basis.

Africa: A third world country.

Africa is a country?

[Xsyne]

Africa: A third world country.

Africa is a country?

Apparently!

[Farnhamia]

An update from a couple three hours ago ...

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) – The suspect in the Aurora movie shooting is not cooperating with police and has asked for a lawyer after investigators tried to question him about the attack, CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass reports.

Police said a gunman with a gas mask on and dressed in black shot and killed dozens of people and injured more than 50 more. Authorities say the suspect, James Holmes, 24, killed 10 people inside the theater complex and that two others died after they were taken from the scene.

Holmes was booked into the Arapahoe County Jail Friday afternoon and declined an interview request from CBS4. He will appear in Arapahoe County District Court on Monday.

After apparently speaking with law enforcement in Colorado, New York’s Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said when police apprehended Holmes, “He clearly looked like a deranged individual. He had his hair painted red. He said he was “The Joker,” obviously quote “the enemy” of Batman.”

When asked during Friday morning’s news conference if Holmes was dressed as the Joker, Oates replied, “That’s not something we would discuss in this setting.”

A judge has sealed everything in the case, not allowing affidavits, court documents or photographs of the suspect. The official booking photo of Holmes will not be released for the time being.

A judge agreed with prosecutors request that the case be sealed, saying it would be contrary to the public interest to release any information at this point.

Holmes took up residence in May 2011 at an apartment at 1690 Paris Street in Aurora, located just a few blocks from the University of Colorado Anschutz Campus. He was enrolled in a graduate program of neurosciences in 2011 but withdrew from the program in June.

On Friday two research buildings on the campus were evacuated while investigators conducted a sweep of the property. University of Colorado spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery said every building where Holmes had conducted research would be swept as a precaution.

Until Friday, Holmes kept a low profile while living in Aurora.

“His history with the Aurora Police Department is one traffic summons for speeding in October 2011,” said Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates. “We have no other criminal history.”

Neighbors describe him as low key and keeping to himself.

One high school friend said Holmes always rooted for the “bad guys” in superhero movies, which he found odd.

Holmes’ parents live in San Diego. They were not aware of the shooting until news media contacted them on Friday.

Holmes’ mother did not appear to be surprised that her son was suspected in the attack. She apparently said, “You’ve got the right people” when media outlets contacted her on the phone.

Holmes’ father, Robert Holmes, left his home in San Diego Friday morning to catch a flight to Denver. He arrived at Denver International Airport Friday afternoon. He met with Denver police officers and was escorted off the Southwest Flight after it landed at DIA.

As a steady stream of passengers came off that flight from the jet way onto Concourse C, Robert Holmes was escorted down a staircase onto the tarmac and left with Denver police out of public view. It is unclear where he went with police after he disembarked from the plane.

It did not appear that Robert Holmes collected bags from the baggage claim area, it appeared he had only a carry-on briefcase with him. It is possible that police helped collect his bags from the baggage claim area.

[Cannot think of a name]

A judge has sealed everything in the case, not allowing affidavits, court documents or photographs of the suspect. The official booking photo of Holmes will not be released for the time being.

A judge agreed with prosecutors request that the case be sealed, saying it would be contrary to the public interest to release any information at this point.

Solid.

Though, this is of literally no importance...but the Joker's hair is green, not red.

[Page]

So is this photo we've been seeing of him in a mugshot a past arrest photo or what? Because they say they aren't going to release it but the photo is all over the news and internet.

[Moriskov]

Don't be silly. Only American gun deaths counts as tragedies.

The death of an American is a tragedy, the death of dozens in Darfur is just a statistic?

Just like a Stalin said "A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic"

[Jakeland]

That's super sad.

[West Vandengaarde]

I learned earlier someone who is my friend had a relative who may have been at risk to have been in the shooting.
Things like this really do show how no one is invulnerable and how anyone can be close to death, close to hurt, close to anything.
Sometimes I really hate reality.

[Cannot think of a name]

Just gonna leave this here.

Really. You shouldn't have.