Heather said it right, " We all can't live in fear ". Sad, but that is what our country is turning into. Can't imagine the family didn't see this coming or just didn't care ? Tell that to the families that lost their loved ones!!!!!

How does anyone see this coming?

How about this? When the police or whoever goes to disarm the bomb in his apartment they should have Jimmy tied to a chair right there with them . He will be sure to tell them where all the bombs are. Too bad we're not like that. Makes you mad doesn't it? Well I know it wouldn't be right. Hope no one else gets hurt.

Does "Owl" have kids?

You take a kid to a special screening once in a blue moon, and hat will make them an "entitled a__"?

Wow

HobokenOwl, Would it have made a difference if this were a 5 O'clock showing?? Seriously, you are going to blame parents for having their kids out late?!?!
And curfew or not, a child is allowed out accompanied by a parent at any hour of the night. There's no law against that, yet.

How about exercising some restraint of your own and show a little compassion for these parents instead of criticizing everyone's parenting skills.

Yes, there are parents who use poor judgement but I do not see the prevalence of bad parenting you seem to. Keeping a toddler up late at a festival is hardly bad parenting imo. The sugar on the zeppoli's can keep them going for hours :)

I can only sympathize with the parents involved in this tragedy.

James Holmes is the one who did not belong in that theater, whether it was a midnight showing or a matinee.

If you really believe that the broader lesson is about bad parenting than maybe you should be asking what the parents of James Holmes, the quiet, well behaved, smart, honor student, did wrong.

Seems to me the right to bear arms ought not to supercede the right to go to the movies without being shot - regardless of what time the show begins. As for those judging others - especially parents they don't know - to suggest they know what is best for other parents and their children is to reveal yourself as entirely devoid of even a thimble full of credibility.

HobokenOwl...just curious...how many kids do you have? And what are your parameters for taking them to the movies?

Just so I have it straight...once a kid turns 13, the midnight movie is ok? So five minutes after he turns 13 he will no longer be as frightened as he would have been ten minutes earlier? Any chance this might depend on the individual? Is it possible some kids may need to wait until they turn 14 or 15 while others may be able to handle it when they are 12? Come on HobokenOwl...how many children do you have and what are their rules regarding attending movies?

HobokenOwl....I do not know how you could tell those parents in the movies that they are bad parents for taking their kids to see Batman! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? "Do not judge for thou too shall be judged!" Maybe it was a special treat for the "teenagers" to go to the first showing of Batman.( with Mom and Dad) Maybe it was a Dad and son having just "guy" time and thought it would be cool to see a movie at midnight. You will NEVER know what they were thinking; BUT unless you were in their shoes, please be quiet! ( I'd use a few expletives but I cannot, my mother raised a lady.) I am a parent and I am not judging these people. I have a teenager, he has a curfew, if he wanted to go to the midnight movie, I would have gone with him, no problem. You can try something once in awhile and not be vilified for it but in YOUR WORLD people SHOULD live by certain unwritten rules and regulations! Sorry Hoboken, I strenuously disagree, but because we are in America, you have the right to say what you think.
“I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to day it."~Voltaire
May those parents know that we ALL don't think the same way as you do. They took their kids to a movie and got shot at. It could happen anywhere at ANYTIME to anyone.

I have to agree that young kids should not be attending midnight viewing of movies. I was shocked to read that children so young were at a film at that time - I mean, we're talking about getting home at 3am. Seriously??? There is no reason for children and young teens to be out that late.

(For the record, I have 2 boys. And if they hate me when they're 13 because I tell them the latest movie they can go to is the 7 or 8pm showing, I can live with that.)

That said, I view the debate as completely separate from the shooting in that I am not victim-blaming. No one in that theater deserved to be shot, and no parent who allowed their child to attend deserved to have their child injured or killed.

I cannot believe all the attention this is getting. The discussion over whether or not the parents should have brought their young children to the movies at that time is a total waste of time. It will get us nowhere. People will do what they want, and that is that. Not only does local media focus on this, but national as well (see Piers Morgan). They should be talking about gun laws and how they have weakened over the years. The media should inform the public on the history of mass shootings, the history of gun laws - specific gun laws. Look up the history of gun laws related to access to automatic weapons and large magazines, it's scary. Instead of asking why parents brought their children to a movie theater so late, why not ask why is it possible for someone to so easily buy that much ammunition, and such large magazines, when it's clear that the intent of these weapons is to kill as many as possible in a short period of time.

Marvin, give me a break. Gun control and conceal and carry debates are on fire in the media and online. The assault weapon article on this site from a course days ago has about 160 comments. That doesn't mean that the kids in late movies argument has to be censored.

I find it humorous that no one gets offended when people say "don't bring a dog to a fireworks show, it's bad for their ears" and there is no outcry. But say "don't bring an infant to an IMAX theater for a loud, violent movie, it's bad for their ears" - suddenly you're in trouble for being judgmental. Come on. Being a parent does not absolve you from judgment. No one is calling for the removal of the children - people are just pointing out that maybe its not a good idea to have a 6 year old out until 3am. This should not be that controversial a position.

Self-important, entitled, a-holes? Ok, sounds like misdirected anger. I wouldn't take my 6-year old to see Dark Knight, and I would not take them out that late, this is not controversial, I understand. But to sit here and say you 'bad parent', you 'good parent', is a distraction.

Am I serious? Yes. Is this clear enough for you?

Large capacity magazines have been used in many mass shootings, including at Virginia Tech (32 killed, 17 wounded); Fort Hood (13 killed, 34 wounded); and Columbine High School (13 killed, 23 wounded). Typical of mass killers, the Fort Hood shooter wanted a large magazine capacity, so he purchased a gun that could use 30 round magazines. Police chiefs across the country report increases in the use of weapons with large capacity ammunition magazines in crime and against police officers and civilians since the federal ban expired. The 10-year Federal Assault Weapons Ban expired on September 13, 2004, as part of the law's sunset provision. There have been multiple attempts to renew the ban, but no bill had ever reached the floor for a vote. I wonder why.

US House Bill, HR308: Deadly assault clips enabled the Tucson shooter to fire 31 shots in a matter of seconds, hitting 19 people, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and killing 6. On September 6, 2011 in Carson City, a shooter fired 79 bullets in 85 seconds, hitting 11 people and killing 4, including three National Guardsmen and -women. Assault clips can hold 30, 50, or even 100 rounds. H.R. 308, legislation to ban these deadly assault clips, is pending in the U.S. House of Representatives. A companion bill, S. 32, is pending in the U.S. Senate.

It's off topic, but Owl is right, bringing your 6 year old to a midnight showing is bad parenting (your problem) and inconsiderate (everyone else's problem). It's like bringing a hooker to Sunday worship or a preacher to a bachelor party. No one wants them there. And that goes for you too Billy Mays. You may be able to get away with bringing your kids to a fine dining establishment at 9pm. Perhaps you’re deceptive when making the reservation. Or maybe you grease the Maître d’. You’re still rude and inconsiderate for doing it. Even if your kids are as well behaved as you say, which is doubtful, sometime it’s just “adult time” regardless. And here is tip, the people who’ve have complimented they’re behavior were just being nice.

HobokenOwl,
Let me try one more time. Do you have kids? This shouldn't be a difficult question, even for you.
Why so reluctant to answer? Could it be because you don't have kids and therefore have no idea what you are talking about?

Just to be clear I agree with Owl only w/r/t rudeness & etiquette. I think children can handle a lot more them some people give them credit for. A 12 year old boy is almost certainly already using all the language he is not suppoesed to hear in an R rated movie. I think at 11/12 innocence has long ago left the building. Shoot at that age you don't want your kids totally "innocent" anymore because they're about to enter puberty. There are things they SHOULD know.

Captian Kirk, the six year old little girl is dead and her mother is in critical condition. Is it really the time to discuss her parenting skills? Not imo.

TCG I doubt HobokenOwl has children given the non-response. Sounds like an angry, unhappy individual with too much time on their hands.

>> Owl - "Children in PUBLIC venues at inappropriate times??"

You are nothing but a small minded little troll and have no life

HEY OWL.....YOU KNOW WHAT I COMPREHEND...TOO MANY A**HOLES LIKE YOU ON THIS BLOG ...PEOPLE DIED AND WERE INJURED AND YOU'RE RANTING ABOUT BAD PARENTING...WHAT A PUNKASS...

at least i have my real name up here...unlike some pompous asses on this blog...

Lmao, Hoboken has made a complete fool of herself. Keep up the good work..

I took my kids to see Train in Rock Center at the Today Show. We had to leave our hotel at 4am. The smiles on their faces and gratitude for such a fun time when we went to a restaurant afterward clearly indicated my "bad" parenting.

Prayers to those families in Aurora. All of them including the good parents trying provide a once in a while special time.

hoboken- i assume you believe your parents raised you well and thats where you get a lot of your ideas on "how to properly raise kids". Now you sit on the internet for hours a day arguing in circles trying to critique others and get your point across.

therefore after all your parents hard work and strict rules you turned out to be a bitter person who tries to force his values and opinions on other people and has WAY too much free time to spend on the internet. so maybe your views of parenting are a bit off because i would never want my kids to end up a judgemental *** like you turned out to be

it also works both ways. ive been to many weddings/ family partys where the kids who misbehave or cry the whole time are the kids whos parents sheltered them from that kind of environment and therefore do not know how to behave properly.

after going to college i also realized the kids who went wild, got sick from drinking too much. and gave into peer pressure were the sheltered kids who grew up in a strict household. college was thier first time experiencing any freedom and they didnt know how to handle it.

All and all, I’ve seen more obnoxious behavior at movies theatres and restaurants from adults than kids. The difference is that adults drink and kids don’t, and there’s nothing more obnoxious than a drunk.

Hoboken, your generalization that ALL kid misbehave in theatres and fancy restaurants is asinine. And where’s the logic that a kid is going to behave worse at a midnight showing than any other time???

ok so i skimmed some of these posts- i have an 8 & a 6yr old- i would absolutely take them to see a late night movie- it's summer, it's fun & exciting- i like making memories with my kids- doing something "out of the box" is something they remember forever. that does NOT make me a bad parent- it means we did something wild & crazy & fun- this is what i want them to remember! Having fun as a child with their mom!
it doen't mean i made a wrong secision, or let them decide- they would only know about the late night IF i told them- i do lead by example and my children are polite young men who hold the door open for woman a& other children and they let me walk through first! seems to me i am doing a damn good job-
as far as eating dinner in a restaurant- my children have every right to be there when they want- if they are hungry and we are out- they eat- you don't want to see children in a restarant- don't go out for dinner and spare us your morality! they behave better then most adults i know- stop putting a stigma on children because their age- i take a high offense to that! just because they are under 18 doesn't mean they don't know how to behave after 8pm!
as far as this young man's family- the mother was not surprised at all when she was told- this leads me to believe she had a clue he was unstable or something was wrong-

I hate hearing crying brats in a movie theater. Why a parent would take their kid is inconsiderate. Babies at the theaters do not belong. As far as teenagers at the 12am showing...its summer and a lot of kids and parents have a good time at these late showings. Its not a big deal.

All I can say is WOW! The Owl scares me!

@Edubb if a child is misbehaving in any venue they should be taken out by the parent until they can behave., well and if they can't they get taken home. Lets face it all of our kids have had meltdowns but we as adults have to realize people DONT WANT TO BE ANNOYED BY OTHER PEOPLES KIDS. I must admit there are a lot of really rude parents out there who let their kids scream and carry on in restaurants and stores and I am sick of it. Again if I walked into a store or a restaurant with my kids and they acted like brats I walked right back out and told them why we were going home.

I know most parents won't do that I hate to say it I blame this younger generation of parents. I have 2 kids and I can't tell you how many times I have been on planes with someones kid screaming or kicking my seat or in a restaurant with kids throwing food on the floor. I was just in the movies with my 10 year old and there was a birthday party going on these kids had to be 4. Well let me say they didn't sit still and they were screaming and yelling , their parents didn't get up to stop it . They are lucky the surround sound was so loud because I was going to ask the parents to glue their kids in the seat and duct tape their mouths.
I am by no means nasty and mean but I have 2 kids 1 is 22 the other 10 and both of my kids will tell you I don't put up with that $hit. I never had to exclude my children from nice restaurants they were taught how to sit and behave as my parents taught me.

I at first thought that this woman was a loon for bringing a six year old to a movie that late, some kids actually do behave in public. I remember saying to my husband who the hell brings a 6 year old to a movie at midnight. That was my angry response because I am so very sad that a 6 year old child is dead. It docent get any more sad than that.

I'm surprised that other people's money isn't as good as yours. I actually agree with you on a lot of points you have made on this thread today. But if I paid for or even earned a first class seat for myself and one of my four kids...regardless of behavior, I would not move an inch. But like your kids, my four are very well behaved and it is not a worry. I get the nuisance, Billy. I just don't think I would have the right to have someone else ejected when they spent the same amount as you or I. I get the annoyance factor though.

@Stacie I don't think he meant to have them moved , he like so many others just complained to the flight attendant and that was her call

@Billy and Stacie I have seen people on planes just let their kids go wild. I fondly remember one family she had 2 kids under 5 this poor woman was walking the plane because they were crying . What was amusing to me is that her husband and inlaws were with her and didn't get up to help her.

Of course I would! And I think both yours and my kids are well behaved because we have instilled the basics of general manners and respect from the get go. My kids aren't that little anymore and they can tell when I look at them that I mean "business". But my point really was if first or business class deems that a rule with regard to children, iit should be policy and not for another patron of their services to determine. I get what you're saying though that it is extremely annoying. But I'd be a liar to say that I never had a crying baby on a plane. A lot of times it's the change in altitude and not bad behavior.

To Lighten the mood I always wished I could sit in first class just once, lol I actually did business class once and I felt so proud lol.

I was upgraded because the flight was overbooked.

I get what you're saying, Billy. I just feel having flown first ( and coach) with babies that have been crying, puking, you name it!!.iIt's hard to control situations that you don't have control over. Maybe they should have child free sections. But I don't know if that would fly if I offered to spend thousands on first class tickets. Absolutely, Mrs. Bohr...we'll take your eight grand! You know what I mean?

It would be nice if all patch conversations could be nice .

Bringing young children to a nice restaurant after 9pm is rude. There is no way around it. I'm not even talking Steakhouse nice. I can get my head around that. Steakhouses are usually pretty boisterous. Let's say a place that is upscale, but also relatively quiet. Any place, where it's almost all couples, some are in groups, and they are dressed up to enjoy "an evening". Your kids are probably not as well behaved as you THINK they are. This argument that "I have every right to be there and I don't care what you think" misses the point.

Even kids who are realtively well behaved talk louder then they realize. They pick their nose. They go to the bathroom a lot. You know another thing kids do without realizing it, they stare. Even if your child does none of these thing, not everything is for children at all times of the day. Is that really such a difficult concept? If you really want to expose your children to a place like this, why not take them earlier in the day. You'll make everyone else happy AND your kids can keep a normal bedtime. It seems to you'd almost have to go out of your way to take young children to a 9pm reservation at a nice quiet place.

The argument is not so much 'I have every right to be there and who cares what you think.' The argument gets distorted sometime. It's more like, others can be more open to children being in the same place as adults. Families going to the Wayne fireworks which end at 10pm is a perfect example. If an issue arises, wherever the venue (for example loud kids in a movie theater), as a parent, I would have no problem asking the other parents to please keep noise down. Children need to learn and see parents act responsibly and experiencing that is important.

I think other people's posts here mention what happens when you shelter kids, don't give them opportunities, make memories, etc. It's widely known that kids growing up in the US are sheltered, too babied, and are not around adults enough, so that by early teenage years, most can't carry a conversation, have bad table manners, bad manners in general. It's natural in our culture to want to protect your children and maybe it's even considerate if your thinking is that you don't want to disturb the adults who just want 'adult time'. But this is in no way a reason to exclude children from certain venues at certain times. If you've ever lived outside of the US, you would easily notice this. Children in other cultures, by the time they are 9 or 10, more easilty converse with adults, have generally more respect for elders, and better manners.

You crack me up, Hookerman! You are so right!!

Good response Owl. I have to admit I agree about kids not being every where at every time. I know a lot of parents don't want their kids excluded at a lot of venues but this younger generation of parents are a little too friendly with their children. Parent first friend second. I take no $hit from my kids and I would never let them disturb anyone anywhere,

The 'younger generation' and 'parent first, friend second' thing doesn't explain a lot though. Every generation of parents from the beginning of time probably had the same feeling, no?. Cv I agree with you 'parent first, friend second' but I don't think the opposite of this provides an explanation wrpt cause and effect, if I read into your comment correctly. There are so many factors that take front seat for the state of society- first and foremost, breakdown of trust. But that's a much longer and different topic.

Owl, it seems after several posts you still see this issue as black and white. I would say that all parents question their own questionable parenting ‘skills’. I guess my point has been I don’t think you need to do that for anyone (no one is qualified to do that). True, I would probably never bring my kids to a 12am movie, but that does not constitute good parenting skills. And I’m being specific here…as responsible adults we should try to prevent something harmful happening to any child, I get that, but this issue of saying the parents are selfish by bringing their kids to the theater at that time is too general and really gets you nowhere. And since you think we should be questioning each others’ parenting skills, should I question why, how or where you were not taught civil and respectful conversation when you throw out words like 'dregs'? While it does show your lack of civility, I won’t question it, just like I wouldn’t call you or anyone else in this long thread a ‘dreg’.

Owl...don't speak for me, please. I feel people do have varying opinions and I don't understand what's wrong with mentioning that. Oh, because there is nothing wrong with it! Because Billy's and my conversation did not result in a bash fest full of insults, I acknowledged it as I appreciate it. There is too much of that here. At least I have the decency to be honest. And if you don't like my comments, you can easily skim right past me.

h