Bringing a gun to a gunfight

Havoc · #1 07-20-2012, 08:20 AM

So this happened as most of you probably heard. And the good old gun debate is back on every street corner. One of the few responses from the NRA was that "if everyone in that theater would have carried a handgun, the shooter would not have been able to take so many lives".

And it's not the first time such an argument has been raised, I hear it time and time again. And at first it even seemed like a valid argument. If someone walks in with a bunch of weapons, having weapons handy yourself at least evens the odds.

But then I got to thinking on this particular situation. You're in a crowded movie theater and you hear shots go off. You get up, reach for your gun wanting to be the hero who saves the day and get off a couple of rounds at the guy. But meanwhile a few rows below you another guy has the same idea, only he doesn't see the shooter in the back of the theater. He only sees you shooting at someone. Now multiply that mixup by 20 or so people carrying weapons in a crowded theater and the resulting bloodbath would probably have been bigger than what happened now.

So would it really be a safer place if every single person was carrying a gun on them? It might, but that entire idea assumes that everyone who owns a gun is able to handle a gun. It assumes that person has some kind of military-ish experience and is able to analyze a situation before pulling the trigger. 9 out of 10 gun owners simply don't have that sort of experience or training. When they hear a gun go off, panic kicks in and things get ugly when a panicked person has a loaded gun.

Varrok · #2 07-20-2012, 08:39 AM

We're not allowed to have weapons in my country, but I believe if it were up to have those, the people should complete a strict physical and psychological exams before getting to the smallest gun.

scrabface · #3 07-20-2012, 09:12 AM

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One of the few responses from the NRA was that "if everyone in that theater would have carried a handgun, the shooter would not have been able to take so many lives".

I think that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

every woman should wear a strap-on dildo, just in case. rape them before they can rape you.

Mac Sirloin · #4 07-20-2012, 09:15 AM

No, everyone should not be allowed/have to carry a gun. Why is that the question that popped into your head? I'm wondering why the fact that he made a statement on fucking 9gag proclaiming exactly what he was going to do wasn't investigated, and how the fact that a dude had accumulated riot gear, a bulletproof vest and some explosives without being seriously scrutinized.

In summary: fuck this gay earth

Crashpunk · #5 07-20-2012, 09:24 AM

Okay for starters, I hope the guy who did this gets locked up in confinement for the rest of his life, I want him to suffer. Secondly what I wanna know is how did a 'A heavily armed gunman' get into the cinema without attracting attention? He had Tear Gas for fucks sake.

Anyway

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"if everyone in that theater would have carried a handgun, the shooter would not have been able to take so many lives".

That is so fucking dumb. If everyone had a handgun in the cinema, it would be bloody worse then if just one guy had a gun. What happens if a fight broke out? and I'm pretty sure you couldn't watch a film if you knew everyone including yourself had a loaded gun in their possession.

T-nex · #6 07-20-2012, 09:28 AM

Everything is going to end up having TSA nude-machines...

OANST · #7 07-20-2012, 09:29 AM

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What I wanna know is how did a 'A heavily armed gunman' get into the cinema without attracting attention?

He walked in the emergency exit at the side of the theater.

Crashpunk · #8 07-20-2012, 09:36 AM

Well I certainly wasn't expecting him to stroll though the entrance. Even so, You'll think it would be guarded all round.

Laser · #9 07-20-2012, 09:39 AM

Also people were dressed up. If you saw some dude walk into a midnight screening of TDKR with a gas mask and flak vest, you'd think he was a Nolan inspired batman villain. Not some fucking nutter who is going to gun down people.

Mac Sirloin · #10 07-20-2012, 09:40 AM

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Well I certainly wasn't expecting him to stroll though the entrance. Even so, You'll think it would be guarded all round.

Really? A movie theatre should have the kind of security that most industrial manufacture sites don't bother with? That's your argument? Because if it is, it's really stupid. This dude ANNOUNCED what he was doing, and people chose not to act.

Also, since there were a bunch of people in-costume for the premiere, it's not like he couldn't have been glanced over as a melodramatic batLARPer.

E: Laser's a speedy shit

Havoc · #11 07-20-2012, 09:47 AM

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This dude ANNOUNCED what he was doing, and people chose not to act.

No.

http://mashable.com/2012/07/20/9gag-hoax/

Bullet Magnet · #12 07-20-2012, 09:49 AM

As soon as I heard about this at work today that exact line popped into my head in anticipation of the gun goons' defense of their culture. Havoc has the same assessment of it that I did. In such a reality a terrorist could easily arrange for his targets to start killing each other. In a crowded street the precipitating gunfight would be as a line of bloody dominoes.

Crashpunk · #13 07-20-2012, 09:51 AM

I'm just saying that's all. We usually have security outside or around the emergency exits at cinemas in the UK (Well they do at mine) But anyway, you make a very good point, I've seen guns props that are near identical in appearance to the real thing so it would be very ideal for an actual gunman to strike...

Jesus that's scary.

Havoc · #14 07-20-2012, 10:05 AM

There are so many ways to kill a lot of people at once, you shouldn't even think about it or you'd never leave the house. Let's just be thankful that people don't do this at random too often and there's a reason behind it most of the time.

Edit: Also I found it a little sickening how the biggest movie theater franchiser over here in Holland put out a press release about how shaken up they are over the entire thing and that they will be looking to see if extra security is needed at their theaters during the DKR premieres. It's a shameless way to advertise over a tragic event.

OANST · #15 07-20-2012, 10:16 AM

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I'm just saying that's all. We usually have security outside or around the emergency exits at cinemas in the UK (Well they do at mine) But anyway, you make a very good point, I've seen guns props that are near identical in appearance to the real thing so it would be very ideal for an actual gunman to strike...

Jesus that's scary.

Security guards at theaters are just living scarecrows to keep people from breaking into cars. Having a security guard is meaningless unless you're telling me that you have armed thugs with weapons guarding every entrance. And if that's the case then your country is fucked up.

Havoc · #16 07-20-2012, 10:27 AM

Your*

MeechMunchie · #17 07-20-2012, 10:27 AM

"A gun? Well, I hope you're not planning to invade this theater and shoot everyone, else I'd have to be very disapproving of you."

Mac Sirloin · #18 07-20-2012, 10:40 AM

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No.

http://mashable.com/2012/07/20/9gag-hoax/

Yes.

All that link tells me is that 9gag is capable of removing content and dissolving any likes it may have accumulated, and that you browse news sites of debatable integrity.

Anyway, I've seen a few reports saying that he was wearing a Bane mask. I'm going out on a limb and assuming that this is either a really tasteless publicity attempt or people just saw other people wearing bane masks.

I love that Warner Bros is 'deeply saddened'. Yeah, thank you corporation, your pity is so meaningful, ooh.

Havoc · #19 07-20-2012, 11:19 AM

Even if he actually did announce it, if we have to take every threat on the internet seriously we'd have no police force or army left.

Daxter King · #20 07-20-2012, 11:54 AM

I agree with Havoc in the current argument, even if he posted all that shit on 9gag, you can't take everything on the internet seriously. Unless he posted all his guns, tear gas, etc, I don't think it would have warranted an investigation or alarm. Mac, I'm also not sure why you are upset about WB's apology. Sure they are a soulless corporation, but what are they supposed to do other than give a PR apology? Besides, it's not like no one at WB gives less shit about the people in the shooting than someone who heard it on the internet does. This is a tragedy.

In regards to the original question of the thread, I don't really have an opinion. I haven't heard enough stuff or done enough research for either side. I have heard stories about gun carriers being heroes and succeeding, but at the same time, yeah, it'd be pretty fucking easy for them to fuck shit up way worse than originally.

Strike Witch · #21 07-20-2012, 07:36 PM

:

Anyway, I've seen a few reports saying that he was wearing a Bane mask. I'm going out on a limb and assuming that this is either a really tasteless publicity attempt or people just saw other people wearing bane masks.

Official word from the police is that he was wearing body armour on his chest, legs, a throat guard, a gas mask, a tactical vest, and black clothes. The guy also dyed his hair green and called himself Joker.

:

Holmes was armed with two .40-caliber Glock handguns, a Remington 870 single-barrel pump shotgun, a Smith & Wesson AR-15 assault-style rifle and as many as 6,000 rounds of ammunition

Also the police said in an interview that there wasn't any online 9gag stuff and it was just a tasteless joke. *shrug*

Phylum · #22 07-20-2012, 08:13 PM

These threads about gun discussion always seem to go off like a shot.

enchilado · #23 07-20-2012, 11:03 PM

Seriously though, this kind of thing is just depressing. I wonder what triggers it.

Phylum · #24 07-20-2012, 11:09 PM

Yeah, I'm sorry I just came barreling into your serious thread with my pun.

Nepsotic · #25 07-21-2012, 01:20 AM

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Seriously though, this kind of thing is just depressing. I wonder what triggers it.

People who believe in some bullshit which isn't true, propaganda maybe. Though I don't know what he was going against when he did it. Remember the Nazis? Well, you probably don't and if you can you probably can't see this writing, but you get my point.

Manco · #26 07-21-2012, 03:15 AM

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Yeah, I'm sorry I just came barreling into your serious thread with my pun.

You’re such a cock.

But I guess when you get a good pun going you just have to unload it somewhere.

Phylum · #27 07-21-2012, 03:26 AM

When I think up a good pun I just get so fired up that I can't contain myself.

MeechMunchie · #28 07-21-2012, 04:19 AM

Well, if your aim was to release that, I hope you've met your target.

Havoc · #29 07-21-2012, 04:23 AM

So many puns! You are all tasteless human beings! Welcome to the club.

Manco · #30 07-21-2012, 04:28 AM

I hope they get banned so we can all be shot of them.