'Dark Knight Rises' Tragedy, a Problem with Parenting?

As the tragic details of the shooting at the 'Dark Knight Rises' premier in Aurora, Co. were released, I was surprised to see so much focus on the parenting skills of the victims.

First, it came out that a 3 month old was taken to the hospital which led people to question what a 3 month old was doing at the movie. While I personally have not brought an infant to a movie, if the infant remains sleeping what harm could it really do. Maybe the parents involved simply didn’t have a babysitter. Sure they could have waited to see it when it came out on DVD/Blu-ray, but it is their right to see it in the theater like everyone else. As long as the baby isn’t crying during the movie, then it’s fine by me.

Then, information came out about a 6 year old victim. This is when I got really fired up! Not because these parents took their 6 year child to the movie, but because people were questioning why they would do so, and taking it further to say that they are now paying the price of poor parenting!

Really?! Poor Parenting?! They are paying the price because some guy decided to open fire on a theater full of people! No one said I’m going to take my 6 year old to the movies in hopes of getting shot!

It’s a PG-13 movie about an iconic superhero. A Superhero loved by children around the world, so why would you be surprised to see a child there?! It’s Summer, there’s no school in the morning, so why not give your Batman loving child the experience of a midnight premier? Might the violence of the movie have been too much for a 6 year old? Maybe, but that’s up to the parents to decide based on their child and their experiences. Had there not been a tragic shooting at this movie, no one would have even stopped to think about this child attending the movie. Had there not been a tragic shooting, the parents could have discussed the language and violence with their child after the movie. It may have even turned into an excellent parenting decision to teach the difference between right and wrong. It would certainly have been a great memory of time spent with parents.

The parents will never get to have their positive Batman memory; not because of their decision, but because of the killer’s decision.

Don’t make this tragedy a discussion of parenting or politics. It’s a senseless act of violence. What happened, happened. The victims need our support, not our judgement. The only one to blame is the one who pulled the trigger.

5 comments:

  1. amen! couldnt have said it better myself! I didnt know poeople were critizing those parents but that is just REDICULOUS to blame them for something someone else clearly did. Geez now I am all fired up!

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  2. I have sat here, debating on this very post. Telling myself to keep my mouth shut for a change, not to stir the pot.

    Then I saw your link and I'm feeling like, WTH! She did it for me. I still may post about this later on, I really am undecided.

    Who are we, any of us to judge another - especially in any instance of tragedy. I don't have to agree or disagree with their parenting choices to know that this entire ordeal is a heart-wrenching tragedy.

    I guess while I'm speaking my mind then I'll go ahead and say this. The human (using that term loosely) is the one that done this, the gun didn't make any decisions. Granted I may be opening a whole other can of worms but where I live, if you're gonna' shoot it, you better be ready to clean it, cook it and eat it.

    An object doesn't make plans, a mind does.

    But by damned, stop judging others!

    (I do feel a little better now.)

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  3. Absolutely positively true. I can tell you (and I am a professional in child welfare, for over a decade now) that if my son had wanted to go and see Batman at midnight... I'd have said, sure... why not. It's rated PG-13, he will fall asleep in the first 10 minutes anyway, and exactly... it is summer.

    The hours my child sleeps, the movies he sees, the toys he plays with (yes I bought him barbies AND action figures thankyou very much... and a toy kitchen with an apron), the school he attends, the shoes he does or doesn't wear.... those are all up to me as his parent.

    As long as I'm not leaving marks or bruises, neglecting his physical health, exposing him to violence (real violence, not make believe) etc... it's between me and my family.

    Very well written, and thank you. I see you already saw my post on how I had the conversation with my son at http://www.so-calledgeek.com (it's the post dated 7/20/12)

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  4. Yes. That this has become an issue during the aftermath of this horrific massacre is ridiculous.

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  5. The kids didn't get shot because they were at a midnight movie.

    They got shot because a psycho busted in and started shooting people.

    People need to STFU and mind their own business and stop blaming the victims.

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