We Need To Be Shocked And Horrified

I caught the midnight opening of Batman and was sad to hear about the tragedy in Colorado when I got home late that night. Many people have had much to say on it; some profound, some shameful. I don't think I have anything new to add on that topic, but I did want to say two things.

First, Dark Knight Rises is a good movie and I hope it still does well. Tragic chance connected the movie to this horror. Many people spent many years of work on the movie and it deserves a chance to do well.

Second, I wrote last week about taking small children into theaters. I wrote from a patron's perspective but mentioned that I also needed to write later about why it was a problem for the kids as well.

As I listened to and read various news accounts of the tragedy, one point added extra measure to the disturbing news... there were many young children.... at a midnight showing... of a very dark and violent movie. Parents brought their babies, toddlers, and young children to see The Dark Knight Rises at midnight.

I am truly befuddled that this even needs to be explained to parents, and I am going to be rather judgmental here, but I am going to say it - if you take a young child to see this movie YOU SUCK AS A PARENT! Really, I don't know how else to say it.

Again, this seems like it should be too obvious to have to go into the reasons why... but ok, let's remind ourselves. Why do small children think something is in their closet or under their bed? Why do they believe that fairies leave money for teeth? Why do they shower such affection on stuffed animals? Why can they be entertained for hours by something that would bore an adult within minutes?

It is because their imaginations are on over-drive... no, HYPER-drive! Prior to the age of 10, the line between fantasy and reality is VERY thin... reality and fantasy are often hopping back and forth over that line. Children's imaginations can whip them into bliss or terror with little effort. Yet parents all over our country are stuffing the minds of their children with terror.

I was listening to a news commentator talk about the therapy the children would need to process what occurred that night. The thing is, they would need it anyway. How different is large screen, DTS sound enhanced violence different from real violence in the mind of a six year old? ... both leave burning impressions with which that hyper-imagination will run wild.

As shocked and horrified as we all are about what happened that night due to the shooting, I wish Americans would start getting a little shocked and horrified about the violence that was being perpetrated on those children that night before a shot was even fired.