A close call at the movies

[Little-Acorn]

http://opinionjournal.com

A Close Call at the Movies

by James Taranto
"Best of the Web Today"
July 31, 2012

An employee at a Cookeville, Tenn., movie theater called police the other night "after seeing a man with a holstered pistol walk into the theater," WSMV-TV reports. The movie was briefly stopped after officers responded to the scene. The cops asked if anyone was carrying a gun.

Three men stood up.

"The officers explained the [theater] policy prohibiting weapons and asked the men to return their guns to their vehicles, which police said they did." All three men had proper permits for their firearms. Police said the theater sign showing that weapons are prohibited was not large enough to be seen easily, so officers advised that it should be made more visible. http://www.wsmv.com/story/19137384/3-people-carry-guns-into-movie-theater-in-putnam-county

Thank goodness there was no violence in the theater that night, with the crowd left defenseless like that.

----------------------------------------------

I've often wondered: Suppose I go to a public place like a movie theater, a store, or etc. that has a sign displayed saying "No firearms allowed", and so I leave my carry piece outside locked in my car trunk. Some nutcase goes in there and starts blazing away and hurts or kills me.

Is the theater or store responsible for protecting me, since they took it upon themselves to prohibit me from doing it myself? And are they therefore liable for any damage or injuries I sustain from the nutcase who shot me?

[Dilloduck]

Hopefully they immediately hired an armed rent a cop.

[Little-Acorn]

Hopefully they immediately hired an armed rent a cop.

Or took down the sign.

[aboutime]

How bout this?

From this day forward. If you live anywhere within the borders of the United States of Socialist America....you just ignore, disobey, forget, and pretend THERE ARE NO LAWS.
Let's go back to the early 1800's. Like around the days of THE OK CORRAL era, when everyone who could...carried a gun, or a pair of guns wherever they went.

Jump ahead to 2012, and let's make ROAD RAGE, DRIVE-BY'S and MURDER FOR HIRE legal. Forget the Constitution. Forget having a police force, and a military.

In fact. Let's just do away with all forms of Government, and go back to what everyone really wants...as in "A FREE-FOR-ALL" where everything YOU own becomes the property of Whoever feels jealous, or angry that YOU shouldn't have what they want, but can't afford.

Make everything FREE. Send all of your bills to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington DC, and demand that the occupant DECLARE MARTIAL LAW...just long enough for you to steal anything you want, live whereever you want, and take all of the money from your bank of choice.
Let us know how all of that works out.

I'll be sitting at my front door....With my Two Uncle's....SMITTY, AND WESSON.

[Little-Acorn]

Let's go back to the early 1800's.

That was actually a more peaceful time than today. While shootings occasionally happened, they were much more rare than today's plethora of gangbangers, domestic violence incidents, big-city shootings, etc.

That aside, your hysterical rant is very entertaining!

[Dilloduck]

How bout this?

From this day forward. If you live anywhere within the borders of the United States of Socialist America....you just ignore, disobey, forget, and pretend THERE ARE NO LAWS.
Let's go back to the early 1800's. Like around the days of THE OK CORRAL era, when everyone who could...carried a gun, or a pair of guns wherever they went.

Jump ahead to 2012, and let's make ROAD RAGE, DRIVE-BY'S and MURDER FOR HIRE legal. Forget the Constitution. Forget having a police force, and a military.

In fact. Let's just do away with all forms of Government, and go back to what everyone really wants...as in "A FREE-FOR-ALL" where everything YOU own becomes the property of Whoever feels jealous, or angry that YOU shouldn't have what they want, but can't afford.

Make everything FREE. Send all of your bills to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington DC, and demand that the occupant DECLARE MARTIAL LAW...just long enough for you to steal anything you want, live whereever you want, and take all of the money from your bank of choice.
Let us know how all of that works out.

I'll be sitting at my front door....With my Two Uncle's....SMITTY, AND WESSON.

Once you get rid of the government I don't have to worry about anyone stealing from me.

[jimnyc]

I'd have to find an article, but there was a similar incident a couple of days ago in Colorado of all places, about 25 miles or so from Aurora. Also guns banned within the theater, but they didn't let this gent return his firearm to his car, he was arrested.

Here's an article:

http://www.salisburypost.com/News/073012-WEB-Colorado-Shootings-Theat-qcd

[Kathianne]

Sssshhhh. I know of several theaters in certain Illinois county that have hired round the clock off duty police officers, (not rent-an-security guard). Plan on doing for foreseeable future. Businesses in the town that have signed up for years for cops that want 2nd job: furrier, banks, car dealerships. Now movie theaters.

[jafar00]

Thank goodness there was no violence in the theater that night, with the crowd left defenseless like that.


When I go out to the movies the last thing on my mind is making sure I'm ready for a gun fight. This kind of mentality is screwy.

[Little-Acorn]

When I go out to the movies the last thing on my mind is making sure I'm ready for a gun fight. This kind of mentality is screwy.

Your choice.

[darin]

The "wild west" had FAR less crime than, say, Modern Chicago. In fact, the "Wild West' was much more peaceful than even the big cities back east during that time period.

[logroller]

FWIW, if nobody had seen the gun, I doubt anything would have come of it. Out of sight, out of mind.
As for lawsuits, violent or not, any injury which happens on your property are leave you potentially liable.

[logroller]

I'd have to find an article, but there was a similar incident a couple of days ago in Colorado of all places, about 25 miles or so from Aurora. Also guns banned within the theater, but they didn't let this gent return his firearm to his car, he was arrested.

Here's an article:

http://www.salisburypost.com/News/073012-WEB-Colorado-Shootings-Theat-qcd

I hope they don't start searching patrons; what charge is it for sneaking in candy?

[Little-Acorn]

FWIW, if nobody had seen the gun, I doubt anything would have come of it. Out of sight, out of mind.
As for lawsuits, violent or not, any injury which happens on your property are leave you potentially liable.

Wouldn't surprise me if a few other patrons were carrying concealed, and prudently kept their mouths shut when the cops stopped the movie and asked who was carrying guns.

Not only in that theater, but also in others across the country.

There are still a few in this country who think it's a BAD idea to get caught in a public place with some nutcase blazing away, and with nothing they could do to protect themselves.

Many millions of households in this country have at least one gun. If it's not for situations like this, what IS it for?

[fj1200]

Is the theater or store responsible for protecting me, since they took it upon themselves to prohibit me from doing it myself? And are they therefore liable for any damage or injuries I sustain from the nutcase who shot me?

Only if they were negligent. The person who injured you is the person responsible. Besides, property rights trump the second.


Many millions of households in this country have at least one gun. If it's not for situations like this, what IS it for?

Protection against a tyrannical government of course.

[Little-Acorn]

Only if they were negligent.
They instituted a "No Guns" policy. I obeyed it an came in without my gun. Then they let the nutcase in WITH his gun(s), and as a direct result I got injured. Yes, the nutcase is principally responsible, of course. But there is some ancillary responsibility where the theater failed to enforce its policy adequately, after disarming most patrons (such as moi). Ask any ambulance chaser - they will tell you the theater WAS negligent.


Besides, property rights trump the second.
Not exactly, though the result comes out that way. In fact, the theater cannot take my gun away... but they CAN ban anyone they want to, for any reason... such as people carrying guns, if that's what they want to do. If I don't like it, I don't have to enter the theater, and can take my money and my patronage elsewhere.

I can't take your gun away from you, either. But I can say, "I don't want you to bring your gun into my house". If I say that, then you have the option of either voluntarily leaving your gun outside or in your own house etc.... or deciding not to enter my house. I can't take your gun away, but I can refuse you permission to enter my house. I can't ban guns from my house... but I can ban people carrying them, if I want to. If I do, then anyone bringing a gun in, is violating the law... against trespassing.


Protection against a tyrannical government of course.
That's the main reason for the 2nd amendment, of course. But it isn't the only reason. Protecting myself against common criminals, counts too.

[jimnyc]

I hope they don't start searching patrons; what charge is it for sneaking in candy?

Tossed out of the theater! At least here in the Tri-State area, bringing in your own food or candy is a no no! We used to bring in HUGE bags of popcorn when we were kids to save money. Now it's forbidden altogether.

[jimnyc]

My opinion - if someone earns a permit to carry, this carry shouldn't be limited unless going to a secure location; such as federal locations and buildings, airports or other places with beefed up security. I know in hindsight you say that if guns were banned from the movies that this stuff never would have happened. Negative to that. It would have just ensured that law abiding carriers don't bring them in. Does anyone think James Holmes searched ahead of time to see if guns were forbidden in the theaters or not?

[Nukeman]

My opinion - if someone earns a permit to carry, this carry shouldn't be limited unless going to a secure location; such as federal locations and buildings, airports or other places with beefed up security. I know in hindsight you say that if guns were banned from the movies that this stuff never would have happened. Negative to that. It would have just ensured that law abiding carriers don't bring them in. Does anyone think James Holmes searched ahead of time to see if guns were forbidden in the theaters or not?

I will have to dig but I believe that is EXACTLY what he did, he researched the theaters that have NO GUN policies... I will see what I can find...

[fj1200]

They instituted a "No Guns" policy. I obeyed it an came in without my gun. Then they let the nutcase in WITH his gun(s), and as a direct result I got injured. Yes, the nutcase is principally responsible, of course. But there is some ancillary responsibility where the theater failed to enforce its policy adequately, after disarming most patrons (such as moi). Ask any ambulance chaser - they will tell you the theater WAS negligent.

I'll ask a non-ambulance chaser and get a different opinion. But that is a questionable line of reasoning that you're following as almost every gun proponent has asserted that guns don't kill people, people kill people. Your hurdle for negligence is far higher than the case you just made.


Not exactly, though the result comes out that way. In fact, the theater cannot take my gun away... but they CAN ban anyone they want to, for any reason... such as people carrying guns, if that's what they want to do. If I don't like it, I don't have to enter the theater, and can take my money and my patronage elsewhere.

I can't take your gun away from you, either. But I can say, "I don't want you to bring your gun into my house". If I say that, then you have the option of either voluntarily leaving your gun outside or in your own house etc.... or deciding not to enter my house. I can't take your gun away, but I can refuse you permission to enter my house. I can't ban guns from my house... but I can ban people carrying them, if I want to. If I do, then anyone bringing a gun in, is violating the law... against trespassing.

More exactly than not based on you agreeing with my premise. You're free to come on my property at my invitation and you are free to bring your gun if you have my permission. Besides, I never said the theater could take your gun and I can easily ban guns from my house.


That's the main reason for the 2nd amendment, of course. But it isn't the only reason. Protecting myself against common criminals, counts too.

So we also agree that it is useful against a tyrannical government.