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Need to Know News: Batman movie massacre, 12 killed, 38 hurt; Battle for Damascus rages
Each day, we here at "Piers Morgan Tonight" put together the news you need to know – from what happened last night to what will happen today.
For July 20, 2012 – 12 killed, 38 hurt in shooting at Colorado theater during Batman movie screening; Syrian forces, rebels battle in Damascus as world remains divided on sanctions; Jeremy Lin excited to be in Houston...
• 12 killed, 38 hurt in shooting at Colorado theater during Batman movie screening: "A heavily armed gunman tossed tear gas into an Aurora, Colorado movie theater, then sprayed the audience with gunfire during an early morning screening of the new Batman movie, authorities said. Twelve people died and 38 were wounded."
• Syrian forces, rebels battle in Damascus as world remains divided on sanctions: "Syrian troops clashed with opposition fighters Friday as the battle for the capital advances relentlessly despite collapsed diplomatic efforts to impose sanctions against the regime."
• GOP senators block top Obama jobs initiative: "Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked the No.1 item on the president's congressional 'to-do-list,' refusing to allow a vote on a bill that would give tax breaks for companies that 'insource' jobs to the U.S. from overseas while eliminating tax deductions for companies that move jobs abroad."
• Corn, soybean prices shoot up as drought worsens: "The Midwest continues to suffer through its worst drought in more than 50 years and corn prices near record highs. Dry, scorching heat has pushed up corn prices more than 50% over the past five weeks."
• Jeremy Lin excited to be in Houston: "Jeremy Lin figured he'd be having this kind of news conference in New York. Instead, he was talking about his new deal with the Houston Rockets on Thursday on the same practice court where he worked in virtual anonymity seven months ago before he was waived."
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Have a look at your own home country and the FACTS, Mr. Morgan:
Despite the fact that Great Britain’s gun control policy is so strong, armed crime has continued to rise. From 1989 to 1996 armed crime increased by 500 percent (Malcolm 209). According to Joyce Malcolm, what the British ban of guns did was “remove the most basic right of all, the right to personal security” (210).
Today, in the United States, each state has there own set of gun control laws. In Texas a person only needs a permit to carry a gun. However, in New York a person needs a permit to buy a handgun. They also need to register it and carry a license as well as receive a permit to carry it (W7). Despite how easy it is to acquire a handgun and certain tragedies like the Columbine massacre, the murder rate by handguns has steadily decreased since 1994 (Torr 145).
The United States and Great Britain’s current differences in gun control policy are an effect of history. Although crime rates in the United States are much higher than in Great Britain, Great Britain’s armed crime rate is increasing while America’s is slowly decreasing. Do more guns mean more crime? Great Britain’s crime rates have increased since gun laws have become stricter, whereas in 1999 the United State’s murder rate hit a three year low (Malcolm 219).
W2: http://www.nrahq.org/history.asp
Malcolm, Joyce Lee. Guns and Violence: The English Experience. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2002
Torr, James D. Gun Violence: Opposing Viewpoints. California: Greenhaven Press, Inc, 2002
Perhaps Mr. Morgan would prefer that "12 dead and 59 injured by baseball bat" instead of gun. Now he would have to call for baseball bat control.
Go home Mr. Morgan. We've been solving our own problems since we kicked you Brits out 200 years ago. We need to kick you again? You only make good nannies and clerks. Not good problem solvers.
The UK, Canada, Austalia and all other commonwealth Countries are doing just fine thank you. We do not feel any less free because we do not carry guns asca matter of fact we feel more free. Yes we have gun crime but will never be as bad as it is in the US. I don't know how you people can go outside without fear. 30,000 a year die in the US. Wow
You in the UK, Australia, and Canada and most other industrialized nations are right. In the U.S. it is way too easy to kill a person. How can anyone defend the sale of semi-automatic assault rifles??? Are you kidding? I have managed to stay alive 55 years without ever feeling the need to own a gun. Once again, thank you Piers for your insight and attempt to enlighten others.
Joanne, don't fall for the simple argument. of course theses types of things are horrible, but so is an unchecked government. this can happen. Just think, what if there was an economic failure here like in the USSR, what about the folks that used assault rifles to defend their homes and business from looting during the LA riots or hurricane Katrina? if our society changes, outlaws will flood guns in for their personal use. look at Mexico right now, they have heavy gun control, why are there lots of armed cartels? i can site lots of examples, and your right, what if we dont need them? lets hope we dont, but if we do you will beg for a gun as the bad men come to do what they want with you and yours.
Chris,
If you need a sub-machine gun to defend your basic rights, then you need to leave America. After fighting for this country for over thirty years in the military, a 9 round clip and a 9MM is more then enough. I am not at war with America.
What a tragedy. We now live in a world where we can't even send our children to the movies without worrying about their safety. It is beyond scary and very depressing.
No surprise Republicans blocked yet another jobs initiative plan. Their main goal is to do everything they can to keep the unemployment rate high as long as Pres. Obama is in power. I hope the American people have caught on to the fact that the GOP does not care about them – they care about winning.
To Beth
Kids shouldn't be watching that kind of violent stuff in the first place nor should so called adults.
And what does the comment about Republicans and jobs hve to do with it anyhow.
Stick to the subject and leave out your politics.
Jim,
So you are saying that my kids should not have the right to watch a Batman movie but your kids should have the right to buy a pistol, shotgun, sub-machine gun and six thousand rounds of ammo. Who is lost?
Beth, next time it wont be a theater it will be a mall, or a fair, or a grade school. this has been happening for years, have you been in a comma? and before you and Pierce start blaming guns, the same type of destruction can be done with a car at a parade or doping heavy objects from a tall building in NY. it is not the tool it is the mind-set behind the crime.
Blame the guns, blame the guns, but don't blame the entertainment industry that promotes violence with film and video games..
Do you think maybe this madman may have got his idea from the promo for the movie that showed a gunman shooting up a movie theater? And also lets put the blame on TV that shows all types of violence. Or maybe the NRA is the culpert because they support gun rights. Piers Morgan should go to back to the UK and see how miserably it has failed as he should alread know and don't try to bring your Anti 2nd Ammendment Rights retoric to the USA. .
Jim, I don't know what your point is when you say kids shouldn't be watching this type of movie anyway. Is that really the point? This massacre could have happened during a viewing of Bambi.
Jim, if you look at the top of the page there are several topics covered including the GOP refusing to support another job incentive measure. Try to pay attention.
First it is very sad thing this tragedy happened. As far as the jobs incentive they thing that bothers me is that we as the American people are waiting for the government to fix this. They are a big part of why we are in this situation. Mr. President acts like its the big bad companies that put us in this situation. Bate to say it if you think Mr. President really cares. You need to wake up. I don't think Romney is going to fix this either. Quite honestly they all need to be thrown out. Back to the tragedy there is one sure way to stop this from happening punishment.
My friend Gracie was there with her speech group with boys and girls all over the country. Her friend was shot and now is in the hospital. I cant imagine what Gracie is going through. His name is Gabe or something like that.
This is a tragedy.and my prayers go out to the families. While watching TheVIEW on tv a couple of days ago It was said that Rush Limbaugh had said on his radio show.... " the Batman's filmmakers choice on Bane as the villian is a conspiricy"... We don't know if this caused this man to flip out or what..
are you an idiot? limbaugh simply repeated what other commentators on the left said before the movie came out. you obviously just repeat what you hear and have never listened to limbaugh. repeat this: lets have obama issue an executive order for the fed to enter private homes and remove all firearms...and then
he can give them to mexican drug cartels...how do you like that one?
Piers Morgan needs to go back to BBC British have Talent and he wasn't even good at that!
I think the perpetrator of this massacre planned it for quite awhile so I don't think we can blame Limbaugh's comments for it. However, his comments are very hateful, biased and often completely out of touch with reality. I think he enjoys trying to incite anger in people and that is a dangerous game to play.
Limbaugh's suggestion that the name 'bane' is a reference Bain Capital is pure paranoia (or another attempt to incite people). If you are listening Limbaugh, the word bane means "the cause of ruin or trouble; woe; poison" so it is a very clever name for a villian. No politics intended here Limbaugh. You are a pathetic man.
The only way to surpress these incidents,is to get rid of the weapons!
yeah, rosie – hope you have lots of padlocks on your doors and security fences/razor wire around your abode! why not move to the UK ? you only have to worry about Muslims with arms and bombs there.
Come take them....
I second that.
How many hunters do you think would continue hunting if their game could shoot back?
You are so right. The joker below lives in so much fear he deals he needs a gun to be safe, what kind of free democracy is that? We in Australia, Canada, UK sleep at night in peace we don't have to keep them under our Pillows for fear
It is solely the fault of the perpetrator. He should never be pictured nor given his "moment in the sun." When found guilty of mass murder, these types should be given a lethal injection, cremated and have their ashes disposed of in a sewer.
BTW: If a couple of movie-goers had been carrying legal weapons, this murderer would have been dropped before the mass carnage.
Exactly. We do have gun control or the perp would have been dropped immediately. Piers, pls go back to Limeyland, we don't need your idiotic two-cents (actually worth less by two).
Piers is calling for gun control.
Thats crazy..The criminals will always get guns if they want them but the normal citizen would then not be able to defend themselfs.
No only against people that want to harm them, but who knows maybe someday it will be a need to defend ourselfs against our own goverment.
And you will never see an invasion of our shore becuse our enemys know we are all armed.
Right on, and before Pierce starts blaming guns, the same type of destruction can be done with a car at a parade or doping heavy objects from a tall building in NY. it is not the tool it is the mind-set. he needs to go back to his Queen.
Several blogs report that Cinemark Theaters not only had a “No Firearms” policy, but was actually stupid/evil enough to actively enforce it. I hope they get sued, at least.
You probably still think this is a good thing. It's not. Law abiding citizens obey these policies. Criminals do not. When you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns.
In Colorado, many people are licensed to carry concealed weapons. It is a 'shall issue' state. Which means, if you have a clean criminal history and obtain proper training, they MUST issue you a permit. This is the trend in the nation. However the theatres corporate policy resulted in nobody being able to defend themselves.
You can make all the laws you want to outlaw guns. But you're just taking guns away from the citizens who need them. Criminals by definition to not honor the law. How many people must due before you liberals understand that?
PS: I guess what I'm saying is..... if citizens with CCW permits were allowed to carry in the theatre, how would that have changed the outcome? Nothing will prevent these types of people from doing what they do – but at least a CCW gives someone a fighting chance to save their own life and the lives of people around them. You can't always say "time out mr. bad man while I call 911".
you tube "Suzanna Gratia Hupp explains meaning of 2nd Amendment!" and you will understand more.
Dear America,
I know regulations scares you, but once again after we saw today still you keep on treasure the second amendment as it is today with no limitations.
Do still call this Freedom?
Grow up America, the Far West has been won decades ago.
We have to stop this.
All I can say is Thank You Giovanni!
America continues to get more and
More violent! Do I want a gun? I have increasingly been feeling like the time has come!
When Women are being threatened, harassed, stalked and killed Daily one knows the time has come.
I graduated from Columbine High, friends of mine had kids in school that awful day. It's about victimization!
Now every person in that theater is going to consider buying a gun. Victims can't beat them so they have to join them!
When and where does it stop? The cops don't listen to people who report suspect behavior! And until someone hurts you there is no recourse. So here we are.... America the violent video game!
I'm not pro gun nor against guns. I feel FORCED to defend & protect myself & my family. Once one has been a victim one is hyper vigillant EVERYWHERE one goes. So to you who have never been a victim wise up! To you who preach about pro gun use – great hope u never have to use it. For everyone else, are they just pawns in the sick game we call America?
Grow up is right. Please do. The right of Americans to own firearms, even those that are deemed "military-style" or the pathetic, inaccurate, and derogatory term "assault rifles," is an important factor in maintaining the very freedoms you enjoy every day. The 2nd Amendment provides a check and a balance against tyrannical government, and also provides innocent people the means to arm themselves against the James Holmes' and Jared Lee Laughner's of the world. You miss the point by miles if you think this is about winning the West.
Adi,
Wake up yourself? There is no more than five men shooting at you!!!! Take a class, learn how to use it. One simple pistol is all you need to defend yourself. All the mass murders of the world was a loners and the use of a sub-machine gun would kill only the innocent by standers. You will never have to fight the government, if so you would need more than that!
Piers, please post on the web page when the promoted SIgourny Weaver interview air? The thing is... when news or political events occur, we are blitzed with info from every source possible, on air and on line. By the time that you air at 9PM, I've yet to see you or any evening anchor add anything "new" to a day chuck full of reporting info from every angle. You've heard the term TALKING HEADS? If you want to be productive, hold an impromptu fund raiser (like the guy in Toronto) to help the victims and survivors pay for unexpected burial and medical expenses.
So back to my orginal question... When will the Sigourney Weaver interview be broadcast?
Heartfelt Prayers and Sympathy to the folks in Colorado.
Piers, We fought a revolution to escape your country's tyrannical influence. Leave our Bill Of Rights alone.
Amen.
There are too many nut cases out there to not have some limitations considered in our current gun laws. We just can't keep hiding behind the 2nd Amendment to buy high caliber guns that make no sense to have for personal protection. Who would need to buy a Magnum or an AK whatever to protect themselves from harm. These guns have continuous shooting capacity and I don't see why you would have to shoot some intruder more than 6 times, if need be. These AKS and Magnums are just treats for people who think that at some moment in their lives they can copy-cat James Bond or any of the video game heroes. I believe that our current laws make gun purchasing an easy ride for those people with sociopathic deceases. Most of us in America do not need to hunt for food, or work for law enforcement, or are living in the wild west, or in the middle of a civil war. Yet to count for more than 260 million guns or more in our population is outrageous. We become appalled every time we hear that a child has found a gun in his home and shoots a friend, when we hear about cases like what happened in Columbine and now in Colorado. Yet we can make comments that we need to have guns to protect ourselves against whatever MAY happen. This is exactly what George Zimmerman did when he felt threatened and already most people have judged him for carrying a gun for his protection. Is this what we are talking about? How easy it will be to make a close call judgement when you have 20-30 bullets to back you up. I am not totally against TOTAL gun control, because I do believe that for people who hunt, work in law enforcement, are in the military, or who are in everyday harms way, SHOULD be able to purchase guns appropriate for attack probabilities. But we need to control the purchase of AKS and high caliber warfare guns just to have for maybes or what if's. It really makes no sense to have guns of this sort for everyday personal protection. Most people will argue against my opinion until you or a family member is the victim of a senseless crimes like the on ones in Colorado.
The 2nd Amendment isn't necessarily about personal defense against violence in individual scenarios. Its primary function is to serve as check and a balance against tyrannical government. The way you talk about guns and the 2nd Amendment, it's apparent that you don't know much about either of them.
I totally agree with everything you said...AMEN.....
Agreeing with Mairto....
you sound like someone who is only familiar with guns from watching movies. I doubt you have ever shot a gun in your life.
let me tell you a few things: when you shoot a bad person, they do not fly through the window behind them. they may not even drop immediately. there may be *multiple* bad guys. the one guarantee you have in a situation like this is that there are no guarantees. so why would you want to limit the only means you have to defend yourself?
I believe everyone on this forum who has posted something stupid like this should keep their mouth shut until they actually get some training and see how it REALLY is. Only then will you be qualified to open your word hole.
Way to stand up to the professor from Denver University! He really doesn't get it...
No kidding. Good job, Piers.
Gun-control lectures from a Brit. Sheesh. This man is not a journalist, since he's using this incident to push for gun control. I agree that buying 6K rounds should raise a flag and get someone some attention, but I wish everyone would consider the following: Guns are made to kill people; cars are not. Yet there are THREE TIMES as many deaths by car than by guns. Obviously, gun owners are vastly more responsible and less destructive than people behind the wheel of a car.
Piers , why don't you go back to England !
Just because 1 wing nut shoots up a theater don't mean we need more gun control .
We need to have government control. If the B A T F E can let guns go to Mexico . How can we expect them to stop them to keep the wrong people from getting firearms.
JUST REMEMBER guns don't kill people , people kill people!
If you don't like the second amendment , go back to England to obey your queen . If you want to change our country and our values . You don't belong here. How about changing the freedom of speech , now shut up!!!!!
Mr. Morgan:
Keep your personal politics out of Colorado's tragedy. It is now 8:00 p.m., and our dead, whose names have not even been released, were removed a few short hours ago from the theater where this occurred. But predictably, it took only a few short minutes after this shooting happened for the usual suspects to start politicizing and re-inventing the agenda.
For the record, right now the 'agenda' is the care of the wounded, notifications of families, the respectful laying to rest of the dead, and comfort to families and the community, including our police officers. Colorado has taken enough of a whipping this summer without a pompous Brit sermonizing from his mount about what's ailing America. You benefit from America's First Amendment, so hit your knees, be grateful for your opportunities made possible because we rejected the oppressive ideology of the divine right of kings, and leave your lobbying out of our state's deeply painful loss.
A Coloradan who doesn't need Britain's opinion
Each time we have a massacre like this, no one wants to discuss the real issues....Gun Control!!!! Yes, this is America....sadly to say!!! Until we as a people begin dealing with the socio-economic issues, the culture of ignorance, fear, hate, racism, & poverty....these massacres will continue to occur. The pathology of America is that we are breeding a culture of Psychopaths!!!
about a minute ago · Like
No not so much....no one has said let's not talk about it. What some have said is don't politicize a tragedy.
This is not a call to "deal with socio-economic issues"...you know, since this isn't such an issue....it's a time to manage a crisis, care for the victims, and secure the residence of the perpetrator since he booby-trapped it, hoping to kill more people, particularly our emergency responders.
Trotting out "racism" and "poverty" is unhelpful to what has happened here.
Thank you so much Piers for bringing some sanity to the gun control conversation. There is NO need for any of us to own an assault rifle, or to have access to arsm and ammunition online. Are you kidding? It's so inappropriate. Other nations are so much smarter than us when it comes to gun control.
There no need for you to have a car that can exceed the speed limit.
I agree.
Many of us enjoy hunting and Shooting Sports. Guns bought online are sent to Federally Licensed (byATF) dealers where you pick them up and still go through back ground check.SORRY THERE IS A NEED to have access Online for it is called one of the freedoms we enjoy. There is no NEED for violent movies like Batman. You want to ban them also?.
I agree. I do not think anyone should own a gun. I think that guns should be completely banned everywhere. The idea that President Obama wants to tighten up security background checks for people who want to purchase guns is ridiculous. This insane monster had a perfect background check and killed 12 people and committed the biggest massacre in US History. There needs to be a big change in this world.
Batman type movies should be illegal. These type of movies cause these types of carnage.
this guy was crazy plain and simple. this is not the time to debate the 2nd amendment, but since you did i will follow up. all you ever here about is the carnage. you may be surprised to know that everyday, you come in contact with multiple legal carry gun owners actively carrying and you never even know it because they are responsible. Anti gun folks always use tragedy to try and win the argument because they don't have a foundation for their debate platform. they need the fuel to win the argument. you will never win because the numbers do not support your politics. whenever folks quote large numbers of gun related death, the bulk of the numbers are from gangs. those folks will never give up the guns, only honest folks will, who do you want to be armed.
What gives you the right to stir up Gun Control? As you said there are as many guns as citizens. If you place MORE controls the Criminals and Wackos will still get them and the rest of the Citizens than need to protect themselves or enjoy hunting and shooting sports will not. Are you even an American Citizen?
THe guest on piers Morgan was very ignorant.We need to address mental illnessParents or guardians have to e able to admit someone when they are not capable of knowing how sick they are.The news is filled with mentally ill people and drug addicted people.Many movies or laws cater to these people.And of course there is no need for anyone to have an assault weapon.Spend a week addressing mental illness.
This man is not suffering mental illness. Let's just be clear about that. He is trying to play the entire courtroom including the world. He planned this for months and has no emotion. He is a sick and twisted monster. Guns need to be banned completely. We need to take action on this. When is the world going to be a safer place.. Please don't blame this tragedy on mental illness.. It was the farthest thing from it.
This was a horrific tragedy. This man is sick and the way he killed 12 people and injured more than 3 dozen others was the most disgusting thing i have ever heard in my entire life. He deserves the death penalty. Life in jail would be too kind for this monster. The president and the government need to be aware that guns need to be banned from this Country. This is the second massacre in Colorado and i pray to god it's the last. My heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones. I'm sorry this happend and my prayers and thoughts are with you.
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