I was horrified to wake up this morning to the news about the Dark Knight Rises shooting in Denver. I grew up in Aurora and used to get my Hello Kitty fix at that same mall. But the most heartbreaking part of this story, to me, is that there were children at that theater.
Among the reports was this shocking detail: The youngest person injured was a 4-month-old baby. OMG! Thankfully it turns out that may have been a FALSE report. I'm hearing that the baby was not injured, just taken to the hospital, treated, and released.
Meanwhile someone on my Facebook stream said she was baffled as to why there would be a 4-month-old at a midnight movie. Are we really doing that already -- judging the parents who brought that baby?
It's not what I ever did, but it's pretty common. Parents sometimes bring their babies to the movies. If you happen to have a heavy sleeper (and your baby would have to be a really heavy sleeper to make it through a loud action movie like Dark Knight), it just makes sense to bring the baby with you and let her sleep rather than paying for a sitter. Hopefully if the baby wakes, you're considerate of the other audience members and you step outside the theater. But anyway, most 4-month-old babies are not exactly on the kind of bedtime schedule school-aged kids get on. Who cares what time they're up?
More from The Stir: Shooting at 'Dark Knight Rises' Midnight Premiere Kills At Least a Dozen People (VIDEO)
But worse than that, this is just an incredibly insensitive time to be wagging disapproving fingers at the parents of children who were in that theater. Apparently there were other kids there. And so what? When a parent weighs the risk of taking their kids to a midnight movie, they're not considering the possibility that there might be a shooter there! It's summer. School is not in session.
Parents of kids who were in the theater last night need our support and compassion right now. Not our judgment.
**Update on baby** Jamie Rohrs describes how he felt holding his baby, Ethan, as James Holmes opened fire on the audience.
Have you ever taken a baby to the movies late at night?
Image via Elizabeth/Table45/Flickr
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Comments 458
At least they took their baby with them instead of leaving th poor baby at hom alone. I know they must feel bad for their baby being there when it went down. I do sympathize with the parents.
I read on that link and someone said they parent's should be questioned for abuse. Really they didn't hit there kids they just wanted a night out with them and enjoy a good movie. How did they know that some crazy man was going to come in and shot up the place. We should not judge the parents for what they did instead give them support because that's what they need right now but everyone who was there should get everyone support.
Yes the four month old and the sixth month old were shot... and nooooo children do not belong at adult midnight movies. NOT because they might get shot but because you should have some consideration for the comfort of the other people around you. The movies around here would not even have let you in. Rated R movies wont even let under 18 in with and adult in after 9:00... .. WHY? because adults deserve ADULT time!
The only one who should be judged is the gunman. The parents probably figured the baby would just sleep through the movie. They know their baby's sleep habits better than we do. The victim blaming just needs to stop. After murders, rapes, and many other crimes, people are too quick to point to the victims and say, "Why were they in that situation to begin with?" instead of placing blame with the right person, the one who committed the crime.
I am baffled that they had a 4 month old baby at a movie period.
I would NEVER take a very young child out that late for anything short of an emergency, or honestly special occasion.
That being said, its not my/your baby, so who cares why the parents had the kid out? Seriously? I think with a shooting, there's much bigger things to worry about than an overtired child, or inconsideration to the other patrons.
No they shouldn't be judged. Its a personal parenting decision and an unforeseen incident.
I bet those parents are feeling really terrible. Seriously, who needs to see a movie THAT bad to see it at midnight, and to bring the baby to boot? sigh.