Aurora Massacre movie theater to reopen....Is it right?
 

Would you attend?



http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/02/us/col...ing/index.html



Relatives of nine people killed last summer at an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater said an invitation to attend an event on the eve of the remodeled complex's reopening is "disgusting" and "wholly offensive to the memory of our loved ones."

The Aurora Century 16 movie theater, where 12 people were killed and 58 were injured, is scheduled to reopen to the public January 18.

An e-mail sent to the families said Cinemark USA Inc. would hold a "special evening of remembrance" for invited guests the prior evening.

The invitation and the timing of it -- two days after Christmas -- infuriated relatives of nine of those killed. They signed a blunt letter to the theater chain's management.

"During the holiday we didn't think anyone or anything could make our grief worse but you, Cinemark, have managed to do just that," the letter began.

The letter calls the Cinemark event a publicity ploy from a company that is oblivious to the emotional strain on the families of the victims.

"Our family members will never be on this earth with us again and a movie ticket and some token words from people who didn't care enough to reach out to us, nor respond when we reached out to them to talk, is appalling," the letter reads.

The group says it will urge others to boycott "the killing field of our children."

"The theater has no immediate comment," a Cinemark spokeswoman said when reached by phone.

The invitation, sent through the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance, said a movie would follow a private ceremony at the remodeled theater complex.

It added: "We understand this may be a difficult time for you. Counselors will be available at the theater if you would like to speak to someone."

Read the full text of the letter on CNN affiliate KUSA

In December, the office of Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan announced the private event for victims and their families, first responders, local leaders and "to those working on the community healing process." The mayor and Gov. John Hickenlooper are expected to attend the event.

James Holmes is accused of going on a shooting spree during a midnight screening of the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" July 20, 2012, at the movie complex. He faces 152 charges.

Several victims' families and survivors have filed lawsuits against Cinemark USA, Inc.

Yeah. It's all the movie theatre's fault. I'm sorry they lost their loved ones, but suing the movie theatre and then calling them disgusting for reopening is pretty disgusting in itself. The movie theatre didn't shoot anyone.

Not necessarily "wrong", but business at the beginning could be tough.

As long as they show mostly bloody shoot em up movies.

Kind of what i was thinking. The public will vote with their wallets. Personally i wouldnt go there to see a movie. It just wouldnt feel right.

Business will be tough but I don't think they need to close their doors permanently over it. Should Sandy Hook shut down permanently as well?

Exactly.

Those kids don't need an education! Think of the deceased!

I think what has set most people off and is in bad taste (I read this in another article) is that the theater sent letters to the victims families to "hurry and reserve your tickets now" for the rememberance. (paraphrasing here). It made it sound like, to get people back in the theater, they were using the victims families as a ploy to get others back.

I have no problem with it re-opening, but the other article made it sound like they were going about it in a distasteful way. Sorry for not having a link.

Actually, i think they are discussing whether to reopen or shut it down permanantly and build a new school.

:eek:

Columbine reopened.

The Hyatt Regency remained open (I understand that doesn't quite fit the same category of loss of life).

I have no problem with the theater reopening and would attend a movie there.

You can be respectful of the victims while at the same time recognizing that life goes on.

Move on or "they win"

This. If you dont its almost like a big empty trophy for "them" .

Seems like bad timing that is likely mixed with some poor judgment on the side of the theater.

They could do a lot of stuff though to look very good in the aftermath of all this. Any number of things could help people get past what happened and build good will in the community. For instance, they could give that particular theater an honorary name to memorialize the victims. They could decide to show no more violent movies in that theater and show only G rated movies or comedies so "nothing but laughter is ever heard inside that room again" and use the other 15 theaters for the action type movies. Hell, set up some type of scholarship or community oriented charity and utilize that theater for raising money or playing free cartoons for the poor kids that can't afford to buy tickets.

Seems to me someone's knee jerk reaction to revive business backfired when it didn't have to.