Do you think the movie theater in Aurora, CO should stay closed permanently?

[Luanne]

The theater in Aurora, Colorado where the shooting occured is opening again tomorrow. They changed the front of the building and even renamed the theater. Several of the victim's family members are all upset that they are opening it again. What do you think? Should it stay closed forever?

[Night Elf]

I'm not sure I follow their thought processes. Bad things happen in all kinds of places but they aren't all shut down because of it. They are obviously still hurting and maybe it would make them sad to see people enjoying that space again?

[Tenaj]

It's so hard to put yourself in the victim's families places. I can understand their heartache and I'm sure in their place I would never, ever in a million years, ever be able to walk into that movie theater again. But . . . this is a business and closing permanently would probably cause financial issues for the owners. No idea who owns it, but even for a corporation, someone has to bear the costs of the decision so I would say, open it. It seems they've made every effort to be sensitive with their changes and even changing the name. I'm not sure what sense there would be in leaving it closed.

[Tammi K]

The theatre owners were victimized just as much as everyone else. Granted, damage to your business is in no way as grievous as a loss of life. But, why should the business owners be forced to pay further for the act of one psychopath?

[AK_Mom4]

I agree. It's a business. The folks that own it can reopen it if they choose.

 

 

[Mrs Mungo]

Ford's Theater in Washington DC is still a working theater. Gettysburg Battlefield features a museum, re-enactments and fun for the family. The WTC is being rebuilt. No, I don't think it should stay closed forever.

[meggie]

Of course it should not stay closed permanently. I understand their pain (I'm from Littleton, CO). Even Columbine had to be reopened. Other schools have to be reopened. I understand they might want to think that life is put on hold. It's hard after a tragedy like that to think of the world continuing to spin, life moving on, but it does. That's just reality.

[Luanne]

double post

[Luanne]

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who feels this way. I understand that this is difficult for the families, but life does have to go on.

[Renthead Mommy]

No, the multiplex should not stay closed forever. However I can't image ever watching a movie in that one theater.

 

I think the best thing they could have done is close down that one theater. Make it a memorial room. Make it an office. Make it something.

 

Closing that one theater would not make much of a difference financially.

 

But on the other hand, imagine walking past the "Memorial theater" on your way to your movie in the one next door.

 

I guess I don't know. There really isn't a right answer.

[Parrothead]

i wouldn't have thought it would be closed this long.

[Dandelion]

No, it should not stay closed.

 

I can't imagine the loss the families and friends of the victims have experienced. But that business and its employees have been negatively impacted too. And it's not just about the losses - it's also about power. When perpetrators of such heinous crimes are able to not only take lives, but permanently alter the scene of their crime (by closing down a business, etc.), in a sense they've just "won" again. Permanently closing the theater would just expand the reach and impact of this crime. I'm glad the theater is reopening.

[ChristusG]

Wow, I had no idea it had been closed this long. I'm surprised it has not been reopened sooner. While the loss to the families was great, the business owner should not be penalized due to some crazy guy on a shooting spree.

[QueenCat]

i wouldn't have thought it would be closed this long.

 

 

I was surprised to hear that it was just now re-opening.

[nukeswife]

I agree that it should not be permanently closed. I understand the families are grieving, but you can't close every place something bad happens. If that were the case they shouldn't be rebuilding WTC, they should not have a re-opened any of the schools that were the scenes of horrific tragedy. Have they closed the store and roped off the parking lot where Gabby Giffords was shot and others killed? No, because it's just not reasonable to think all places where someone was killed to be closed forever.

[runbikeswim]

I think they need to reopen. That said, I personally could never step foot in there.

[K&Rs Mom]

No, the multiplex should not stay closed forever. However I can't image ever watching a movie in that one theater.

 

I think the best thing they could have done is close down that one theater. Make it a memorial room. Make it an office. Make it something.

 

Closing that one theater would not make much of a difference financially.

 

But on the other hand, imagine walking past the "Memorial theater" on your way to your movie in the one next door.

 

I guess I don't know. There really isn't a right answer.

 

 

That's an interesting thought. Until seeing this thread, it never occurred to me that the whole place wasn't already reopened. Would making that room a memorial give that guy an ongoing power in the community, and encourage copycats? Would making it just another theater in the multiplex take something away from the victims like nothing important happened? I would think the people who survived that night, and the families of those who didn't, probably won't ever go to that multiplex again, survivors may not go to any theater again. Where does that leave the thousands of people in town who weren't involved in any way, and the business owners who had nothing to do with it but now have hard decisions to make? I agree with you that there isn't a right answer, certainly not an obvious answer.