chasfm11 wrote:We are in violent agreement. While it isn't perfect, the Tea Party seems to offer a way to advance many of the ideas that you have outlined. I also think that we, as individuals, can do a lot within our communities. The old idea of never discussing religion and politics has never been honored on the Liberal side. I routinely trot out my pet ideas on several of the topics you listed whenever the social situation provides me an opportunity. I've found more and more people willing to listen, especially if I just ask questions and point them to sources of information. Perhaps that is as close to the grassroots education process as I can do.VMI77 wrote: More broadly we have to eject liberals from power wherever possible, get control of our schools back and reverse the collectivist liberal indoctrination, make people accountable for their behavior at all levels of society, be they children, politicians, bankers, TSA bureaucrats, or school principals (focusing on making the leadership accountable, not the rank and file), and expose and educate as many people as possible to the concepts of individual responsibility for self-defense to reverse the current collectivist orientation. Given the fact that the bankers and politicians conspired to loot the country in the biggest theft and fraud in the history of the world and got away with it Scot free, I'm not optimistic about any political solutions. That pretty much leaves grassroots style education and outreach as our only options.
Back closer to the topic, I'd still like to hear more ideas about what to do if faced with a similar situation. I like the idea of having the theater's phone number on my cell phone speed dial and think that my stepping out into the hallway to use it would preserve my anonymity while not allowing a teen gang of thugs to ruin my movie experience or opportunity. I suspect that it isn't economically feasible for the theater management to have a member of their staff in every showing in every theater but if the did some "behavior" profiling and put someone in where there were large groups of teens to proactively preempt disruptions, that might help the situation. I do recognize that management actions like that could be viewed in a negative light from several angles. Clearly, there is no easy way for the theater to address the ills of society either.
I'd argue that if a theater can't provide a safe venue for its customers and make a profit it shouldn't remain in business. But I have to admit some skepticism, since I've been to restaurants that have armed guards stationed in the parking lot --fairly small enterprises. I realize theater economics are different but Excalibur mentioned a theater he attends that hires off duty police officers for security, so I'm inclined to think that a theater that isn't taking such measures has made a conscious decision to trade customer safety for higher profit --or they're a marginal business that isn't going to last. I'll say though, that regardless of the economics, I don't think it's practical to use a staff member for such purposes because such exposure would be much too dangerous for someone without proper training or support.