To the editor:

I was just pulling out of Topeka Library’s parking lot when news of the Aurora, Colo., shootings began broadcasting on NPR. It was one of those moments, like Kennedy’s assassination and the attacks on the twin towers in New York, that in its unimaginable terribleness, stops time, indelibly marking the place we were when it occurred forever in our memories.

A later NPR report indicated that, despite the shooting, “The Dark Knight Rises” had been the No. 1 box office draw last weekend. This film should be immediately pulled by the production company. There is already more than enough violence in the real world. Why do people need these terrible films, with their sinister, sadistic plots and characters? Heath Ledger’s early death from drug overdose, as well as James Holmes’ shooting spree cannot be separated from the nightmare effect that these dark films have on the sensitive minds of their actors and viewers.

Please, out of respect for those whose lives were lost, do not patronize theaters that are showing this movie. It’s time to stand up for decency and integrity in our entertainment venues. It’s time to stop production companies from making films like “The Dark Knight” by refusing to go see them. Since it seems that the money is the driving force behind any movie, those that have no audience will soon be taken off the market.

Think hard before you step out the door to your next movie. Ask yourself why you want to see it. If you are simply seeking “entertainment,” try the classics. There are better films than “The Dark Knight.”