Charges Against Alex Baldwin Being Dropped

The fact is, when it's your project, you're responsible. You hire people to do a job and think they're competent, but that doesn't mean they are. You have to triple check everything because you are responsible for everything and must make sure any job that has been assigned to someone else has been properly executed.

It was Baldwin's project. He didn't do his job and someone died because of his negligence.
 
It is around 60 years since I was in the Military,
but I still remember what to do when handling
a weapon, check the number to make sure that
it is your gun, check that it is unloaded and empty
of ammunition, after that you can do what you like
with it, you don't practice, pretend shooting, till
after those checks.

Mike.
 
Pepper said:
I support the charges against Alec Baldwin being dropped.
Click to expand...
He failed to follow both film industry guidelines and common gun safety rules. You don't point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger, no mater what, even if you believe it safe and unloaded. That's why I think the charges should stand, at least let a judge and jury decide...

His treatment will be an example, good or bad. Makes what happens more important than most.

Others also being guilty is no defense.
Pepper said:
Andrew Lester case worse and he ain't no movie star, just an old white man.
Click to expand...
I think you are probably right about that, even being an old white man myself.
 
Last edited:
I never thought Baldwin should have been charged in the first place. Yes, he was in charge of the production, but there is a limit to his responsibility. If the film director put the wrong speed film in the camera, should Balwin have triple checked to see if the correct film was loaded up? Then triple checked the script writer, then triple checked the boom operator, then triple checked the payroll clerk, then triple checked the crafts people, then triple checked the guard at the gate, then triple check.........At some point, the producer has to rely on his staff. And there was nothing to suggest to him that anything was amiss with the firearm.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I never thought Baldwin should have been charged in the first place. Yes, he was in charge of the production, but there is a limit to his responsibility. If the film director put the wrong speed film in the camera, should Balwin have triple checked to see if the correct film was loaded up? Then triple checked the script writer, then triple checked the boom operator, then triple checked the payroll clerk, then triple checked the crafts people, then triple checked the guard at the gate, then triple check.........At some point, the producer has to rely on his staff. And there was nothing to suggest to him that anything was amiss with the firearm.
Click to expand...
Makes no difference, he pointed the gun and pulled the trigger, be the same if he had been the janitor...
 
Old Salt said:
Baldwin was not to blame in this tragedy!
Click to expand...
Don't you think that someone who violates film industry guidelines for gun handling bears some responsibility for the result?

I cited several of these guidelines in earlier threads, could dig them all up if it would help. In a nutshell they say that no one should point gun at someone no matter if loaded or not, that is exactly what Baldwin did. Here is one example of such guidance from the Screen Actors Guild that I could find quickly, there are others:

Treat all weapons as though they are loaded and/or ready to use. Do not play with weapons and never point one at anyone, including yourself.
https://www.sagaftra.org/files/safety_bulletins_amptp_part_1_9_3_0.pdf

The guideline also states:

AS AN ACTOR, YOU ARE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY AND THE SAFETY Of YOUR FELLOW CAST MEMBERS.

Had Baldwin followed this guideline no one would have been hurt.

Sure others have blame for this, probably more so than Baldwin, but that doesn't make Baldwin innocent. Plenty of blame to go around.
Old Salt said:
For once, we disagree!
Click to expand...
LOL, makes it all more interesting!
 
Mike said:
It is around 60 years since I was in the Military,
but I still remember what to do when handling
a weapon, check the number to make sure that
it is your gun, check that it is unloaded and empty
of ammunition, after that you can do what you like
with it, you don't practice, pretend shooting, till
after those checks.

Mike.
Click to expand...
I was in the military as well. For thirteen years, and while this practice is necessary in that setting it should not be necessary when it comes to making a movie or TV show featuring fire arms. There are people, other than the actor, who are responsible for the safety of the weapons used. And the actors rely on that!
 
Alligatorob said:
Don't you think that someone who violates film industry guidelines for gun handling bears some responsibility for the result?

I cited several of these guidelines in earlier threads, could dig them all up if it would help. In a nutshell they say that no one should point gun at someone no matter if loaded or not, that is exactly what Baldwin did. Here is one example of such guidance from the Screen Actors Guild that I could find quickly, there are others:

Treat all weapons as though they are loaded and/or ready to use. Do not play with weapons and never point one at anyone, including yourself.
https://www.sagaftra.org/files/safety_bulletins_amptp_part_1_9_3_0.pdf

The guideline also states:

AS AN ACTOR, YOU ARE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY AND THE SAFETY Of YOUR FELLOW CAST MEMBERS.

Had Baldwin followed this guideline no one would have been hurt.

Sure others have blame for this, probably more so than Baldwin, but that doesn't make Baldwin innocent. Plenty of blame to go around.

LOL, makes it all more interesting!
Click to expand...
How many times. do you think, these guidelines are really observed. Cast members of a movie or TV show tend to trust each other to do the right thing. I wonder how many actors in my favourite crime shows really check their weapons to make sure they are not loaded!
 
Old Salt said:
How many times. do you think, these guidelines are really observed. Cast members of a movie or TV show tend to trust each other to do the right thing. I wonder how many actors in my favourite crime shows really check their weapons to make sure they are not loaded!
Click to expand...
Hard to say, you may be right. However, I don't see that as a defense. Any more than an argument that most drunks don't have problems driving should justify drunk driving.

A shooting like this is a very low probability event, but the more often people don't use good safety practice, the more often those low probability events will happen.

I'll bet more are following the rules today, unfortunate it took something like this to call attention to the problem.
 
True, but common sense dictates you don't point a gun at anyone ever loaded or not, and with all the CGI and other movie magic it isn't really necessary for film content. The larger point being, that person didn't need to die, had everyone done there job, and used their heads.

Old Salt said:
I was in the military as well. For thirteen years, and while this practice is necessary in that setting it should not be necessary when it comes to making a movie or TV show featuring fire arms. There are people, other than the actor, who are responsible for the safety of the weapons used. And the actors rely on that!
Click to expand...
 
Old Salt said:
I was in the military as well. For thirteen years, and while this practice is necessary in that setting it should not be necessary when it comes to making a movie or TV show featuring fire arms. There are people, other than the actor, who are responsible for the safety of the weapons used. And the actors rely on that!
Click to expand...
Maybe you don't think that they are necessary Old Salt, but I do,
any time I ever had a gun in my hands, I checked that it is clear.

It is like driving a car, anything happens, the driver is the first to be
suspected, same with a gun, you are the driver, if it was me that had
a similar situation as Alex Baldwin, I would be devastated, so he should
have done a basic check, maybe he doesn't know how to handle a gun,
but he is American.

Mike.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top