Senator Murphy & Yee blaming Violent Video Games

[Moris]

All evidence suggests that humans have become drastically less violent and less tolerant of violence over the course of our history. In medieval times, it was common to have public executions that included mutilation and torture. Few cared for the sufferings of animals. Beating children, wives, and servants was considered a reasonable method of discipline.

Today, we shield our children from the hint of a celebrity's nipple accidentally exposed during a Superbowl halftime; we worry that exposure to gore and bloodshed will disturb their delicate innocence. We imprison or fine people who are cruel to animals. We take children away from their parents when they are harmed through physical punishment. We execute prisoners via injection and argue about the inhumanity of it. We believe genocide to be a war crime, not a war strategy.

The only thing that has changed that makes us seem more violent is that technology permits the ordinary person to do more damage than in the past. A crazy person, barely skilled with a sword, but wielding a blade would not harm so many in a public assembly as a crazy person, barely skilled in the use of an assault rifle, wielding such a gun.

We're better people now than we ever were. Video games won't change that. If anything, they help by providing a fantasy outlet for pent up anger.

 

[Cylos]

It's not the degree of violence in games that's the problem, it's parents buying their children games where the age limit is far above the child's age, the vast amount of 8-12 year olds on Call Of Duty proves this. The industry places the safety barriers, people just have to follow them. If a parent bought their child alcohol and then their child consumed the alcohol, fell from a significant height and either killed/or severely injured themselves, alcohol wouldn't be blamed, the parent would be, so why are games so different?
In Britain, within the mainstream political parties, there is an irrational fear of violence in games. There is a perfectly legitimate system in place, the system simply needs to be followed.

 

[doc108]

Don't blame guns either. Guns do not need to be banned. If you could ban something and suddenly nobody had it then yeah sure. However as evidenced by drugs people will still find a way to get it then I will not be able to defend myself like I now can and the criminal will still have the same weapons.

 

[Shadow King]

The reason people kill people like this is because there crazy bastards, its got nothing to do with games, the other month i was fighting outside a pub, can i blame it on boxing because i watch it that i punched someone, no i cant.

 

[Tyrone]

Yee said: “Gamers have got to just quiet down. Gamers have no credibility in this argument. This is all about their lust for violence and the industry’s lust for money. This is a billion-dollar industry. This is about their self-interest...”

I'm pretty sure politicians want more self-interest than gamers, god I hate that idiot Yee. Guess how many gamers there are in the US? 69% of all US households play computer/video games.

Yee Logic: Let's ban video games and screw over alot of people because of one idiot!

 

[Rafter75]

This is as absurd as saying Donuts are to blame for making me fat and that Marijuana is the reason I am a coke addict.

Wow dude,

I'm sorry to hear about that. I wish you the best of luck with your morbid obesity and severe coke habit.

That being said, I agree. Blaming video games is pointless. There is just as much violence on tv. Perhaps if the media didn't make legends out of these mass shooters then it would stop happening. They are just looking for notoriety. And we give it to them every damn time. If this kid thought his identity wouldn't be revealed and he would only be known as an "unknown shooter" he probably would have just plops himself in his mothers basement.

 

[aussiegirlz]

Shortly after the shooting there was an interview with a forensic pathologist who basically said there is no study yet that has been able to prove video game or movie violence can be linked to these types of behaviors - it is in fact most likely linked to his autistic nature. As a parent that not only has guns in the home and children who are COD BLOPs elites I can tell you I am not the least bit worried they will turn our guns on innocent people - it takes a special kind of wack job to do that - it's about respect for life, mental health and parental accountability - not movies, video games and guns.

 

[Seanu Reaves]

The majority of people that havent become violent because of violent games...It's countless, it's the mentally disabled people they should be keeping away from games and thats a fact.

Mentally Ill. Please I have a family member and they are two different things. Illness and disablility

 

[Eleidon]

It's a typical scapegoat maneuver to place blame in one area and neglect other realistic outlets. Just cogitating all the possible reasons for such an act, and then considering how to take preventative actions for the future is staggering. You'll come to the conclusion that many of the systems we have in place in regards to mental health, gun control, and public safety just aren't up to par. It's a concentrated and very expensive effort to improve these systems nation-wide. Ultimately, it comes down to parents taking responsibility for their children and being active in monitoring what they're up to and to a degree what they see. Lanza may have been considered legally an adult, but due to his mental constraints, his mentality was that of younger child. It's a horrific tragedy and a rude awakening. As for the conspiracy nonsense; it's imprecise, unfounded, and misleading.
"They have this confirmation bias, as psychologists call it, to look for only evidence that supports their theories and disregard anything that says otherwise."

 

[TheLonelyWolve]

Mentally Ill. Please I have a family member and they are two different things. Illness and disablility

Im talking about big mental illnesses, not the minor ones.

 

[Anwrise888]

and you know whats worse.... Is that most of the people that buy the guns are
religious subhuman hillbillies. That can not tell between right and wrong.

 

[Seanu Reaves]

look the main thing is that the ATF can't enforce the current regulations due to NRA lobbies. But also the ability to find those with the mental illness is the other key factor.

Let them regulate current laws and find help for the mentally ill.

 

[kyleekay]

So today, Senator Murphy from CT & Senator Yee from CA pointing fingers at violent video games is a joke.

Murphy said: “...there’s a question as to whether [the Sandy Hook shooter] would have driven in his mother’s car in the first place if he didn’t have access to a weapon that he saw in video games that gave him a false sense of courage about what he could do that day.”

Yee said: “Gamers have got to just quiet down. Gamers have no credibility in this argument. This is all about their lust for violence and the industry’s lust for money. This is a billion-dollar industry. This is about their self-interest...”

These two guys can stick their finger up their ass. Don't blame video games because of the poor choice a person made. Blame parents for given an easy access to things that shouldn't be touch. The funny part is that the Sandy Hook victims didn't say anything about video games being the problem and I feel after you're 18, everything falls on that person [Sandy Hook shooter was 20]. Stop trying to look for a scapegoat. Video Games are fiction, not non-fiction. Do you see cyborgs with swords killing other cyborgs, assassins with hidden blades jumping from roof to roof, or people casting fire spells? No! People [like the Senators] need to start separating fiction [video games] from non-fiction [real life]. My heart and prayers still go out to the Sandy Hook victims to this day because if something would happen to my 8 year old brother I would be destroyed but I wouldn't blame video games.

What do others think?

People who blame video games for this type of violence are ridiculous. If video games are to blame, how do we explain murders (mass or otherwise) when video games didn't exist? I mean it's not like Hitler and Jack the Ripper sat around playing CoD all day long. As previously mentioned, a scapegoat is always needed. Unfortunately it's video games shouldering the blame. Hopefully this trend will pass.

 

[Soloquendi]

Perhaps they should look at those who instigate hatred and violence in our society?

"All abortions should be performed with a gun." - Rush Limbaugh

 

[Seanu Reaves]

I like how they say actual gamer's opinions don't mean anything. It is like they don't think they themselves are biased.
EDIT: THAT MAKES ME SO ANGRY I WILL KICK THIS PUPPY jk point made. Awwww look at it....

 

[Anwrise888]

I like how they say actual gamer's opinions don't mean anything. It is like they don't think they themselves are biased.
EDIT: THAT MAKES ME SO ANGRY I WILL KICK THIS PUPPY jk point made. Awwww look at it....