Told ya: Jack Thompson Blames Video Games for VA Tech shootings

[John Dibble]

And apparently Dr. Phil too...

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2007/04/va_tech_dr_phil_jack_thompson.html?nav=rss_blog

Va. Tech: Dr. Phil & Jack Thompson Blame Video Games
That was quick: Seems that video games are already being blamed for the shootings at Virginia Tech.

Yesterday, anti-video game activist Jack Thompson was expressing this opinion before anybody knew who the shooter was. Thompson says that the killer likely trained or rehearsed his actions in games like "Grand Theft Auto" or "Doom."

Last night, Dr. Phil took the same line on CNN's "Larry King Live," as pointed out in the site GamePolitics.com

"Common sense tells you that if these kids are playing video games, where they're on a mass killing spree in a video game, it's glamorized on the big screen, it's become part of the fiber of our society. You take that and mix it with a psychopath, a sociopath or someone suffering from mental illness and add in a dose of rage, the suggestibility is too high."

The transcript is here.

[Padfoot]

This is my response:

http://oghc.blogspot.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Grandma_Hardcore

You don't see her out there killing real people do you?

[MODU]

They are looking for a scape goat.

[Alcon]

Personally, I blame Cho Seung-hui.  But that's just me.

[Speed of Sound]

Personally, I blame Cho Seung-hui.  But that's just me.

No! Its all videogames fault! How else could he come up with the unique style of 'run in wih a hangun and shoot people'? Thats so original and definetly not from internal anguish.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

[Colin]

Not more of this trash. If it was true that video-games could make you want to do what is shown in them than I should take over Germany and invade Poland, begin the crusades, or consider myself to be Napolean after so many years of playing video games, as you can see I'm a lover of strategy games.

Seriously this is the stupidest arguement and is almost as dumb as saying that violence on TV causes the same issues but after every violent attack either video games, television or music, whether rap or metal or emo or whatever, gets blamed.

[MODU]

I wonder what they would say if they came over to one of our LAN parties while we are playing Counter-strike, while at the same time examining my friends latest firearm acquisition.  hahaha

[John Dibble]

Here's a link with a youtube video of Jack Thompson's crap followed by a point-to-point debunking of his crap:

http://kotaku.com/gaming/feature/feature-dissecting-jacks-lies-252914.php

[Citizen James]

A few years back the secret service did a study on school shooters called the Safe Schools intitative (PDF file). 

Although the report did say that many of the offenders were obsessed with violence, I would infer from the data given that the attraction to violence was symptomatic rather than causational.  In any case, video games were the least associated form of violence associated with school shooters (far less than creative writing, movies, and books. (OMG - lock up the libraries.  Twice as many school shooters read books than played videogames!!). 

From the report (Page 31):

You must be logged in to read this quote.

The report does warn that since school shootings are very rare, few solid conclutions can be made from the data.

[MaC]

man, I hope I get elected to congress so that I can make the case that "baklava cause violent crime" with absolute conviction.  That way I can ban that nasty sticky dessert and keep people from enjoying that which they like.

[opebo]

They are looking for a scape goat.

When really our whole sick society is to blame.

Of course if video games encourage more rebellions, some might say it is a good thing?

[John Dibble]

Thompson gets Hardballed:

http://kotaku.com/gaming/hardball/clip-jack-thompson-gets-hardballed-253501.php

[YRABNNRM]

Thompson gets Hardballed:

http://kotaku.com/gaming/hardball/clip-jack-thompson-gets-hardballed-253501.php

Owned.

This guy really likes to make generalizations and talk about "facts" that don't exist. Apparently, you can't stop playing video games either.

[Gabu]

Thompson gets Hardballed:

http://kotaku.com/gaming/hardball/clip-jack-thompson-gets-hardballed-253501.php

Owned.

This guy really likes to make generalizations and talk about "facts" that don't exist. Apparently, you can't stop playing video games either.

That reminds me of this one quote I heard that I thought was very true, which went something like this: "Even if we accept Jack Thompson's assertion that video games make people violent and lead to school shootings, that's like saying that food makes people fat so we should ban food."

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

What a dumbsh!t. He claims that someone who went on a school shooting trained on Super Columbine Massacre. That (admittedly extreme tasteless) game is an RPG and involves absolutely no actual shooting at all. This just proves what we already know about this idiot knowing nothing about what he criticizes.