Senator Lamar Alexander: "Games bigger problem than guns"

[TripleSMoon]

Tell me when someone actually commits the act of murder (that's removing someone's ability to live) using a copy of GTA4. Only then will I agree with this senile fool.

Supposedly, that DID happen within the last decade or so.. If I remember correctly, a pair of kids plotted a murder in grand theft auto and carried it out in real life.

Don't quote me on that, though.

 

[chyyran]

Supposedly, that DID happen within the last decade or so.. If I remember correctly, a pair of kids plotted a murder in grand theft auto and carried it out in real life.

Don't quote me on that, though.

GTA4 does seems to make people do stupid things, however, so can movies, and books, and basically any other human influence. It's how we work. And unless the murder weapon was the actual box, and not a bullet, games will never be a bigger problem than guns.

 

[TripleSMoon]

GTA4 does seems to make people do stupid things, however, so can movies, and books, and basically any other human influence. It's how we work. And unless the murder weapon was the actual box, and not a bullet, games will never be a bigger problem than guns.

Oh I agree. I just felt like sharing an interesting piece of trivia.

 

[retKHAAAN]

Pretty sure I remember bludgeoning people with a candlestick in Clue about 20 years ago... But he's right. There was no such thing as make believe violence until videogames came along...

 

[BenRK]

Pretty sure I remember bludgeoning people with a candlestick in Clue about 20 years ago... But he's right. There was no such thing as make believe violence until videogames came along...

Really? You never ran around in your parents back yard, making little guns with your hands and saying "bang bang!" with friends? Or grabbing sticks and swinging them around like swords? I remember doing stuff like that, and for the longest time, the only games my parents would let us play was edutainment games. Most shooting I ever did before we got a N64 was hunting in Oregon Trail II.

 

[smile72]

Oh wow...a Republican uses a scapegoat to not blame guns...shocking!

 

[Sterling]

Tell me when someone actually commits the act of murder (that's removing someone's ability to live) using a copy of GTA4. Only then will I agree with this senile fool.


I thought this too.. I vote to remove anyone from American politics named "Lamar". Those Lamars only cause trouble.

Spoiler: He's watching you!

I'd go even farther and say get all these old bastards out and get some fresh faces in. We need more 30 year olds in Congress and the Senate as they probably have a better grasp on current day tech.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

I have a feeling this is a general news template where you go "Senator X: "Games are (insert bad thing here)".

Like haven't we just had three threads in the past week or so about senators saying "Games are worse than if cancer fucked AIDS and had a baby."

 

[Gahars]

For the people who wonder why guys like this get elected to office, here's your answer. They make sweeping generalizations in a bid for quick, cheap publicity, and we're all too happy to oblige.

Anyway, the charge is the same old, same old nonsense. Let's pretend that his wild accusation is true, that video games had some influence here. If you wouldn't ban The Beatles because Charles Manson thought "Helter Skelter" foretold of a race war, so why is this artistic medium any more valid a target for censorship?

 

[Guild McCommunist]

If you wouldn't ban The Beatles because Charles Manson thought "Helter Skelter" foretold of a race war, so why is this artistic medium any more valid a target for censorship?

The Legend of Zelda made me hate black people. Like I just booted it up and I was like "Wow, white supremacy is the best."

 

[retKHAAAN]

Really? You never ran around in your parents back yard, making little guns with your hands and saying "bang bang!" with friends? Or grabbing sticks and swinging them around like swords? I remember doing stuff like that, and for the longest time, the only games my parents would let us play was edutainment games. Most shooting I ever did before we got a N64 was hunting in Oregon Trail II.

Someone's sarcasm detector is defective...

 

[BenRK]

Someone's sarcasm detector is defective...

Firstly, I caught it, but it was as good an excuse to point out what I said.

Second, sarcasm doesn't translate over the internet. OR DOES IT!?!?!?

 

[retKHAAAN]

Firstly, I caught it, but it was as good an excuse to point out what I said.

Second, sarcasm doesn't translate over the internet. OR DOES IT!?!?!?

It doesn't.

 

[Sterling]

It doesn't.

Well it does if you know the person enough. Guild McSarcasm is easy enough to understand most days.

EDIT: Should be Guild McHyperbole.

 

[Janthran]

To be fair, there are quite a few people who do take videogames too seriously. Just because you have a gun doesn't mean you're going to use it, but some people (especially very young children who can't tell the difference between fiction and fact who are exposed to GTA) don't understand that killing people is wrong. And that is why videogames are being targeted.

 

[Sterling]

To be fair, there are quite a few people who do take videogames too seriously. Just because you have a gun doesn't mean you're going to use it, but some people (especially very young children who can't tell the difference between fiction and fact who are exposed to GTA) don't understand that killing people is wrong. And that is why videogames are being targeted.

That's why there's a rating system in the first place. If a parent buys their nine year old GTA, they are the ones at fault, not the fucking video game. If your kid grows up to be a serial killer because of a video game, chances are you failed at parenting in the first place.

 

[Taleweaver]

Well...at least this senator makes an actual argument. Video games do affect people. Of course this goes for practically everything in a degree (including guns), but as far as these fashion statements go, this guy somewhat makes sense.
Perhaps he can even explain how that comparison is supposed to make sense (I can claim that air affects people*, but that doesn't automatically make it a bigger problem than guns).




*try taking it away from someone and you'll see a definite reaction

 

[Just Another Gamer]

Right, because having a real weapon is less harmful than having a virtual one.

 

[Janthran]

That's why there's a rating system in the first place. If a parent buys their nine year old GTA, they are the ones at fault, not the fucking video game. If your kid grows up to be a serial killer because of a video game, chances are you failed at parenting in the first place.

I understand that. You have to realize that it's not only kids who have this problem, though. There are plenty of adults who can't tell the difference between fiction and reality too.

 

[Sterling]

I understand that. You have to realize that it's not only kids who have this problem, though. There are plenty of adults who can't tell the difference between fiction and reality too.

In which case psychological help is sorely needed and they're totally responsible for their actions as an adult.