Video Games Share Blame in Florida Murder Case

EH writes "Yet another article making the case that video games force young children to ruthlessly bludgeon people to death. Or at least a South Florida lawyer thinks so. 'Whatever happened [in JoLynn's death], it was not murder,' Thompson wrote in a news release. 'The American video industry must share the blame.' Articles like this make me so angry." I'm really getting sick of video games being used as the scapegoat for the evils of society. It's not like Nintendo is blamed everytime an Italian becomes a plumber.

Comments

C'est~la~vie

[Masami Eiri]

Just have to deal with it. There's plenty of idiots out there that can't accept that violence is part of human nature, even more so in emotional times, and as such, blame it on media.

Before games, it was music, before that movies, before that certian books.

Of course, its also human nature to "pass the buck" or so it seems.

People can't be crazy no more huh?

[Anonymous Coward]

It could never be a possibility that sickos seek out violent games to play because they *gasp* enjoy violence?[/sarcasm]

Idiocy

[Rysc]

I find it much more likely that Football will make players aggresive than video games. In one you dress up in armor and run at people with the intent to stop them. You can't say that a tackle isn't aggressive.

The other involes you staring intently at a screen and jabbing your fingers up and down. Maybe it's intense, but more like a roller coaster then armed combat... which is what football is designed to immitate.

Down with football! This devils-game is forcing our children to kill!

What happened to assuming responsability?

[c.r.o.c.o]

I'm not that old, and yet I believe I should take responsability for my actions. I cannot stand the way the American society works in this respect.

"It's not my fault I have lung cancer, the tabacco companies should have told me smoking is harmfull"

"It's not my fault I'm a drug addict, the dealer gave me crack for free and didn't tell me it's addictive"

"It's not my fault I killed this person, I saw it all in Doom, I swear!"

And the examples could go on ad infinitum. The fault always lies with someone else. In the worst case, I'm partly to blame, a minute part, and should not be punished for it. This sort of behaviour has deep implications on out lives and freedoms. On one side we have the government and big corporations trying to impose more and more severe limitations on everything we do (think DMCA, Patriot Act, etc) just because they can. On the other we have irresponsible individuals that through their defences are curtailing our freedoms even further by casting an unfavourable light on harmless things (eg. computer games).

And the worst of it all is that nobody is forcing anybody to raise their standards in this respect. As geeks we become enraged in those instances, but do we really do anything about it? Do we have the power to do anything?

You tell me. Please.

Is desensitization real?

[Beryllium Sphere(tm)]

Has anyone reading this ever encountered real-life injury or violence after a lifetime of violent video games(*), and *not* been shocked?

Just wondering whether the theories hold up when measured against the experience of real people.

(*) or movies, or news shows, or crime dramas, etc. etc.

Re:Video games don't force people to do anything

[kreyg]

Not a flame, but I think a free and just society rests on two principles:

1. Presumption of innocence until proof of guilt
2. An individual is responsible for their own actions

Banning materials is a presumption of guilt - it denies them to those who would actually deal responsibly with them.

Blaming external forces rather than those taking the action absolves everyone of responsibility, as our actions are always motivated by outside forces.

The price of freedom is the risk that some will abuse freedom. If we really don't want it, let's just drop the pretense and welcome the dictatorship with open arms already.

Oh really?

[IceFreak2000]

'Whatever happened [in JoLynn's death], it was not murder,'

Oh really? <sarcasm>What the hell was it then? A frag?</sarcasm>

Just because I played Super Mario x doesn't mean I go around jumping on other peoples pet turtles!

<soapbox>Murder is murder is murder. Unless you can honestly claim he was acting in self defense ("She was gonna get me with her BFG..."), then he committed murder and should be sentenced as such. Period. And IMHO, this lawyer should be struck off for trying to trivialise the actions of this person by insisting that videogames are to blame</soapbox>

Essay quote

[IceFreak2000]

I know I've already posted a comment on this story, but I just remembered something that's quite pertinant.

Remember Marilyn Mansons' essay about the blame he was being landed with over the Columbine incident? The last paragraph says everything...

I think that the National Rifle Association is far too powerful to take on, so most people choose Doom, The Basketball Diaries or yours truly. This kind of controversy does not help me sell records or tickets, and I wouldn't want it to. I'm a controversial artist, one who dares to have an opinion and bothers to create music and videos that challenge people's ideas in a world that is watered-down and hollow. In my work I examine the America we live in, and I've always tried to show people that the devil we blame our atrocities on is really just each one of us. So don't expect the end of the world to come one day out of the blue -- it's been happening every day for a long time.

I know he's a bit of a dickhead at times, but he does make a very good point. (And yes, I do realise this case has nothing to do with guns...)