Virginia shootings rekindle violent gaming debate
/v3-uk/news/1965672/virginia-shootings-rekindle-violent-gaming-debate
19 Apr 2007, Tom Sanders in California , V3
A group of gamers is planning a demonstration this Saturday in New York to protest against claims that Monday's shootings at the Virginia Tech college were somehow caused by violent computer games.
Cho Seung Hui killed 32 students and teachers on 16 April in what is considered the deadliest shooting rampage in US history.
Fellow students described the 23 year-old as angry, menacing, disturbed and depressed.
Cho had been found stalking women on two occasions, wrote violent essays for his English classes and had been recommended to seek psychiatric help. He also played violent computer games, particularly Counter-Strike.
Attorney Jack Thompson and TV personality Dr Phil McGraw were quick to blame the shootings on Cho's video games habit while seeming to ignore some of the disturbing symptoms that he displayed.
Thompson is a self-described Christian conservative who has a track record of crusading against rap music and video games.
Dr McGraw said on a CNN show: "Common sense tells you that if these kids are playing video games, where they're on a mass killing spree in a video game [and] it's glamorised on the big screen, it's become part of the fibre 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, [and] the suggestibility is too high."
The protest demonstration has been organised by Empire Arcadia, a company that organises gaming competitions and youth events.
Although the organisers do not mention the comments made by Dr McGraw or Thompson, they state that the rally seeks to mourn the Virginia Tech victims as well as protest against the perceived link to games.
"This demonstration is to show that gamers will not take the blame [for] this tragic matter, but we will do what we can to help put an end to terrible events like this," the official announcement states.
"We reiterate and urge that all leaders of gaming communities, organisations down to the last gamer set aside 10 hours of this day to pay respect and come together not just as gamers but as human beings for peace."
© Incisive Media Investments Limited 2010, Published by Incisive Financial Publishing Limited, Haymarket House, 28-29 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4RX, are companies registered in England and Wales with company registration numbers 04252091 & 04252093
Do you agree?
violent games
i think if there were no violent video games, i'd have to punch someone in real life!
Posted by hannah, 29 Apr 2007
counter strike.
Please im 25 years old and have played more volinet games then counter strike! dont see me going around shootong people do you?
Posted by chris burns, 19 Apr 2007
css
i play css and just cause i have no rates dont mean im gonna go around killing people
Posted by jonboyrock, 20 Apr 2007
I am a Video Gamer, with a 3.4 GPA
It is quite deplorable that people like Jack Thompson would use an event like this to strike at the video game community. We are not mindless zombies. For the most part, the stereotype that video gamers are stupid or that they immerse themselves to get some sort of high is just plain, well, stupid. There is also the other stereotype that violent video games are conditioning tools. If it were, then should I fear for my life, because my cousin played Halo 2 against me?
No. I am just one of living proof that as a video gamer, I understand the diffrence between real life and the games I play with. I understand it is only a game, and I am able to come up with a counterresponse to the loosely founded claims of Jack Thompson and other critics, seeing that I too, am a human being, with a well functioning and sharp mind,a nd given a chance to debate with Thompson, I would gladly take that opportunity to defend a part of my life that defines my individuality.
Posted by Jusuchin Panjirinanu, 19 Apr 2007