Video games don't kill people, other people's video games kill people

[sabotabby]

The NRA says:

There exists in this country a callous, corrupt and corrupting
shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people.

Through vicious, violent video games with names like Bulletstorm,
Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat and Splatterhouse. And here’s one:
it’s called Kindergarten Killers. It’s been online for 10 years. How come
my research department could find it and all of yours either couldn’t or
didn’t want anyone to know you had found it?

Then there’s the blood-soaked slasher films like "American Psycho"
and "Natural Born Killers" that are aired like propaganda loops on
"Splatterdays" and every day, and a thousand music videos that
portray life as a joke and murder as a way of life. And then they have
the nerve to call it "entertainment."

(Really? They're still blaming American Psycho and Natural Born Killers? Aren't there any newer violent movies?*)

So of course they released a target practice game for kids. Ages 12 and up. It used to be ages 4 and up, but someone decided it was tasteless, I guess.

In all fairness, you don't kill actual people in the game. And in all fairness, I see nothing particularly wrong with shooting games in general. I do see something wrong with claiming that video games are responsible for gun violence and then releasing one of your own a month later.

Incidentally, if you haven't seen it already, do check out this article about that one time that the NRA pushed for more gun control. They are kind of the worst ever to the point where I'd suspect they were performance art if they didn't have so much power over the U.S. government.

* That was rhetorical, people. You should know by now that violent movies are my favourite sort.

Comments

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

every other country in the world has these same games, yet they aren't running out and shooting each other. BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE GUNS.

seriously, the NRA is fucking shameless.

[sabotabby]

It's a wonder I have any kids standing, the way they play those games. Oh wait I'm in Canada.

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

also,

There exists in this country a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people.

WHY YES, YES THERE IS

[curgoth]

Fun game - try to figure out how many school shootings have happened since the media the NRA is referencing was popular. Mortal Kombat and Natural Born Killers may actually be too old for the Columbine kids, FFS.

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

yeah, the NRA is like "these kids with their MTV video games need to git off my lawn." It's hilarious watching fogeys who obviously haven't checked in on video games since super mario brothers try to talk about them.

[jvmatucha.livejournal.com]

That the NRA is coming up with every bizarre argument to fight tougher gun laws doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me and makes me want to vomit is all of the regular people who swallow this horseshit. Equating knives and guns with high powered assault rifles is just surreal. That so many people swallow this argument is even more bizarre.

[corwin77.livejournal.com]

I know they've also been blaming 'crazy people'. There was one dude who said the mentally ill should be put on some kind of registry. Unlike guns which should not be carefully accounted for.
I personally feel that violent people are going to find a way. But that it would be a lot harder for the violence to happen on the scale that it does without easy access to guns.
And to quote one of the movies the pro-gun people would probably put on their list: Movies don't make killers, movies just make killers more creative.

[radiumhead.livejournal.com]

I fucking LOVE Bulletstorm!!!! My 2nd favorite game after Dead Space!

[ivytheadventure.livejournal.com]

not to mention Natural Born Killers was a SATIRE about that shit!!! what morons....

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

I wanna buy a video game and beat someone over the head with it. That way it would have happened. Once.

[sabotabby]

I <3 you.