Connecticut town to burn violent video games in wake of Newtown shooting

A Connecticut community is to hold an amnesty of violent video games in the wake of last month’s mass shooting in Newtown.

Organisers Southington SOS plan to offer gift certificates in exchange for donated games, which will be burned. The group, a coalition of local organisations, says its actions do not assert that video games were the cause of the killings in nearby Newtown, but argues that violent games and films desensitize children to “acts of violence”.

[Abash]

How disrespectful to all the developers who logged in so many work hours and missed spending time with their families and special occasions to meet deadlines and create those games

[Nitrowolf2]

Makes you wonder though, how many parents are gonna end up burning THEIR child copy of Black Ops 2 (or any other violent game), the very same one they got them during Christmas or just because they wanted it. I know anyone can join in, but the majority of them will probably be parents with children, and most likely is a game they probably bought. Kind of makes you think if they should be blaming videogames for something they bought for their kids, but hey of course no one likes blaming themselves and would rather pin it on an object.

By the way, I'm terribly sorry for the events that happened, but how exactly is this helping the families?

[ShadowKingx]

damn, i should take a ride up there just to get free gams, catch them before they are thrown in. lol

[calibann]

Um, shouldn't they be burning guns?

[morkendo23]

i think they should do both burn guns and violent games "call of duty" type games.

[calibann]

-Call of Duty.

-Violent video game.

Pick one.

[DeadlyFire]

WTF is wrong with you.

Why would you burn a gun?

A knife, fork, baseball bat, Rock, water, rope, and many other things can kill someone.

Blaming a gun for killing someone is ignorant.
Blaming and burning a book/movie/video game for a violent crime is even more ignorant.

Sad day for humanity. I thought humans were more evolved than this, but I was wrong. Ignorance is everywhere.

[ravinash]

If you burnt a gun, wouldn't the bullets go off?
Then the guns really will be killing people.

[TheBlackSmoke]

@deadlyfire (lol)

Because guns are designed to maim and kill, its the primary reason for their existence.

No one can rampage through a school killing people indiscriminately with a brick or a fork.

Infact there was a knife rampage in china in december also. and 22 people were injured, INJURED being the key word.

There's no excuse for guns in a civilised society, this aint the wild west no more.

If anything they should at LEAST ban automatic weapons. There's literally no excuse for uzis and assault rifles for "self defence". It sound's kind of messed up, but if that guy only had access to handguns the amount of dead would of been much lower.

[TheFinalEpisode]

Isn't burning a violent act?

[Cueil]

@TheBlackSmoke The primary purpose of Gun is the US is probably hunting, but the reason it's a right to own a gun is for you to actively defend or in the case of a government removing your rights the ability to over throw a tyrannical government...

[xander70769]

@THEBLACKSMOKE

Please educate yourself. Automatic weapons ARE illegal, and the shooters did not use automatic rifles. The AR-15 is a SEMI-AUTO rifle. The only major difference between an AR-15 and your standard hunting rifle is that the AR-15 is black and has a tactical rail, which means it LOOKS scary, and LOOKS like an automatic rifle, but it is NOT. Had the CT shooter used his handguns he would have killed the same number of people just the same. In fact, hand guns account for exponentially more deaths per year in the US than these rifles that are being so demonized by an ignorant public that can't even tell the difference between a semi-auto rifle or fully-auto rifle, nor does the public even have a clue as to what current gun laws are.

[LAWSON72]

They should burn the guns and black ops2 and give everyone far cry 3 or halo 4 so they can play an actual good shooter

[ArmrdChaos]

This was done long ago in Germany...with books...and out of the same behavior... Fear and Ignorance. It's so much easier to point the blame at something other than ourselves. It is sad that with all of our advances, the human race has yet to mature as a society.

They could have just planted trees on the school property on behalf of each person lost...far more positive and lasting message.

[Kamikaze135]

I feel very sorry for the families and friends who lost somebody in the incident. It's a tragedy, yes, but burning games isn't going to prove anything. Gaming as a whole wasn't responsible. Perhaps poor parenting was and video games is an easy scapegoat. If you allow a video game to manipulate you to do something like this, you have some serious mental issues.

[prototypeknuckles]

everytime i hear about this stupid event, i always think okay how does this help the families, what they need to do is send compensation to the families that lost someone instead of stupidly blaming videogames, news flash but if you let your 6 year old play call of duty and theres a big M on the side then your a bad parent.

[christheredhead]

The entire aftermath regarding this situation is embarrassing. Such a tragic event overshadowed by complete idiots making a fool of themselves. Everyone wants to push blame on someone or something outside the issue, like games and movies.

They should be mourning the loses of their loved ones and taking care of each other, instead we have trivial displays of symbolism. We even have newspapers publishing the addresses of gun owners within the area out of spite. Completely disgusting and shameful.

[2pacalypsenow]

I see another shooting with the headline (Kid shoots parents for selling his Xbox 360/Ps3 and games)

[DeadlyFire]

Woah man they are talking about burning things in this article. Don't you mean for burning and destroying his/her X360/PS3 and games.

[sandman224]

These people are as dumb as a box of rocks. Trying to find any excuse that may have caused that pathetic so called human to do what he did. I'm sure playing call of duty made him do what he did. What ever group thinks this will help, don't forget to burn every movie that had guns in it. If you ask me seeing people get shot in movies seems a heck of a lot more real and violent. So back off the games homos.

[J86blum]

Stupid people do stupid things when they don't understand.

[fOrlOnhOpe57]

@ cupcake
I think they DO understand. Its a lot more convenient to blame videogames. After all, there's no ammendment in the constitution to hide behind.

[kayoss]

Thats whats wrong with people today... never take responsibility for their action. Say if they do burn all the violent games in the world. 1 year later another shooting massacre occur they will find something else to blame it on.
NRA said to arm good citizens with guns... how do you define a good citizen? how do you know that a "good" citizen will never snap one day and use that gun other then to defend innocent? Even a priest commit sins let alone a law abiding citizen. Then you will just have another person with a gun who can potentially kill.

[DivineAssault]

i cant think of a single game that allows u to kill children.. That person was just a psychopath and went berserk.. I know i had to go buy myself a new high capacity military grade gun because of all the talks of them being banned due to the acts of that idiot.. I never once in my life even considered taking someones life unless my kin or own well being is being threatened.. I hope those people find peace for what has happened to them & i hope parents take the rating scales on these games more seriously because there are WAY too many underage children playing games like COD on a daily basis.. I played games that had killing in it as a child but i was also taught right from wrong.. Some people arent so lucky

[slaton24]

i think assassins creed 3 and the fallout series on ps3 u can...but on topic this will not solve a thing why blame games music and movies for todays violence...what was the excuse back in the old days during american revolution, civil war, people are violent and it takes a true coward to blame something on an object besides on the true facts...i play violent games all the time since i got a ps2 i had a sega genesis it was more games like sonic and stuff but still i dont have a single thought of taking a car full of hookers and driving them off a bridge in real life(gta3) i dare you try to take my games that i spent MY money on...guns are the problem and the biggest problem is the stupid parents being ill responsible....

[ravinash]

There were children in Fallout 3, but you couldn't kill them.

[slaton24]

disagree all you guys want but why when i talk about why we should keep our games...i swear people on here disagree just to do it

[Somebody]

There were child soldiers in Africa (and other real life conflicts around the world) and yet we barely see them in games. The only children that we can kill I have seen are either grotesque mutants or monsters such as in the Doom 3 and Dead Space.

[Hydralysk]

Ummm there was a pretty big one this year that allowed you to shoot a kid in the head...

Not saying you're wrong about the motive being unrelated but it does happen.

[jc48573]

here's the thing I don't get. They only confirmed that the shooter played games like Dynasty Warriors and WoW, which are rated for TEENS. Do they really think Americans are that stupid or are they really that ignorant?

If parents are really that concerned, then don't let the kids play violent games. It's their "responsibility," so stop putting all the blame on video games. Why do people like blaming on "things?"

Someone shoots your dog, do you hate on the gun or on the guy that shot your dog?

And what's going to happen next? Barnie games from here on? I think that would make more people want to shoot themselves.

[taijutsu363]

Fools.

[Megaton]

Seems like the dumber you are, the more you love guns and hate free speech.

[The_KELRaTH]

Burn adult games that they gave to their children???

Why is it the ignorant always blame everything else but themselves.

[iistuii]

"It's a no brainer. My son's life is invaluable," said Larson, 41, of Denver. "If I can get him a backpack for $200 that makes him safer, I don't even have to think about that."

There lies your problem folks, guns, not games...

[shammgod]

They should burn all violent movies then also....and maybe their cable boxes and news stations

[OC_MurphysLaw]

A bad reaction to a bad situation.

[r21]

And like that, the screams of a thousand games crying could be heard from a distance...

[ShadowKingx]

Burn the games, 6 months later they go buy another copy thus making developers more money. So go ahead a burn the violent games . No one really gives a rats ass. Then maybe these stupid pointless articles will stop being posted on N4G anyway and these stupid writers can found something more reasonable to write about.

[pennywhyz]

drunk drivers kill people every day should we burn cars alcohol or both.People are so dumb.

[Dms2012]

So many people here seem to hate guns yet they love playing games that are based around them. And yes, you are at least supporting the gun culture when you do this, not that there is anything wrong with it, but be honest with yourselves.

[Hicken]

Sorry, but no.

"Gun culture" is rather removed from video games. There is some overlap, but you'd have an easier time saying people who play Madden are supporting gun culture, as a MASSIVE number of those who could be considered "gun nuts" are huge football fans.

Sounds stupid, doesn't it?

In either case, neither games nor guns are to blame for the situation. Burning games will be as effective in preventing future events as arbitrarily banning guns. People can talk about how violent video games cause an increase in aggression, but they ALWAYS neglect to mention that said increase is TEMPORARY, and that aggression doesn't translate directly into physical action.

Simply put, there's no positive correlation between violent video games and violent acts. Watching porn- even kinky bondage stuff- doesn't increase the chances that you'll rape somebody, does it?

As much as many people, publications, and establishments would like to say and make you believe otherwise, there's just no proof of it.

[CanadianTurtle]

Yes, lets be "smart" and leave out violent movies, books, tv shows, etc.

[tigertron]

It's not the fact that they have the right to bear arms, oooh no, it's got to be video games. Sad.

[iceman06]

While they are at it, they should just toss themselves on the flames. The very act of burning things in fear or anger is hostile and violent by nature. See historical examples of burning "witches" at the stake or burning crosses on the lawns. Sure, it's a bit passive-aggressive. But, it is still a violent response to violence. Why not organize an event where some truth can be shed on the events and some education about games and violence can be shared? I know...because it wouldn't be enough to quell that desire to vent the anger and frustration that comes with such a tragedy. So, if a few burning games make them feel better, so be it. Just know that the placebo effect will wear off and the truth will still be waiting for them.