On Friday, in what is perhaps the most violent crime committed in a US school in recent memory, a gunman entered a Connecticut elementary school and opened fire. Out of the 26 people brutally massacred, 20 of these were children ranging from the ages of 6-7.
While details are still sparse, the gunman (whose name I feel should not have been released and should fade in anonymity) has been painted as a previously quite and intelligent individual with no criminal record. What could possibly drive an otherwise sane man to commit the unthinkable?
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It's basicaly just something to blame so no one else gets the finger pointed at them.
We KNOW that video games are not directly to blame for any crime, not just shootings.
The only people who believe that are the media and paranoid moms who are going to sell their kids PS3's out of terror.
Maybe these shootings are to blame on the media? After all they do plaster these killers faces and there sick atrocities worldwide for all to see, perhaps just maybe, there are other people of weak mental state who think "Oh FOX thinks THAT is bad? Just wait til i shoot up a hospital ward!".
The media does more harm than good and video games shouldn't even be part of the equation, it's just silly.
You have to question why a substitute teacher even had so many weapons to begin with, with the area they lived in being so nice and all.
Teaching kids how to shoot back in the day was the equivalent of a parent teaching their kid how to ride a bike in 2012.
IT WAS TEH VIDYA GAMEZZZ!!!111!!!111
Sensationalist, knee jerk journalism scape goating stuff that suits them as usual.
Edit @LOGIC I see you jumped the potential weak mental health either the gunman or his mother may have had and jump straight to the gun bit.
While i'm here i may post a blog about how forks make me fat and alcohol made me an alcoholic... because mental state and free choice doesn't govern people anymore right?
I'm just stating that the fact that the mother owned several guns ALONE doesn't indicate anything negative.
Liking guns doesn't automatically mean there is something wrong with you mentally.
It's bad parenting when you don't know that your own son is mad at the world and you do nothing to make him feel better. Instead, you let your obsession with guns rub off on him and expect him to be alright. Like my gun collection, depressed child? Here you go, feel better.
If a mother has no good reason to keep weapons around the house like they're toys or furniture, then she shouldn't. It's quite simple. Who's more at fault here is the problem.
Sounds like the kid had a rough life, and some people handle it better than others. I'll agree with you on blaming the mother.
Now this is slightly different, these were kids, however some people have no hearts. We cannot rule out the possibility that he was perfectly sane. I personally think there's more to the story than what the media are saying (just youtube some of the initial reports by the media and Police radios).
Just because you have a passion for video games doesn't mean it's not harmful.
Our brains are literally like sponges, it is effected by everything you see, hear, feel, taste and touch and what it dose with all that information and the changes it makes to a persons behavior is mostly unknown but there is also a lot we do know.
You can't just rule it out just because you feel offended.
Hell why are you even a gamer....
Of course gaming isn't to blame tough.
"Why videogames, NOT the gunmen.." pretty much gave it away.
What a stupid title, the article is actually against using games and other media as scapegoats
This situation is already a mess because people won't face the problem head on and admit the cause. Not in this touchy feeley world where no one got the hug they needed and are therefore free to act like a maniac without blame.
Aren't rich? Not your fault.
Failed school? Not your fault.
Lack of initiative preventing success in life? Not your fault.
Suck at video games? Not your fault.
Ran a red light and T-boned an innocent driver? Not your fault.
Have no friends because you are a creep? Not your fault.
Killed 26 people in a rage? Not your fault.
Writing a stupid reply with a bunch of weird random pointless examples to buffer the relevant ones while finishing them all off with Not your fault. Completely abandoning all intelligent facts and arguments. Not your fault.
The shooter is obviously at fault, not denying that, but the bigger issue is that there are people out there that need help with mental illness, but aren't getting it. I think it teachers need better training, so they are able to pick out these signs at school, where a lot of it originates from.
I feel very sad for the victims and their families. And my anger towards the shooter aside, I feel sad for him. To feel so bad that you would do something like that is truly saddening.
I think a very important question needs to be asked by victims families and concerned citizens alike. Why if mental illness was identified years ago was nothing done about it? Is there no children in need and children at risk register in the states?
Many people are saying where was the mother? Why didnt she do anything about him? Simple fact is some parents cant cope, arent prepared or are utterly selfish and just plain shit parents. Thats when its societies job to step in, but without a robust mental health system in place that just cannot be done. Emphasis and resources should be taken away from all scapegoat activities and purely focused on helping people with problems before they snap and do something like this. Debating games and poor parenting wont fix the problem only decisive well funded action will. The mental health system is in desperate need of reform
EDIT: Is that Ice-cream guy gonna show up now? (WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!!??)
I wonder how much do contributors get paid for this...
Guessing you just take things at face value and never delve deeper into the actual causes/effects of things.
Oh and btw your numbers are way way off and have absolutely no perspective placed behind them. It's as if you just made up some numbers that sounded right in your head and just threw them out there with no additional info to back up your point.
Your numbers don't even match what the article stated, you can't even reference the article info without just half guessing the info. And no where are video games even mentioned.
Regardless the article was written as a question w/some informational backing to help open up some perspective and discussion surrounding the topic.
Not any single place does the author state anything that would lead to the conclusion you came up with in your comment. They simply ended it by saying (in paraphrase)
"the usa and japan are at extreme opposites in terms of laws, and can we learn anything from them while retaining our american way and is culture more the reason for these differences in laws imposed or not imposed on people while questioning if it really is for the better or not"
He doesn't come to any conclusion but simply just wrote an interesting and relevant article opening up some insight into how different things are depeneding where you are from. It's more an article to open up and expand thinking on the topic and not to provide any sort of concrete facts regarding stricter gun laws directly being related to equaling a better society.
This whole ordeal has nothing to do with video games. The air the guy breathed had more relevance to his life shattering episode. So let's blame the air for going into his lungs allowing him to breath.
The anti-gameing victorian-age thinking obsessive ignorant nuts will stop at nothing until games are nothing more than supper fluffy kid-like everyone wins type games where you do chores, volunteer at the old folks home and worship your deity.
And this game is the main culprit.
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I also have ps360. I stop playing "COD" because all the hate on xboxlive towards blacks,hispanics,homosexuals. I could not play a single match without someone insulting me or my friends.
Is this supposed to make me click the link to read the title, then everything will be all right?
This fish won't bite.
Will not read.