[BigAnt]

Well apparently taking away video games can have the same effect as letting someone play them, ie playing video games leads to copy cats of the video game as well as taking away video games leads to violence to get them back.

What is this a catch-22?

Do you agree with the phrase: "Guns don't kill people, people kill people"?

I think it all boils down to the parenting.

If this 17 year old did not understand that if you kill somebody they will be dead forever then the parents have lacking in parenting skills.

Even if they believed them to be resurrected somehow in the future, considering his father is a minister, I don't think the parenting skills of these people were to good if he believed in resurrection or after life and not in the fact that you shouldn't kill somebody because they take something away from you which, apparently, you weren't supposed to have to begin with: from this article:

Quote

According to prosectors, Petric, 16 at the time of the shooting, was forbidden to buy Halo 3 by his parents, Mark and Susan Petric. The teen snuck out to purchase the game anyway, and was caught by his parents upon his return.

What do you think?

[thehat]

I don't necessarily think that video games make people crazy any more than violent movies, or weed for that matter. Some people are pre-disposed to psychotic acts, and there's not a lot you can do to control that. The guns don't kill people argument is a tricky one in my mind, as someone who wants to kill can do it with a bit of wood, or their bare hands. The easy availability of guns in the home makes it easier to shoot someone, but I don't think that banning guns would stop kids like this one killing people if that's what he wanted to do.

In this case in particular, I think the kid was clearly slightly unhinged anyway. The fact that the triggering event involved a video game is only being used by the media, who enjoy demonising video games in the same way as they did with movies in the past. It reminds me of a piece of news concerning a kid who, if memory serves, stole his parent's car and was involved in an accident. Games were blamed as he had a copy of Need For Speed or something similar in the car with him, but the game was unopened, and if anything he was speeding to get home and play it, rather than emulating a manoeuvre from the game.

In short; there will always be crazies, and until the world goes all Minority Report they will kill people for a multitude of reasons.

[KYA]

Guns don't shoot themselves.

[Amadeus]

Quote

PHYSICS! Kinetic energy generates the velocity with which the bullet exits the barrel, while the ballistics coefficient and sectional density determine the damage to its targets! Guns don't kill people, PHYSICS kills people!

Guns don't kill people, physics kills people.

[Nykc]

It is easy to blame video games and media for poor parenting. No one ever wants to accept responsibility for there actions.

I have never played a game that made me want to shoot up my school, matter of fact if anything being a gamer even at 31 keeps my reflexes and imaginative juices flowing.

[thehat]

@amadeus

True, but does the availability of guns increase opportunistic killings because of how easy and detached it makes the act?

Edit: I need to read posts more carefully!! Ban physics!

This post has been edited by thehat: 14 January 2009 - 11:00 AM

[KYA]

thehat, on 14 Jan, 2009 - 10:58 AM, said:

@amadeus

True, but does the availability of guns increase opportunistic killings because of how easy and detached it makes the act?

No. Let's say 100% no tolerance gun control was enforced. Who would be turning in their firearms? Honest citizens. Who wouldn't? Criminals.

Now, if you are still following, who would have guns now? Criminals. Who wouldn't? Honest citizens.

Still following? So what happens when said criminals break into honest citizen's home?

[BigAnt]

Amadeus, on 14 Jan, 2009 - 09:56 AM, said:

Quote

PHYSICS! Kinetic energy generates the velocity with which the bullet exits the barrel, while the ballistics coefficient and sectional density determine the damage to its targets! Guns don't kill people, PHYSICS kills people!

Guns don't kill people, physics kills people.

In that case, jumps out of speeding car moving towards a group of people.

I didn't kill physics did, physics could have broken its rules and stopped the car, but it didn't

Police: "Yes but you provoked physics by starting the car moving, physics would want it to stay stopped."

Oh crap, I didn't think of that, runs away....

[Nykc]

I just played GTA IV and I really, really have this sudden urge to walk outside and start jacking random people.

[no2pencil]

BigAnt, on 14 Jan, 2009 - 11:33 AM, said:

Well apparently taking away video games can have the same effect as letting someone play them, ie playing video games leads to copy cats of the video game as well as taking away video games leads to violence to get them back.

This is another example of bad parenting. Blaming the video gaming industry is side stepping the problem.

The child should know better than to shoot his parents, end of story!

[KYA]

Nykc, on 14 Jan, 2009 - 01:48 PM, said:

I just played GTA IV and I really, really have this sudden urge to walk outside and start jacking random people.

I hope you meant their cars

[Nykc]

ROFL MAO - if i told you i'd have to kill you.

This post has been edited by Nykc: 14 January 2009 - 02:04 PM

[Kirth]

no2pencil, on 14 Jan, 2009 - 12:53 PM, said:

BigAnt, on 14 Jan, 2009 - 11:33 AM, said:

Well apparently taking away video games can have the same effect as letting someone play them, ie playing video games leads to copy cats of the video game as well as taking away video games leads to violence to get them back.

This is another example of bad parenting. Blaming the video gaming industry is side stepping the problem.

The child should know better than to shoot his parents, end of story!

I fully agree. Besides, how did the kid GET the gun? If it was the parent's -and I don't even see why you'd have such a thing in the house- then WHY and HOW did he get access to it? "Break glass in case of not getting the game"?

Blaming media or video games for such things points at bad parenting. People like that deserve to get shot (and the kid too).

[BigAnt]

Quote

I fully agree. Besides, how did the kid GET the gun? If it was the parent's -and I don't even see why you'd have such a thing in the house- then WHY and HOW did he get access to it? "Break glass in case of not getting the game"?

I believe the gun was locked in the same place as the game.

[jamillion]

OK the doofus of all time is!!!!...
A sad little boy that killed his Mum and Shot his Dad because they took his halo 3 disk away!!!
WHY!!!... JUST WHY!

EDIT: Here is the link to the article!! http://kotaku.com/51...ook-away-halo-3

This post has been edited by jamillion: 18 January 2009 - 12:10 PM