A Techie’s Response to Media Coverage
April 16, 33 students were killed at
I paused for reflection, feeling sorrow for the families of those that were lost, and twangs of anger. Both at the shooter, and for the people that didn’t notice any of the signs of a problem. My inner journalist chimed in, telling me to do further research. That’s when I saw a name that inspires constant annoyance and tends to enrage me. That of a
I knew deep down inside, that as soon as he heard the news, he would have been on any sort of communication to news agencies to get interviewed on what he thought happened. The closest thing to a recognized source he got on to was that of Fox News, where he once again started spouting the evils of video games, and how they’re “murder training programs.” And this is where I draw my line in the sand. No more will I allow this form of art to be ridiculed on account of a couple of dumb fucks that do horrific things. Hitler was a painter and a vegetarian. Was it the carrots and the happy little clouds that caused the Holocaust?
Video games are an art, just as any other. How you feel about them is a reflection of how you feel in general. One can look at first person shooters as killing trainers, but there is more to them. As with any game, they simulate things that are supposed to help you succeed in the world around you. Other ideas that are pushed in an average first person shooter are things like timing and teamwork, especially in multiplayer games.
But, once again, here I sit watching videos of the news, pulling out ideas that I simply can’t believe are being thrown around. Jack Thompson with “Michael Carneal was spurred to go on a spree shooting in Paducah, Kentucky by computer games and trained on Doom before the shooting,” and Dr. Phil with “common sense tells you that if these kids are playing video games, where they’re on a mass killing spree in a video game, it’s glamorized on the big screen, it’s become part of the fiber of our society.” Rush Limbaugh downplayed the connection, though. It scares me that he’s on our side.
(Originally published in the Ebbtide, the Shoreline CC Student Paper)
Doesn’t surprise me he’s on our side. I listen to a good share of conservative radio and despite the fact that they would be against violent games in general, they’re essentially of the “blame the parents not the entertainment” demeanor.
Also, what got to me about the shooting was that they let him go for hours after the first victim because they arrested the wrong man. After the first shooting, the police arrived and saw a man over his (late) girlfriend. He described the attacker but the police assumed he was lying and arrested him, based upon zero evidence. They declared the crisis was over and then two hours later….
I wonder what was blamed for insane behavior before subcultures arose in the country.