By now most of the country has heard about the recent shooting rampage at Northern Illinois University. They know that Stephen Kazmierczak was a troubled man who had been diagnosed with an undisclosed psychological illness, one that required him to take antidepressants. However the brain trust at Fox Noise (err I mean Fox "News") chose to interview one John Bruce "Jack" Thompson, who claims to be a Christian, about the shootings. During the course of the interview the game hating, Florida attorney lined out the real cause of the shootings. The real culprit wasn't Steve Kazmierczack, though he did pull the trigger, the real culprit was the videogame Counter Strike. You read correctly there. It was a videogame. An evil, mindcontroling game that forced Steve Kazmierczack to order guns online, load those guns and go out and shoot a bunch of people before turning a weapon on himself.
This is really par for course with J.T. though. A shooting like this occurs and suddenly there J.T. is, proclaiming that he knew this was going to happen because videogames are to blame. In his mind anyone who plays any M rated game is a potential assassin in training. A Manchurian Candidate who's ready, willing and able to kill because videogames told them too. This is, beyond all doubt, one of the dumbest things I've ever heard in my life. A videogame doesn't make you pick up a gun and start killing people. A videogame can never train you to shoot for real because a videogame has no recoil. They don't have the other compensating factors that actual shootists and firing range people are aware of. Of course a little thing like the truth or facts doesn't bother Jack Thompson. Those are things that get in the way of his legacy, which he has repeatedly stated as wanting to be remembered as the man who destroyed the gaming industry.
What people like J.T. do is play the blame game. Rather than talk about substantive matters like the lack of parental authority, good role models, rampant bullying and any number of other issues they talk about things like music, movies and videogames. Now keep in mind that I don't like all music, and there are plenty of movies that I won't support because I don't like what they are about. (Saw and Hostel are examples of these). However a taste for dark music and darker movies isn't the problem The problems are many and varied and we have to stop playing the blame game and actually start talking about the real issues.
I don't mind people speaking out against things they believe are wrong. I'm a firm believer in standing for what's right and honorable. However inserting yourself into a tragedy for the sole purpose of making money and making a legacy are disgusting behaviours and should be shunned.
Lets stop playing the blame game and start talking to one another. Nothing will ever be solved until we do.
That's all for now
May the Lord bless you and may the Lord keep you, may He make His Face to shine upon you. Amen and amen
End of line
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