Every time there’s a mass shooting in America—which is more or less constantly—politicians take to social media to talk about their thoughts and prayers. NRA-supported legislators tend to be particularly thoughtful and prayerful, something that’s thankfully been called out more aggressively of late.
On Sunday, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats' leader in the House of Representatives, went on Fox News and deflected blame from violent video games as a serious, actual cause of mass shootings in the United States. "In Japan, for example, they have the most violent games and the lowest death-mortality-from guns."
Ever since the awful Sandy Hook Shootings happened, there have been attempts—some earnest, some misguided—to link the deaths there to violent video games. And, yes, there is a conversation to be had about the way that pop culture glorifies violence and displays of power.
In America, neither the left nor the right have an exclusive claim on scapegoating violent video games for some societal ill. Both do it in different ways and for different purposes. But tomorrow, the National Rifle Association is expected to blast games and Hollywood in a response to the Newtown, Conn., mass killings…
