Kotaku 
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Denver, 8:50 PM
Tue Dec 8
65 posts in the last 24 hours
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03/15/09
I would never cast my vote based on such a minor (and silly) topic like videogame legislation, but I'll listen closely who has the biggest and most vocal paranoid lunatics in their ranks.
03/15/09
I guess them trying to write it out of their history is somewhat working. They are forgetting what happened.
03/15/09
I have no problem accepting that a violent game or movie could push an already unhinged person over the edge.
But that's the thing, see? It simply doesn't happen unless something else has fucked you up real bad - something that you can't just turn off with a power switch, like shitty parents, bullies, etc.
What I'm trying to say is...
If the goal is to benefit society (and not rack up cheap support), shouldn't we focus less on the specific trigger, and more on what it is that made the person unhinged in the first place (to the point where they'd imitate what they see/play when millions of people don't)?
(Btw, let's drop the faulty analogies, 'kay? They're not helping, because no, this is not "like banning tumble-dryers because someone put their cat in one".)
03/15/09
Whatever happened to intelligent conversations based off of informative and learned journalism? What ever happened to facts and journalistic responsibility? Ugh....I'll make them pay...
*NEWS AT 5...Mad Gamer attempts to go on a shooting spree at Fox News Network with an evil "Dual Shock" weapon...fails horribly*
03/15/09
On top of that, I dont understand why the focus is always brought onto the fact that the recent shootings in Germany were always somehow linked to the killer playing a certain FPS.
Sensationalism, I guess. At least the chancellor got it right by saying we should be more attentive to children. Personally, I blame guns and parents.
03/15/09
03/15/09
03/15/09
Films, lyrics to music, the news (yes if you want to watch and hear about disturbing violence this is the place to go)
So the issue here is not really are video games bad (yes to those who are impressionable the are) and it is not about censorship, after all SEEING violence never killed anyone.
The issue has to be gun conrol. Why do people need them? Self defense? BULL FUCKING SHIT, Statistics (sorry I cant back these up atm. Weak I know) show that victims of gun crime are more likely to own a gun than not, likewise victims of knife crime are much more likely to be carrying knives than not!
So if GUNS are banned (a few exceptions, farmers etc) there will be much less of a problem, if violent VIDEO GAMES are banned there will still be GUNS, you decide which is the greater evil?
BTW.. I live in the UK where there are pretty decent gun controls.. thankfully, I have no idea what Germany's gun laws are, so I could be talking about somehing irrelevent
03/15/09
[en.wikipedia.org]
[en.wikipedia.org]
Knives need to be banned too. And did you see 9/11? Airplanes are an accident waiting to happen.
03/15/09
Guns only have one reason for being, Killing (yes this is a bit of an oversimplification but you may need it)
Knives have lots of uses, cutting food, making pretty patterns out of wood,
Aeroplanes carry people around transport them etc.
You see a link here?
If you want to disagree with me cool, whatever you are entitled to your opinion as much as I am to mine but don't be a cock about it, try to back up your statements... wait what the fuck am I saying?
03/15/09
03/15/09
03/15/09
My point is more related to hand guns that are easy to conceal, and guns that fire a large amount of bullets in a small space of time.
However I do feel gun control is important.
[www.nationmaster.com]
(sorry I should prob Href that)
Countries with limited gun control (E.g the USA) have high rates of murder with firearms
Countries with strong gun control (E.g The UK where crime in general is getting much worse) have lower rates of murders with guns.
So DO guns protect people? well the numbers say NO!
Yes I am aware there is more of an issue than just saying ban guns but the numbers do speak for themselves.
Bowling for Columbine anyone?
03/16/09
03/16/09
Words like "property" make us hot and uncomfortable, so if we catch you doin' something wrong and illegal with our property, you'd be damned to carry yer sorry ass out before it's too late.
Anyways, it's not BS. It's not perfect, but same can be said about French xenophobia, British affinity for a purely symbolic monarchy, etc... Every country and culture has its own kinks - learn to respect them.
03/16/09
Guns are a tool, their ultimate purpose, like any other tool, is completely user-dependent. Hoplophobia and inexperience with guns lead to the perceived notion that they have a will of their own, that they are somehow able to control or corrupt their wielder.
Switzerland requires every male over the age of 20 to keep an assault rifle in their home. Despite this, per capita crime and gun homicide as a percentage of violent crime are some of the lowest in the world.
Oppositely, Mexico and Brazil have some of the strictest gun control laws, however both countries have a higher rate of violent crime perpetrated with guns. These figures are all per your source.
Evanston, a Chicago suburb, banned handguns in 1982 but experienced no decline in violent crime. Violent crime in Jamaica actually accelerated subsequent to the passage of extremely strict gun control laws.
About a quarter of all US homicides occur in New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Washington DC, which have just six percent of the US population. In each city, there have been or currently exists strict gun control laws or outright banning of handgun ownership.
The prevailing trend is that guns do not encourage or increase crime rates. Crimes will be committed regardless of available weaponry. However, in cases where guns are more available, whether by liberal gun control laws or a thriving black market, guns will more often be used to commit said crimes, as they are the most efficient tool available.
An analogous situation is transportation. Where the need exists to go from A to B, you will tend to use the most efficient means possible, restricted by cost, environmental impact, and practicality. Removing the tool does not remove the need; it merely increases utilization of alternative methods.
03/15/09
03/15/09
/sarcasm
But honestly their are two places to shoot people in order to get a kill most of the time central-mass or the head i prefer to use what was taught central mass with a smaller caliber bullet.
03/15/09
Central mass is not more likely to kill, it is far less likely than a headshot, the reason you shoot for central mass is because you are more likely to hit.
It makes a statistical difference, but this kid sounds like he knew how to shoot cause of his father - his dad had 15 guns, if anyone tries to tell me his dad never took him out shooting and taught him how to shoot real well I'll be a monkeys uncle.
03/16/09
The real question is: Why the hell can someone have 15 guns at home? I mean, you Americans maybe won't get my point. But is it necessary to place your hobby guns at home and not at your shooting club? Rly?
03/16/09
More to the point, possession of 15 guns denotes extreme interest in firearms, which means at least one piece was of particular pride to the owner. Ergo, storage at a gun club would seem to defeat the point.