Nico

So I saw this video on CNet Editor, Veronica Belmont’s blog, as well as her thoughts about it. I tried to post a comment, but I think it went into her spam folder. Anyway, it might seem inappropriate that Jack Thompson uses this tragedy to highlight his point that violent video games are the root cause of violent behaviour, such as the Virginia Tech massacre, but hasn’t that been the norm in the aviation industry with tombstone technology?

Then again, air crashes and massacres are 2 entirely different things.

I don’t know a lot about Jack Thompson, but I think Veronica and many others have misinterpreted his point of view, in this video at least. From what I can tell, he’s not saying that violent video games like Counterstrike and the Grand Theft Auto franchise will make otherwise normal people more inclined towards displaying violent behaviour. His point is that individuals who are already inclined towards such behaviour could be desensitized by playing these violent video games, to the point where they don’t feel any remorse or guilt after killing human beings in real life.

I think that’s a valid point of view, but I don’t agree with it.

I see violent video games as a sort of pressure relief valve, a non-destructive way of venting a person’s anger. So it could actually help to reduce violent physical behaviour in individuals by providing an alternative outlet for a person to release his anger.

Besides, violent people are attracted to violent video games just as wannabe pilots are attracted to flight simulators. Playing violent video games is an effect of a person’s inclination towards violent behaviour, not a cause. So there really is no basis for the accusation that such games are the root cause for violent behaviour.

It is fun to note that after the interview, the news anchor concludes by saying “Alright. Jack Thompson – an attorney who specializes TERRIBLY in these crimes…”