Ex-soldier puts his girlfriends 8 year old kid into coma for accidently deleting his GTA save file.

[Da_Schwartz]

Am I the only one that thought of Cloud Strife when I read the title.

Lol. very funny trying to visualize that.

On topic. what an ass.

 

[Khada]

Anyone who looks to the games as some causal link is a fool. Instead look to the years of being taught how to slaughter on command.

 

[Protomega]

One of the reasons 8 year olds should not be playing games like GTA. Give him Mario or something else that doesn't seem like he's been sucked into the Matrix and that severing the link will kill him...

It never said he played GTA.. I wouldn't exactly go off and blame it on the kid so easily as in the end if things are actually true and the guy snapped because of the loss of a virtual world.. Shouldn't we be more concerned about the over-excessive reaction of the adult here instead of the possibility that a child played GTA?

 

[Ganthrinor]

Guy's a meathead, fuck him.

This isn't about a videogame, this is about the soldier who has been conditioned to respond with violence and is unable to cope with stress. It could have been anything that triggered such a violent lashing-out.

 

[gl1koz3]

One of the reasons 8 year olds should not be playing games like GTA. Give him Mario or something else that doesn't seem like he's been sucked into the Matrix and that severing the link will kill him...

It never said he played GTA.. I wouldn't exactly go off and blame it on the kid so easily as in the end if things are actually true and the guy snapped because of the loss of a virtual world.. Shouldn't we be more concerned about the over-excessive reaction of the adult here instead of the possibility that a child played GTA?

I think I misread the title. You summed up what I think about it well now.

EDIT: But you gotta admit that capitalist wars weren't part of the human evolution plan. For all I can think of, a war is for people who better keep at it; you get a lot of extremes there.

 

[DarksideFlame]

So after reading this article it seems this guy went completely mental over a loss of saved game that his son accidentally deleted...What the fuck, I've lost my saved games several times of course I got angry and sad but then it's not like i've gone on a killing spree besides he lost a save in GTA honestly in my opinion that is not a great loss and far from a good reason to permanently crippling your own son.

I'm normally against execution but this time I say we should make him a live cannonball where we blast him into the Pacific Ocean...God, I'm so furious now

 

[squid5580]

Oh I see now. It is because of one adjective that the article is anti gaming even though there is way more emphasis on him being an ex-soldier than GTA or video games. Got it. Nope no hypersensitivity here.

Hooo take it easy there. All I'm saying is that one simple little word can have quite a big effect, you'd really be surprised. But you never caught me raising the pitchforks against this man or the newspaper now did you?

You personally no I haven't. All I have been trying to say is just because there is a bit of negative media surrounding a game, system or anything to do with the industry doesn't mean they are all out to get us.

I shudder to think how many gamers have already sent angry letters to them reinforcing the negative stereotype they are "trying to portray."

 

[CrystalShadow]

I love how they emphasise 'violent' computer games, and downplay this guy being a soldier...

Remind me what the job description of a soldier is again?

Yeah...

I blame the videogame, not the traumatic and life altering events that can come with being a soldier.

Did you bother to read the article? It stated the facts. GTA is a ultra-violent game. The kid deleted his account that lead to the attack. No where does it blame anything, just states the events as they occurred. This hypersensitivity is just as ridiculous as the other side's.

Not explicitly blaming something doesn't mean there isn't an implied issue in mentioning a game as being 'ultra-violent' in context of a person doing something incredibly violent...

Still, that's how the news is. You can't be balanced and unbiased even if you try.

 

[Kopikatsu]

PTSD, guys.
A massive problem that most western armies, USA in particular, fail to address properly.

Mind you, it didn't tell us that he'd actually been to a warzone. Quite a lot of detail on the video game, though.

One wonders if there's any bias in this article.

The video game is most likely irrelevant. There has to be other factors that made him stand on a child.

And why are we being so harsh on the mother for lying. If the guy can beat a child, I bet he has no problems wife beating/threatening.

Er...no. PTSD doesn't cause people to randomly go into violent homicidal rampages. The most common symptoms are disturbed sleep, memory problems and depression.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/what-are-the-symptoms-of-ptsd.shtml
There's a link to the full list. None of them include 'Kill everything around you to death'.


Also, most people in the military are actually MORE mentally stable than normal people.

Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the vice-chief of staff of the Army who has led the effort to reduce suicides, said that 79% of suicides were soldiers who had one deployment or had yet to be deployed.

Keep in mind, the suicide rate for the US military is LESS than the suicide rate for America. (America is like 16.5 suicides per 100,000 people, and the Military is around 12)

Edit: What I'm saying is, the fact that he is a solider, and that it was over a video game aren't relevant to the situation. The man just had anger issues.

 

[Inglip]

Lets put this into perspective.

An eight year old got punched into a coma. It's clear to me that the biggest issue here is that they blamed my precious gaems.

 

[icame]

Fire squad. NOW!

 

[Protomega]

Edit: What I'm saying is, the fact that he is a solider, and that it was over a video game aren't relevant to the article. The man just had anger issues.

I'm just going out on a limb here and saying that this is probably the most logical possibility I have seen in a nutshell. It's funny how if you have anger issues you can get into the military, in fact most children go into boot camp for their anger, but if you are on anti-depressants you aren't even allowed to do most desk jobs for the military as a pistol is a part of your uniform.

 

[SnipErlite]

1) If it hadn't been the GTA save file, it would have been something else. If the kid had dropped his toast on the carpet, would we blame the toast?

To be fair, toast is some important shit. If anyone fucked around with MY delicious toast....
As for blaming the toast itself, er.....yeah. Yeah I reckon so. Toast can carry guilt right?



OT: There's not a lot I can add here. I don't really know what to say to someone who beats someone that badly, especially a child 0_O It's just..... *sigh*.

 

[dday4you]

omg, what is wrong with him? just replay it!

 

[Cowabungaa]

You personally no I haven't. All I have been trying to say is just because there is a bit of negative media surrounding a game, system or anything to do with the industry doesn't mean they are all out to get us.

I shudder to think how many gamers have already sent angry letters to them reinforcing the negative stereotype they are "trying to portray."

Well honestly, gaming and gaming enthusiasts do stand in an overal negative light in a large part of the media. That in term creates certain prejudges in a lot of people that said enthusiasts feel rather threatened about. And the fact that a videogame is once again involved, no matter how minor, again reinforces those prejudices. The reaction you're seeing from lots of people here has become a sort of flinch, a defensive reflex.

In this case though it's not as bad as it can get (FOX New's Mass Effect fiasco) and I find it interesting to look at the comments on the article's page. The vast majority of it revolves around the mother's involvement in covering up the act. The question still stands however; what will other major media networks focus upon; the mother covering it up or the 'ultra-violent videogame' that was involved here? Time will tell.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

Jesus fuck. Look what I just found on the internet.

http://donadiosinnocent.com/

Seriously...

How do you know if he's not? The only evidence that you have is an article on the internet. This whole thing could be an elaborate hoax for all you know.

And can we quit with acting like this guy deserves the death penalty for beating up a kid? He's spending the rest of his life in jail. That's what he deserves and he's getting it.

 

[guntotingtomcat]

PTSD, guys.
A massive problem that most western armies, USA in particular, fail to address properly.

Mind you, it didn't tell us that he'd actually been to a warzone. Quite a lot of detail on the video game, though.

One wonders if there's any bias in this article.

The video game is most likely irrelevant. There has to be other factors that made him stand on a child.

And why are we being so harsh on the mother for lying. If the guy can beat a child, I bet he has no problems wife beating/threatening.

Er...no. PTSD doesn't cause people to randomly go into violent homicidal rampages. The most common symptoms are disturbed sleep, memory problems and depression.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/what-are-the-symptoms-of-ptsd.shtml
There's a link to the full list. None of them include 'Kill everything around you to death'.


Also, most people in the military are actually MORE mentally stable than normal people.

Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the vice-chief of staff of the Army who has led the effort to reduce suicides, said that 79% of suicides were soldiers who had one deployment or had yet to be deployed.

Keep in mind, the suicide rate for the US military is LESS than the suicide rate for America. (America is like 16.5 suicides per 100,000 people, and the Military is around 12)

Edit: What I'm saying is, the fact that he is a solider, and that it was over a video game aren't relevant to the article. The man just had anger issues.

The key words you used is COMMON SYMPTOMS. PTSD has been known to cause violent outbursts and lack of control. Sure it's uncommon, but the army is enormous. If there are ten thousand people in a combat zone, which there are, statistically at least five hundred of those are going to struggle to reintegrate, have drinking problems, suffer depression, become violent or other symptoms associated with PTSD, depending on the people's profile. Out of that five hundred at least five people are going to be violent anyway, so PTSD only exacerbates that kind of disposition.
So, you are right. PTSD doesn't cause random violence 99.9% of the time. It will, however, make a usually docile angry person more likely to lash out.
And I didn't mention suicide, so I don't dispute your point there.

 

[Hatiras]

Im sure GTA had a part in it, due to the fact that it is a very violent game. But being a solider, and dealing with the traumas of life in the front lines can't really help much

 

[Kinguendo]

He was a soldier, case closed. They are trained to murder people, this doesnt exactly make a stable human... especially when you think of the amount of people joining for that very reason. Turns out war isnt a very nice thing to be a part of. Sucks if anyone tries to twist this to be a problem with gaming instead of the rather obvious reason.

 

[Kopikatsu]

PTSD, guys.
A massive problem that most western armies, USA in particular, fail to address properly.

Mind you, it didn't tell us that he'd actually been to a warzone. Quite a lot of detail on the video game, though.

One wonders if there's any bias in this article.

The video game is most likely irrelevant. There has to be other factors that made him stand on a child.

And why are we being so harsh on the mother for lying. If the guy can beat a child, I bet he has no problems wife beating/threatening.

Er...no. PTSD doesn't cause people to randomly go into violent homicidal rampages. The most common symptoms are disturbed sleep, memory problems and depression.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/what-are-the-symptoms-of-ptsd.shtml
There's a link to the full list. None of them include 'Kill everything around you to death'.


Also, most people in the military are actually MORE mentally stable than normal people.

Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the vice-chief of staff of the Army who has led the effort to reduce suicides, said that 79% of suicides were soldiers who had one deployment or had yet to be deployed.

Keep in mind, the suicide rate for the US military is LESS than the suicide rate for America. (America is like 16.5 suicides per 100,000 people, and the Military is around 12)

Edit: What I'm saying is, the fact that he is a solider, and that it was over a video game aren't relevant to the article. The man just had anger issues.

The key words you used is COMMON SYMPTOMS. PTSD has been known to cause violent outbursts and lack of control. Sure it's uncommon, but the army is enormous. If there are ten thousand people in a combat zone, which there are, statistically at least five hundred of those are going to struggle to reintegrate, have drinking problems, suffer depression, become violent or other symptoms associated with PTSD, depending on the people's profile. Out of that five hundred at least five people are going to be violent anyway, so PTSD only exacerbates that kind of disposition.
So, you are right. PTSD doesn't cause random violence 99.9% of the time. It will, however, make a usually docile angry person more likely to lash out.
And I didn't mention suicide, so I don't dispute your point there.

Again, the list.

PTSD can cause many symptoms. These symptoms can be grouped into three categories:
1. Re-experiencing symptoms:

* Flashbacks?reliving the trauma over and over, including physical symptoms like a racing heart or sweating
* Bad dreams
* Frightening thoughts.

Re-experiencing symptoms may cause problems in a person?s everyday routine. They can start from the person?s own thoughts and feelings. Words, objects, or situations that are reminders of the event can also trigger re-experiencing.
2. Avoidance symptoms:

* Staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the experience
* Feeling emotionally numb
* Feeling strong guilt, depression, or worry
* Losing interest in activities that were enjoyable in the past
* Having trouble remembering the dangerous event.

Things that remind a person of the traumatic event can trigger avoidance symptoms. These symptoms may cause a person to change his or her personal routine. For example, after a bad car accident, a person who usually drives may avoid driving or riding in a car.
3. Hyperarousal symptoms:

* Being easily startled
* Feeling tense or ?on edge?
* Having difficulty sleeping, and/or having angry outbursts.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There, from the link I posted. I would just like to note that 'Angry outburst' is yelling, not 'Beat something until it stops moving, then hit it some more to make sure it stays down'.

Anyway, the suicide thing leads to 'People in the military are more mentally stable than most other people'. I know a couple of people who have joined the army a while ago as 'problem' children (Best example is a Doctor who worked for my grandfather as a kid. He would go out and steal food and smoke pot, but then he went into the military to pay for medical school and it completed changed his life around. Now hes a Captain in the Navy as well as being a Doctor. I think he was an Orthopedic surgeon...? Well, whichever.)

Same deal for one of my friends. He never took anything seriously and liked to play pranks on everyone, usually taking them too far. Two years later after having joined the Marines, hes like a different person. (In that, he definitely matured.)