I have had it with this.

[Doclector]

Okay, so, connecticut shootings again, we got people blaming everything from videogames to dark clothing.

Am I the only one who thinks this isn't even negotiable? I know, "You are never the only one" but please, reassure me.

Let's think about this. It was already known that the killer was not mentally stable, and nothing was done about this. Not only that, but the killer was allowed access to a gun.

So, let's see two things that leap out there. Mentally unsound and untreated. Given a gun.

Mental problems. Guns.

There is not much need, at least, not yet, to start looking for other reasons this happened. The reasons are right goddamn there.

AND YET. The press, the politicians, even members of the public who should know better, skipped right over the two obvious elements right there, to any other scapegoat they could find.

I just...can't. I just can't. It feels like nobody's even considered it. It feels like everyone in the public eye has glazed right the fuck over those two elements like they weren't even there.

Now we have the possibility of more laws put on videogames while gun laws take a back seat.

Rant over. Topic: Why has everyone ignored these two factors?

 

[Rawne1980]

If they ban video games it will be films and TV that are to blame. Ban those and it will be books. Ban books and it will be music.

Bottom line, people are stupid.

Some folks are just bat shit nuts, throw guns into the mix and it's a disaster waiting to happen.

They won't do anything about guns because, for reasons that defy common sense, it's their "right" to own them and it would cause drama.

They won't blame insanity because then it's the fault of health care "professionals" who should have seen it coming but didn't.

So they will blame games. Games that millions of people play on a daily basis yet don't go out and slaughter anyone they see.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

I'll reassure you that you're not alone in feeling this way.

OT: The cynical part of me suspects it's because even though they know the real reasons why, they blame other things (like video games) because they just want to see video games get regulated. Aka using the tragedy as a reason to push their own agenda, but that's the cynical side, so feel free to ignore it.

Before they blamed video games, it was movies, music, cartoons and comics, quoting this article...
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121196-U-S-Senator-Seeks-New-Study-of-Violent-Videogames

"Recent court decisions demonstrate that some people still do not get it. They believe that violent videogames are no more dangerous to young minds than classic literature or Saturday morning cartoons,"

Apparently Saturday morning cartoons now pale in comparison to the evils of video games.

 

[Doclector]

I'll reassure you that your not alone in feeling this way.

OT: The cynical part of me suspects it's because even though they know the real reasons why, they blame other things (like video games) because they just want to see Video Games get regulated. Aka using the tragedy as a reason to push their own agenda, but that's the cynical side, so feel free to disregard it.

Before they blamed video games, it was movies, cartoons and comics, quoting this article...
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121196-U-S-Senator-Seeks-New-Study-of-Violent-Videogames

"Recent court decisions demonstrate that some people still do not get it. They believe that violent videogames are no more dangerous to young minds than classic literature or Saturday morning cartoons,"

Apparently Saturday morning cartoons now, pale in comparison to the evils of video games.

Y'know, I got a particular problem with that classic literature thing.

Let's see, what are we all forced to study...Romeo And Juliet.

In which Romeo murders and indirectly causes the deaths of tons of people because he's got a boner.

Check. Goddamn. Mate.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

Two reasons:

1. They can't smack talk guns, are you crazy? The Second Amendment arglebargle! It's a right not a privilege yadayada. If you want the long version, look at any of the gun threads in R&P for some well adjusted and reasonable arguments. Just look at how much of a shitstorm is brewing from the mere possibility of stricter gun control.

2. You can't blame the mentally ill, they're mentally ill. In all seriousness, backlash is abound when you hold a mentally ill person accountable for what they did. Now I'm not saying that it's the fault of the person rather than the illness, but not acknowledging it rather than brushing over it all together is a bit idiotic.

Instead they'll look to something they consider a bit more victimless, like video games or music or movies.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I'd be willing to bet that there's a considerable amount of overlap between these people, and the people who deny evolution and things of that nature.

If you can't be honest about where we came from and what we are, you probably don't have much of a hope of explaining our compulsions, what makes us tick, and why some of us are so callous. So, yeh... videogames. As an answer or explaination, that might be compatible with a certain world view.

It would be nice if the people pointing the finger had a higher standard of evidence. Especially if they're gonna preach. You might even consider the intended spreading of currently baseless claims as sort of sociopathic in it's own way.

 

[Doclector]

Two reasons:

1. They can't smack talk guns, are you crazy? The Second Amendment arglebargle! It's a right not a privilege yadayada. If you want the long version, look at any of the gun threads in R&P for some well adjusted and reasonable arguments. Just look at how much of a shitstorm is brewing from the mere possibility of stricter gun control.

2. You can't blame the mentally ill, they're mentally ill. In all seriousness, backlash is abound when you hold a mentally ill person accountable for what they did. Now I'm not saying that it's the fault of the person rather than the illness, but not acknowledging it rather than brushing over it all together is a bit idiotic.

Instead they'll look to something they consider a bit more victimless, like video games or music or movies.

Well, nobody should be blaming the mentally ill. What's to blame here is that nothing was done about it, there was no treatment, and little guidance.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

Well, nobody should be blaming the mentally ill. What's to blame here is that nothing was done about it, there was no treatment, and little guidance.

Well hey, you just asked why they ignored those two factors. But admitting that mental illness is a factor is admitting that the system for finding and treating him failed. Given that all reports seem to clearly indicate that his family was worried, we have to ask why he wasn't referred or looked at.

 

[Mr Fixit]

No you are not alone...

And the shit storm will rage until the next tragedy comes alone or in a couple of months it will be forgotten by everyone but those that were actually involved in the incident. All those politicians & media leeches will bark & bark & make noise until it no longer benefits them, it's sickening to be honest. I truly do feel for those that lost loved ones & it saddens me even more to see them exploited like that.

It wasn't all that long ago that music, movies & video games were supposedly to blame for another couple of psychos shooting up another school. It's the same old bullshit every time & all the mouthy sheeple will forget about it & nothing will be fixed, the people that actually need the mental help won't get it & the same old scapegoats will be used over & over again.

If they want to find a real scapegoat, try watching the news or read the paper. Nothing but violence & death getting rammed down your throat, "SEE LOOK AT THE TRAGEDY, NOW BUY THE PAPER & READ ABOUT IT IN FULL!!!! OR TUNE IN AT 11 FOR THE FULL STORY, IF YOU MISS IT YOU ARE A HORRIBLE PERSON!!!"

Sorry about the rant, but I've seen this shit too many times in my life. Everyone will be outraged for about a month & then completely forget about it.

 

[Shadowstar38]

A tragedy is the perfect moment to further a political agenda. The news and the politicains are not stupid enough to think games caused this, but rather, already had a hard on for the games industry and saw this incident is good ammo.

 

[Casual Shinji]

It's because these people see our investment in games as something addictive and brainwashing.

Whenever something has a great impact on the youth, whether it's comics or games, it's seen as a threat. Remember when Pokemon popularity was at its peak?

 

[Darks63]

If they blamed the mentally ill then they might have to actually spend money and time and political capital on the issue and going by the record of many politicians that aint gonna happen. Hell when i was a kid the governor of Michigan for budgetary reasons closed most of the mental hospitals dumping tons of people on the street to rot and cause a upsurge of crimes.

The mentally ill sadly are treated with the same contempt as the homeless we dont see them until they are right in out face otherwise they dont exist as far as the people in power are concerned.

Its easier to pick buzzword issues to blame then confront hard issues that have not endgame and thats why they pick on the easy targets.

 

[zehydra]

Yeah, I share your feelings OP. This is but another example showing the incompetence of our government and its system.

As a political aside: Almost everyone in the US is willing to criticize the govt, but nearly NO ONE is willing to criticize the system that continuously puts them in year after year after year. F**k the constitution.

 

[Singularly Datarific]

To be a counterargument real fast: there has been FAR MORE FLAK against gun ownership than video games. Most people have, believe it or not, come to accept video games as a thing that isn't that terrible. They're just rounding up the few people left who still believe that bullcrap.

 

[General Vagueness]

Well, OP, those reasons are mundane. People don't want to believe all it takes is an unbalanced, unwell person plus some steel, lead, and gunpowder to destroy a life, let alone a bunch of them, at least not in modern, civilized places. They're like conspiracy theorists, except somewhat more reasonable: they convince themselves it's because of something unusual (which is true in the case of stand-out tragedies like this one), and new or unchecked or hidden (typically false), and that society can fix the problem by getting rid of the bad factor or influence (in conspiracy theories this is almost always wrong and often unfeasible or impossible; in situations like this, it's wrong a lot of the time and rarely that simple).

Y'know, I got a particular problem with that classic literature thing.

Let's see, what are we all forced to study...Romeo And Juliet.

In which Romeo murders and indirectly causes the deaths of tons of people because he's got a boner.

Check. Goddamn. Mate.

The obvious counter there is that Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, whereas video games, even if they're not for kids, are supposed to be fun and enjoyable-- even most gamers would agree with that. You're right though that a lot of classic literature and respected modern literature doesn't really come off as very moral and features characters, including protagonists, doing things that are a really bad idea. Usually this is part of the story and the author leaves it for the readers to connect things and find meaning beyond the obvious, and even when there is a point or a moral it doesn't necessarily force it down your throat or even make it that clear, so a lot of works could be defended the same way Romeo and Juliet could.

 

[dickywebster]

Because admitting that it could potentially happen with anyone, even if they avoid any form of violent media like it's the plague, is admitting something about people that they don't want to admit.

Besides that, America has a worrying problem with avoiding placing any blame on the gun laws, though this time that does seem to be different. Heck this might be the first recent shooting where video games not only doesn't feature in the blame that much, but where the main focus seems to be on guns.

But then some people will use this kind of problem for their own means, remember the shooting a few months back at the screening of the dark knight rises, there were people the next day trying to get films censured, there were even rumours of toning down the film just cause of that.

On the other hand, I have seem some worrying people around who claim the whole school shooting was faked...

 

[TheSteeleStrap]

Yeah they are always selfishly looking to profit off other people's misery. also, they feel like they need a scapegoat so we can overlook the real problem. This is a case where the fault is on the individual, nothing more.

 

[Epidemiix]

It is easier to blame something or someone, instead of blaming the root of problems that would require change. Human nature towards violence is never blamed. Society's problems that it has when relating to problems that caused this to arise in the first place are never blamed. News media's impact on these events are usually never blamed(they are but not to the degree where it has the effect that blaming video games has come to).
This same problem sometimes seems to happen with a student commits suicide as well.

It is easier to blame something/someone than it is to hold a mirror and find the inherent problems that would take time and effort to change.

 

[MarsProbe]

This sort of thing happens so often now, it's just part of the whole "massacre happens - media frenzy - videogames get blamed, either one game specifically or as a whole - time passes - news outlets finally get bored of the story and move on to the next big thing" process.

This is annoying, but really what gets me is the way the media latches onto some particular aspect of an event in order to make it more "marketable" to their audience. Just today on the news here in Scotland, there was some further coverage regarding two murders that took place back in the 70s I think. Though they happened that long ago, they only really started getting featured on the news a few years or so ago, under the catchy name of "The Worlds End Murders", after a pub in Edinburgh called Worlds End, funnily enough. Of course, the only connection the victims of the crime had to the pub as that they were in there before they left bar to make their way to wherever they were going. It also gives somewhere for the news correspondents to stand when prattling about the story and gives the camera something to focus on at the end of the article.

I'm just particularly ticked off about that one as, before that pubs name became associated with the murder of two people, I got a rather nice meal in there. Though I guess the association can't be doing the place any harm, as they haveb't changed the name of the place yet....