U.S. Senator Takes Pro-NRA, Anti-GTA Stance

[Canadamus Prime]

You know, I don't know of any other medium that continued to be a target after it got a rating system. At least not for this long afterwards anyway. I mean the ESRB was established in what? 93/94? And now nearly 20 years later and video games are STILL under fire. WTF??
Also this guy needs to see a doctor to get his foot removed from his mouth.

 

[Doug]

People need GTA about as much as they need 30 round magazines. They really dont need either, but both are fun to have!

Granted. BUT the 30 round gun can put up to 30 holes in people without reloading. GTA can't .... unless you fire it out of some sort of very high velocity cannon... TO THE LAB! *science montage*

Btw, my point is more that guns are infinitely more DIRECTLY dangerous that video games, and are not really a form of 'art'/free-speech, so I don't see how the guy can say "Gun's aren't the problem, obviously games are!". But what do I know, I'm a Brit, and apparently we can't say anything on guns... not that its apart of our plans to recolonize America... * shifty eyes*

Edit2:

I think that Ronald Regan said it even better than I could.

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/393049_307355569382101_763328734_n.jpg

Well I was gonna say something similar to this but it wouldn't have been nearly as nice. Seriously, instead of trying to find some external reason for why these things happen let's place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the cunts who commit the crimes.

The people who commit these crimes are dead, as are their victims. Blaming them won't achieve anything. Sometimes, society does have problems.

From what I've seen, most of the people who commit these crimes have some degree of mental illness, are typically isolated, and described as "loners" (probably not all of them fit into these groups, but hey). If a society and the individuals it is made of can be described as sane and competent, then it simply falls to them to deal with mental disease and social isolation, or face the results of it. Sorry, but that's just the way it is. No amount of individual responsibly will stop mad people from shooting other people.

I'm not saying anything daft like the victims were asking for it, or society is the problem, but I am saying the US needs to look at its society in terms of isolation and mental health if it wants to try and avoid these problems again. Gun control may also be apart of that solution.

 

[Paradoxrifts]

The fact is, the whole "We need guns to defend ourselves from the government" argument no longer has any basis in reality, in the age of predator drones, armored personnel carriers and other modern technologies. No group of civilians, armed with shotguns and pistols, and even civilian legal assault rifles (which are often just knock-offs of the real things made from inferior components) has any chance of "defending themselves" against a modern, professionally trained and armed military force.

But they still need to pay for that modern, professionally-trained and armed military force. The amount of bullets in the clip is irrelevant. All that really is required is the illusion that anyone armed with a rifle can and should overthrow their government. Not that I promote the idea of staging an armed insurrection against a democratically-elected government, but the United States government would very, very quickly bankrupt itself if it was ever forced to deploy it's military might against the very economy that pays for it.

At the end of the day patriot missiles cost money, and if you're blowing up the people who're theoretically supposed to pay to replace the missile you just fired, then you're doing it wrong.

 

[rekabdarb]

Technically GTA 4 COULD be about a eastern european coming to america and bowling with his cousin all the time.

But in all honesty stores that sell video games are supposed to be ID checking people if they buy a M game.

well... except for mine cause i watch kids who are clearly younger than 17 walk out with GTA4/Blops2/AC3/Halo4.

(despite the fact that i've talked to the manager and she said don't worry about it... wtf mate)

 

[Talvrae]

Why arent they looking at the real hearth of the problem? Mental illness....

 

[2012 Wont Happen]

Neither guns or games should be banned, but I see his reasoning. Guns save more lives than they take in the US. They are used thousands of times every day to protect innocents.

Grand Theft Auto is just violent entertainment. It's violent entertainment that I have a damn fun time with, but that is what it is.

 

[2012 Wont Happen]

Technically GTA 4 COULD be about a eastern european coming to america and bowling with his cousin all the time.

But in all honesty stores that sell video games are supposed to be ID checking people if they buy a M game.

well... except for mine cause i watch kids who are clearly younger than 17 walk out with GTA4/Blops2/AC3/Halo4.

(despite the fact that i've talked to the manager and she said don't worry about it... wtf mate)

You shouldn't worry about it from a legal standpoint. The ratings system is self-imposed by the industry. There is no legal binding to it.

Same with all media in the US actually. I think music has to have a rating on it, but you can sell any media to anyone at any age, other than pornography or outright illegal media (such as child porn or snuff films), perfectly legally.

 

[Something Amyss]

Oh look, it's another old and out of touch politician raving about the evils of rock 'n' roll and comic books.

Except this one's also raving about how awesome guns are.

 

[Falsename]

It's sad that I heard of a man who went to a gun-shop and bought himself a mounted machine gun (because if you're an american you can buy guns from a gun-show for cheap and with no background checks). He was also a member of the nazi party, constantly wore camo gear, sported gold teeth and was always packing. When asked what he'd do if the government banned assault rifles he said "I'd like to see them take 'em from me".

You can't justify gun ownership anymore. All the Pro-guns arguements I've been hearing are "well... crimes might go up and good people will be defenseless. And other bad stuff". It's not much of an arguement, just look at the PRESENT statistics and not what you think 'might' happen if guns were banned.

"The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun". Right, so by that logic if a child was throwing rocks, you'd better hand out rocks to all the other children too.

 

[Falsename]

People need GTA about as much as they need 30 round magazines. They really dont need either, but both are fun to have!

Granted. BUT the 30 round gun can put up to 30 holes in people without reloading. GTA can't .... unless you fire it out of some sort of very high velocity cannon... TO THE LAB! *science montage*

*End of the montage*
Look what you did! Are you happy now?!

and Southpark called it, you guys are planning to send the redcoats back!

*OPENS DOOR* FUS ROH DAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haha. Also, "30 rounds and GTA aren't necessary but fun to have?" Seriously. That's the worst thing I've ever heard. Without getting too emotionally invested, you sure paid a hell of a price in the last few years for the privilege of owning a high capacity magazine. I'm sure that's a comfort to the families of the victims.....

 

[Falsename]

Oh please, that's the same arguement I keep hearing. Look at the statistics, compare your country with others of a similar population. The massacres in your country are more than any other, because you have weapons. And it's the availability of weapons that allows these things to happen.

Give a sick person the means to commit attrocities and they'll do it, as you said. But making guns easier to obtain most certainly doesn't help.

And let's say you're right and that sick people would only use other weapons of destruction..... why not take guns away anyway? What do you lose?

It's not a question of your country being defenseless against crime and other examples. It's children not wanting to give up their play things. My advice would be to grow up and join the rest of the world. Abolish firearms, which will be hard to do given how engraved they are with your culture, but for your children's sake I suggest you make the right decision.

You can't argue with facts, and the facts state that guns give people the means to kill. If you want guns because "sick people will just kill anyway" then you're ignorant. Join the rest of the world.

 

[Icehearted]

I appreciate this man's effort to ensure I know who's too stupid to support, should the occasion arise.

 

[Supertegwyn]

Neither guns or games should be banned, but I see his reasoning. Guns save more lives than they take in the US. They are used thousands of times every day to protect innocents.

Grand Theft Auto is just violent entertainment. It's violent entertainment that I have a damn fun time with, but that is what it is.

But that's not true. I (THINK) that there in about 1.5 percent of gun related crime, a citizen with a gun saves the day. That is an absolutely tiny number, and far more people are killed due to nuts with guns.

 

[Doug]

People need GTA about as much as they need 30 round magazines. They really dont need either, but both are fun to have!

Granted. BUT the 30 round gun can put up to 30 holes in people without reloading. GTA can't .... unless you fire it out of some sort of very high velocity cannon... TO THE LAB! *science montage*

*End of the montage*
Look what you did! Are you happy now?!

Why yes. Yes I am. Although I didn't know Dragon speak actually worked, now guns are irrelevant! *goes on bank heist using only dragon speak* Oh god, bullets are still dangerous! *flees*

and Southpark called it, you guys are planning to send the redcoats back!

Ye...Nooooo. Why would we do that? We of course respect the independence of the USA...

 

[Wesley Brannock]

I don't know about you but I've never seen ( or heard of ) a gun ( digital or otherwise ) killing anyone on its own. Ok this is just plain STUPID. One side blames VIDEO GAMES , another blames GUNS , And some blame the MEDIA. Just seems to me that it would be LOGICAL to blame the ACTUAL PEOPLE AT FAULT instead of everybody else. Um heres a some what odd idea HOW ABOUT WE BLAME THE SHOOTER. Or maybe just maybe we blame THE MOTHER OF THE SHOOTER THAT KNEW OF HIS MENTAL ISSUES.

 

[Dudly]

The Funny thing is Game studios are now raking in more money then movies and music put together there no longer those childish things these senators seem to think thy are the industry needs to take the gloves up and start buyying theire own senators witch thy can do and many more then the nra can o i dint mean buy but you know trow money at lobyists and basicly endors campaings fund you know the way you buy sentors legaly

 

[Aikayai]

Here's a visual representation of what runs through my mind:

Standing on stage I have in my hand a controller. I announce I'm pulling the trigger and someone on screen dies. Then I pull out the same real version of the firearm used in game. I announce that I'm pulling the trigger and some NRA representative is shot in the shoulder. I then ask the audience which is more dangerous. Unfortunately, I'm not the leader of my own dictatorship so educating people in this manner doesn't exist and rightly so. But it still doesn't take a genius to know that if NRA representatives got shot then maybe then they'd see why assault rifles (at the very least) should be banned and violence should be kept in video games and away from fellow human beings.