The Video Game Made Me Shoot My Friend...

[qjakal]

US youth says video games led him to shoot friend ...

DALLAS (Reuters) - Jury selection started Monday in the trial of a 13-year-old Dallas-area youth charged with shooting his friend twice in a deadly attack the suspect's lawyer said was prompted by a day-long binge on violent video games.

The boy's attorney is arguing the shooting occurred when his client cut school with his friend to spend a day playing video games. The suspect mimicked the actions of violent games the pair had been playing, and used his mother's gun to shoot his friend to death as he acted out the video game action, he said.

Police say the suspect knew the difference between video games and reality and have joined law enforcement authorities in charging the boy with juvenile murder. If convicted, he could face up to 40 years in jail.

The victim, 13-year-old Jonathan Hogan, was shot in the head and chest on March 5. The gun was placed next to the victim's skin for one of the shots, police said.

Police seized 11 video games from the home of the suspect but did not list the titles in initial documents submitted to a Dallas juvenile court, court sources said.

The two teenagers from DeSoto, about 10 miles (15 km) south of Dallas, were alone in the house at the time of the shooting. Opening arguments in the case are expected to start Tuesday or Wednesday. Hogan's family has filed a civil suit against the suspect's mother in a separate legal action, accusing her of negligence for allegedly leaving a loaded weapon in a place where it was accessible to children.

The name of the suspect has been withheld because of his age.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is in the process of preparing a report on both media violence and the ability of minors to access such content.

A report on the same subject last December praised the video game business for its self-imposed system of game ratings and its compliance efforts but said more could be done to strengthen controls at the retail level.


😕

 

[TicklingDuo]

Hogan's family has filed a civil suit against the suspect's mother in a separate legal action, accusing her of negligence for allegedly leaving a loaded weapon in a place where it was accessible to children.

And just what price do you place on the life of a child? 🙁

I'm all for the right to have guns. But, damn it! Someone needs to teach people a bit of common sense! I think you'll be seeing a law passed somewhere down the road that mimicks the serving laws (where someone serving an already intoxicated person can be charged if anything happens). As for the game being at fault...while I agree that they tend to desensitize people somewhat and get them into a fantasy state of mind, it's NOT an excuse for murder.

Ann

 

[BigJim]

How in the name of arse and smeg, did he get hold of his mother's firearm in the first place? Was it left unsecured? Was the "secure place" left unscured? Did she not secure the key to the damn thing? I think she might have a few questions to answer too.

 

[Biggles of 266]

I saw a very interesting documentary on TV once about video games influencing kids and making them violent. One boy who had shot some mates of his had spent hours playing Virtua Cop at the arcade, and investigators said that the way he shot his friends was exactly the way the game trains people to act.

He stood with his feet shoulder width apart, both hands on the butt of the gun, firing at the targets that appeared within his forward field of vision. To engage targets he spun from the waist without moving his feet, the way police are taught. The verdict from the investigators was that he was just playing a game in his head.

Another similar story happened here recently. Some idiot had stolen a hotted up car and was screaming around the city in it. Police saw him coming and laid out road spikes to take out the tyres. When this happens in 'Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit', the only way around it is to drive up on the footpath or the median strip. He did this at well over 100km/h and knocked the body of a traffic cop 70 metres down the road. Hopefully he goes to jail for a very long time. Did I mention that this asshole had his daughter in the car with him? I hope he goes away for a veeeeeeeeery long time.




oh dear, what a cheery way to use my 200th post...

 

[Dave2112]

I'm sorry, but I still don't buy this whole "The game made me do it, the movie made me do it, Judas Priest made me do it" garbage. There may be things that these trogs pick up from games, TV or what have you, but the game is not responsible for the behavior. Yes, we are exposed to violence more and more these days, but we have a mind and free will, and please don't tell me that it takes a video game to teach someone right from wrong.

If I spazzed out one day and took my sword and started cutting people down at the mall, do you think that they ought to go back to my dojo and hold my trainers responsible for showing me how to use the techniques I used to massacre 50 people? I don't think so...if I didn't have that kind of training, I would have found another way to do what I had in mind that day, dontcha think? It wouldn't have been the training that was responsible for my actions, it would only be the method by which I decided to act.

It's not that I don't believe in toning things down, or that kids can't be influenced, I mean let's get real....kids pick up all kinds of things. But, isn't that what we as adults are here for? To teach them what's right and wrong? I'll tell you one thing...no kid of mine spends all day slaughtering people on a video game just so he's out of my hair. But conversely, any kid of mine is going to know that it's just a game when I do let him play, due to the other things that I've taught him.

 

[maverick83]

I'm with Dave all the way on this one. Everyone is responsible for their actions. You can't blame a game, movie, or television.

Another thing...I'm tired of hearing about how everything should be censored to protect minors from reality. The type of event described above provides advocates of censorship with ammo. And what does it all come down to? We're simply bending over backwards for sake of the ignorant and/or irresponsible.

 

[venray]

I too must agree with Dave on this. We are exposed to many scenarios in our lives both real and "make believe". It is how we are taught
to distinguish between the two and how we are taught basic right from
wrong that determines our actions. A little parental monitoring would help too. Access to the mother's gun? Skipping school and being home for the day?

Being with the kids all day or monitoring their activities 24/7 is not possible in today's world. (heck it wasnt even possible in
yesterday's) The important thing is how we relate to them when we ARE with them and how we LISTEN to what they are saying and actually pay attention to what they are doing. Doesnt hurt to just plain show them that we care about them and love them either.

Nuff ramblin.......


Ven

 

[BigJim]

Dave, it frightening, but once again I agree with you! LOL

Absoloutley right.


*five years later in a crown court*

Judge: Big Jim, you are hearby charged with indecent acts upon the persons of five supermarket till girls, two ladies on the beach and one arctic penguin. To wit, you tickled them against their will. How do you plead?

Jim: Not guilty your honour, the TMF made me do it!

 

[Dave2112]

Jim, you weren't supposed to tell anyone our secret intiation rites to enter the Red Feathers....for shame....🙄

 

[shark]

I'm with Dave too.All this bull about "this and that made me do it" is eroding our society.Too many people won't accept responsibility for their actions and blame everything from video games to busy schedules for their kids' troubles.If these people are that busy, they should get snipped so the rest of us don't have to put up with their poorly raised offspring.

 

[BigJim]

Jim, you weren't supposed to tell anyone our secret intiation rites to enter the Red Feathers....for shame....🙄

My profuse apologies Dave. 🙁 However I'm sure the girls will make mesuffer for my indescretion pretty soon........😱

 

[maverick83]

Good point, shark. I plan to get snipped, myself, to ensure that I never have kids, because I CAN'T STAND THEM! (Too much info, there? If so, sorry.) But really. I agree. If you don't have the time to raise children, don't have them, or wait until you do have time.

 

[Biggles of 266]

I dunno if all the posts after mine are against what I wrote or what, but anyway...

I don't agree with blaming the video game, but I think it says something that these people are so messed up in the head that they can't tell the difference between game and reality. Like the guy driving up on the footpath because 'that's how it is in the game', they're clearly having troubles in their head.

 

[jason19tk]

I definately agree that if the person is killing or doing some other insane act because "the game made me do it", then they're already pretty messed up. I've seen stuff like Terminator 2 since I was eight..and played Mortal Kombat ( with blood graphics on) when I was twelve. I played DOOM not too many years later, I think.

Somehow, I've never had the urge to go out and kill anyone. Neither has my 7 year old brother..who has seen stuff like the Mortal Kombat movies. He's also seen the Power Ranger shows and hasn't tried jumping off high places and jumpkicking anyone yet.

Same goes for my 16 year old sis.

Maybe...just maybe it's because we know fantasy from reality? That common sense is actually common in our family?

Anyone else find it strange that none of the game titles that supposedly caused the kid to shoot were listed? Most of the shooting games I've seen are for at least 17 year-olds.

If video games can make kids kill..well, by now, I shoulda been on "America's Most Wanted"

 

[Dave2112]

Biggles, I don't think anyone's responses were directed at your post in particular, and I know mine wasn't. I feel that people are just letting their feelings be known. Q put up the opening post on this thread, and mine had nothing to do with thinking he condoned this, as I know he was just posting it for us to see.

There seems to be a real lack of taking responsibility for our actions these days. If we're going to start laying blame for every little thing that happens, let's put it where it belongs. Slick lawyers. Criminals get more consideration than victims in our society, it seems, and there's always a loophole, always an 'out', always some convoluted psychological excuse. Not only does this excuse the actions of a slew of evil people, but it waters down the system for those who really do have mental problems and need the protection of the law.

 

[Biggles of 266]

no worries Dave. By the way, did you get my info about Rogue Squadron?

 

[Dave2112]

Yep, sure did...and I finally beat the damn thing! Thanks a lot, my friend!😎 (P.S. Walkers are a bitch.)

 

[qjakal]

Information Dispersal..

I just post 'em....in amazement sometimes, but I just throw 'em up here and let everyone have a say regarding a current topic. 😉 Q

 

[shark]

maverick

Actually,that's under consideration here,too lol.