NRA blames video games and other media for gun violence

[garyopa]

Naming games like Bulletstorm, Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat and Splatterhouse...



National Rifle Association vice president said violent video games are partially to blame for last week's deadly shooting in Connecticut.

That's right, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has said violent video games are partially to blame for the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

NRA vice president Wayne LaPierre condemned "vicious, violent video games like Bulletstorm, Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat and Splatterhouse", and said VG's in general are a "shadow Industry" that "sows violence against its own people".

"There exists in this country a callous, corrupt, and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people," NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre said. "Through vicious, violent video games with names like Bulletstorm, Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat, and Splatterhouse. And here's one: it's called Kindergarten Killers. It's been online for 10 years. How come my research department could find it and all of yours either couldn't or didn't want anyone to know you had found it?"

However, he also pointed the finger at the film and music industries...

"Then there's the blood-soaked slasher films like American Psycho and Natural Born Killers that are aired like propaganda loops on Splatterdays and every day, and a thousand music videos that portray life as a joke and murder as a way of life. And then they have the nerve to call it entertainment. But is that what it really is? Isn't fantasizing about killing people as a way to get your kicks really the filthiest form of pornography?"

LaPierre argued that media conglomerates, like the ones responsible for the games, music, and films listed above, are caught up in a "race to the bottom," and in fact compete with each other to "shock, violate, and offend every standard of civilized society."

There you have it. You can read the full text on NRA's site.

What do you think?

NEWS SOURCE #1: NRA condemns games in wake of Connecticut shooting (via) GameSpot
NEWS SOURCE #2: The NRA's absolutely unhinged response to Newtown blames a 10-year-old flash game (via) Kotaku

Our thanks to 'Gauss' for this news item!

[wrathchild]

And here I was thinking that it was guns to blame. Get rid of guns, and the problem goes away.

[tech3475]

I blame the kitchen sink.....well they've blamed everything else but the guns that caused this tragedy so why not?

[Ursac]

It isnt the guns they are object. Does your broom sweep the floor for you? It wasn't the video games movies or music industries. As they are entertainment outlets. Arnold sure came off the movie set with a m50 and started wailing didnt he. Oh no thats right it only in movies. Eminim is still recording havent heard of him shooting anyone although he did pop up after Tupac was killed. Oops thats a consperacy. Come to think of it I seen scorpian pull out my a guys spine just the other day on the news. Oh wait that wasn't scorpian that was CNN's backbone being pulled out after they made false acusations an people started hounding the wrong Lanza brother. An the gamers had to come in and post to run the idiots off. The only thing to blame is bad perenting. If his mother spent more time with him instead of off with her friends. She would have known the kid was unstable. If ya know something is off with a kid ya dont show them violent images and not tell them its fake. They can and will get ideas. If it wasn't for combat sim's you wouldn't have the military you have today. I dont have all the answers however prevention is the only way to stop these kinds of things from happening.

[Swytch]

and where did people originally get the idea to make violent video games? Movies
and where did people originally get the idea to make violent movies? Stories
and where did people originally get the idea to tell violent stories? Real Life incidents

and what makes Real Life violence more accessable to the common crazy person? as well as making it easier to do and more violent? Guns

put blame where it really belongs... some people are just unbalanced... and having guns readily available to the public does not help prevent these situations...


On a side note, can someone explain to me what Mortal Kombat has to do with Gun Violence?

[Nicotine]

The NRA says that the solution is that EVERYONE should be armed. Such an extremist view.

That's like saying to solve the crack problem in the ghetto, everyone should have more crack.

Want to wage the war against drugs? the solution? MORE DRUGS!

The solution to guns isn't more guns.

canada has just over 50 gun related fatalities a year.

the usa? over 10,000.... within one week of the school shooting that left 20 children dead, there were over 100 gun deaths the week following that tragedy in the usa.

awesome.

[Captain N1]

And here I was thinking that it was guns to blame. Get rid of guns, and the problem goes away.

Um no. Guns are not the problem. People are. IN the Dark ages there was no gun sand peopel still slaughtered others. they were not using guns. Im glade i have the right to protect myself with my guns. I d on thave to sit there and be a victim. Take away the guns and then only criminals have them.

ON topic. I don't blame video games. I play them and that does not make me want to shoot up the place.
If parents did actual real parenting instead of letting the media teach the kids then there would be less problems.
Ignorance is the main issue.

[Swytch]

Um no. Guns are not the problem. People are. IN the Dark ages there was no gun sand peopel still slaughtered others. they were not using guns. Im glade i have the right to protect myself with my guns. I d on thave to sit there and be a victim. Take away the guns and then only criminals have them.

Guns dont really protect you from other people with guns. There is probably a 50% chance that someone with a gun will shoot at you just because you also have a gun, which is countered by the 50% chance that you having a gun will protect you and you wont get hit also.

Any way you look at it, if taking away guns means only criminals have them, then Guns are still the problem. Violent crimes without Guns would result in fewer deaths in all of the recent major incedents. Comparing to Dark Ages is not valid, as now we are smarter, and have more ways to prevent and protect ourselves from the weapons of the Dark Ages. Guns on the other hand there really is no protection from (unless you expect everyone to wear full bullet proof armor).

People ARE to blame for their actions and are thus the problem, but Guns in the hands of these people makes the problem worse. Guns in the hands of their Victims does not make the problem better, and can make it even worse.

[billysastard]

i wonder if the nra are just forgetting that columbine had an armed guard, guess who the murderers shot first?

[garyopa]

i wonder if the nra are just forgetting that columbine had an armed guard, guess who the murderers shot first?

Yeah, as there is now calls for all teachers to be armed at school. -- All tho at times having an armed guard does stop crimes, in this country there is one in front of each gas station, a few at each busy shopping or eating area, at busy bus transfer stations, at all atm's, a few inside each bank, and when armed i talking not just a lousy 9mm, but full ak-style weapons, so it does seem to reduce robberies and on the street shootings on this island, as everyone is allow to carry a gun here also as long as they can be of voting age.

But I am not one to believe in gun control, I agree better detection and care of mental cases, better parenting, etc.

I should be one calling for gun control as I lost my first girlfriend due to a crazed gunman on crowded subway car, but even tho I still miss her and think about it almost once a week, I know gun control is not the direct answer, yes having tighter access to powerful guns might reduce the chances, but there is so many other ways, lets see, pipe bombs, toxic gas, knifes, crossbows, arrows, large explosives, etc.

Even went this one was happening on on the same day, in china 22 kids got stabbed at school also, so person if crazed enough does not need a gun, they will find a way to carry out their crazed mental idea before wiping themselves out.

[billysastard]

Even went this one was happening on on the same day, in china 22 kids got stabbed at school also, so person if crazed enough does not need a gun, they will find a way to carry out their crazed mental idea before wiping themselves out.

worth pointing out that the Chinese attack resulted in ZERO deaths from stabbing.

[Nicotine]

Yeah, as there is now calls for all teachers to be armed at school. -- All tho at times having an armed guard does stop crimes, in this country there is one in front of each gas station, a few at each busy shopping or eating area, at busy bus transfer stations, at all atm's, a few inside each bank, and when armed i talking not just a lousy 9mm, but full ak-style weapons, so it does seem to reduce robberies and on the street shootings on this island, as everyone is allow to carry a gun here also as long as they can be of voting age.

But I am not one to believe in gun control, I agree better detection and care of mental cases, better parenting, etc.

I should be one calling for gun control as I lost my first girlfriend due to a crazed gunman on crowded subway car, but even tho I still miss her and think about it almost once a week, I know gun control is not the direct answer, yes having tighter access to powerful guns might reduce the chances, but there is so many other ways, lets see, pipe bombs, toxic gas, knifes, crossbows, arrows, large explosives, etc.

Even went this one was happening on on the same day, in china 22 kids got stabbed at school also, so person if crazed enough does not need a gun, they will find a way to carry out their crazed mental idea before wiping themselves out.

where on earth do you live? sounds like russia :P

armed guards for ATMs and even at eating areas?....

paranoia.

[garyopa]

where on earth do you live? sounds like russia :P

armed guards for ATMs and even at eating areas?....

paranoia.

Dominican Republic. -- I feel a little safer with guards at atm, since sometimes I widthdrawal 18,000 pesos at once (the max. I can, which is only $450 bucks), but sometimes not, as the guard with the gun watching me does not even make that in one month, so I like walking with my back turn to him with over 3 months of his salarly in my pocket, scary....


Yeah eating areas, is mainly because noone really eats, they just drink lots of rum and beer and listen to loud music, so sometimes brawls can start, and if one person has a gun it can get nasty, so better to have a few armed miltary style police nearby to prevent it.

After xmas holidays it will not be as bad, less parties and less money moving around, and less tourists, so the armed men will be less or just drive by now and then in pairs of two on motorcylce or few more on back of police pickup truck for busy areas.

[billysastard]

On a side note, can someone explain to me what Mortal Kombat has to do with Gun Violence?

about as much as videogames have to do with spree killings




on topic, guns dont kill people, people kill people (with guns) http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...hilling-graph/ charting the most common methods of dispatch across all age groups, every gun nut should be forced to view that.

[Diztructor]

worth pointing out that the Chinese attack resulted in ZERO deaths from stabbing.

regardless if no one dies, the point is they could have, and if some sick minded person wants to go crazy, they will but guns simply should not be available to the public, guns are not self defence, guns kill.