US Senator calls video games "a bigger problem than guns"

[Derozio]

An actual US senator claimed that video games are a bigger problem than guns earlier today on MSNBC (via DailyKOS).
When host Chuck Todd asked about universal background checks, the inexplicably elected Tennessee Republican Lamar Alexander abruptly changed the topic to video games.
"I think video games is a bigger problem than guns, because video games affect people," he said.
Well, sure, video games do affect people - I was quite affected myself by that thing that happened at the end of The Walking Dead season one - but I'm not sure it was as affecting as a bullet in the lungs would be.
At least not all US senators are this delusional. An avid World of Warcraft player won the election for State Senate in Maine last year after a hilarious smear campaign against her gaming ways.

source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...blem-than-guns

Honestly, this is just stupid. I don't really know what goes on in the minds of these crazy people. People are blaming video games for the craziness that goes around and that's just sad. Are there any people here who agree with this guy? I mean, I showed it to some adults and they...kinda agreed. According to them, whatever you see/experience does affect your brain to a certain degree. So, according to them, playing Bulletstorm would make you become a psycho killer who kills people creatively. :<

I really liked this response to the video, by the way:

Originally Posted by yt commenter

This Senator is clearly right. As is everyone who says Video Games are more dangerous than guns.
I mean, have you seen the damage they can do? I once saw a game disc decapitate a clay model! Imagine the damage this could cause to a person!
imagine if someone with a good throwing arm decides to go on a rampage with video games. I for one do not want to have this happen. BAN THE GAMES!!!

[Sydian]

Yes, something made for entertainment is the reason that people are mad. People are the problem. Not games. Not guns. People.

TY commenter is obviously an overprotective parent and needs to take a seat. I hope they have a ton of dislikes. Or maybe they're trolling. A Video game disc took out a clay model...okay because humans totally aren't thicker than clay.

[Morkula]

So many people use games as a scapegoat for any violent act that gets committed. Yes, there are some people that can't handle violent video games without being influenced by them, but the vast majority of gamers are mature enough to not be influenced to go shoot someone after a round of Call of Duty. If anything, it helps you take out your frustrations on something inanimate.

Games are an entertainment medium, just like movies or books, yet you don't see people railing against violent movies. There's a horrible double standard when it comes to violence in games, perhaps because they're an "interactive" medium.

[twocows]

At this point, only old people take that crap seriously anymore. And they won't be around for much longer, anyway.

[Cassino]

Originally Posted by Morkula

Games are an entertainment medium, just like movies or books, yet you don't see people railing against violent movies. There's a horrible double standard when it comes to violence in games, perhaps because they're an "interactive" medium.

I think it's mostly because gaming is a new medium, with the interactivity conveniently being there to use as an excuse.
That is, even if gaming weren't interactive, they'd still be going after it.

[xRice]

In all seriousness the only only who have been killed because of video games are the one that excessively play video games and died because starvation for long hours of gaming...

[Pave Low]

Why would you blame this stuff on video games? People let themselves be effected by video games if at all. As mentioned throughout this thread, video games are for entertainment purposes, there is no evidence that they are to blame for crimes going on in the US. There may have been a few (seriously not even much) cases where this has happened, but video games were just part of it and people aren't gonna be like "Killing people in a game is fun so imma do it in real life" unless they are weak-minded or parents' have done a bad job with letting them think this way. Recently, in English news, a pensioner said that playing games helped her in many ways and there were several people commenting agreeing with her.

Millions of people play video games; the vast majority of them love playing video games and it is a good source of entertainment. However, the vast minority of people are letting there minds be manipulated by the joys of gaming.

[Elendil]

Well technically guns nor video games are at fault, but the persons using them. But obviously guns are great, and video games killed all the recent victims to the violence that's been spreading lately.

[KriegStein]

Ugh... Not this topic again... And again from the U.S... (no particular meaning in that) I am seriously getting tired of these people. They always take videogames as their target. Nobody ever talks about the effects of movies or tv-shows this much. Is it simply because videogames are so young form of media? (compared to others)

[Kura]

Wow.. the things the government tries to do to avoid the real problem .. that's all i can say! What a joke!

[Team Fail]

The only way a video game can be worse than a gun is if the person playing the game can't distinctly judge between fiction and reality, and what is right or wrong. And that's a very small number of people, so nobody should have to worry. Of course I know that when I play MadWorld, there's 2 things that are true:

1. Jack is a fictional character. Simple and solid fact.
2. Putting a chainsaw on your arm to dismember people probably won't be as easy as it looks, and I'll be in a fair amount of pain myself from the immense amount of vibrations going straight into my arm.

But there's the odd person that'll think otherwise.

Now, if the Government thinks games are causing the problems, look to past events. How many of them were triggered through video games? And one other question: What's the ratio of gun owners to video game players? I'm certain one number will be much higher than the other.

[Ultimate PKMN Trainer Red]

I think they don't like video games because they think you play 24 hours. That's a lie. And...worse than gun...? That's stupid. Very stupid. Video games can only affect the eyes...it's not worse than guns...only adults agree with that. They agree only because there weren't video games in their years.

[Pinkie-Dawn]

Wasn't it already concluded that video games are not dangerous and are now part of 1st Amendment law by the California court a few years back?

Originally Posted by KriegStein

Ugh... Not this topic again... And again from the U.S... (no particular meaning in that) I am seriously getting tired of these people. They always take videogames as their target. Nobody ever talks about the effects of movies or tv-shows this much. Is it simply because videogames are so young form of media? (compared to others)

Movies and TV shows had their fair share of being blamed by the government back in their time, along with rap music, rock music, R&B music, CGI, etc.

[NatureKeeper]

Ladies and Gentlemen, you can clearly see the effects of crack cocaine on the US senator. Protect your sanity. Don't do drugs.

...Seriously, what? Video Games do affect people, but so do movies, so do TV series and everything. The older generation just doesn't get something they weren't raised doing. Seriously, now...

[AzaleaLightning]

All of these blame games on video games piss me off. Most of the blaming is done by middle aged and older adults who have never even held a controller in their life.

Sydian nailed it, people are the problem.

It's easier for news media to blame something blatantly violent like video games as opposed to going on the air and saying, 'Humanity sucks and are greedy, naturally violent, selfish pigs. Cut to commercial.' Plus it gives them tons of ratings, which is really what it's all about.

[dbp]

Yeah yeah, whatever.

I think one of my classmates is going to use this in his thesis statement, as he's arguing about something like how those who use violence in video games used as evidence against them usually comes from people who have no experience with them. It's probably going to be a big time validity thing, which is pretty cool. I'd love to see what he comes up with (and he can probably state what his thesis is actually about way better than I paraphrased).

People just want a scapegoat. God forbid parents do their job.

[Bloodex]

If you're going to make that argument, then you can say the same thing about books or music, or anything that shows of creative thinking. It's a stupid argument, period.

[Cerberus87]

The guy's a Republican, lol. I'm not surprised by his statement.

[Sydian]

The guy's a Republican, lol. I'm not surprised by his statement.

My best friend is a Conservative and loves FPS games, and actually used to mod this section of PC. So...no need to generalize the whole party by this bad seed's statement. I'm sure there are Democrats that think this too.

[Para-Dox]

This is actually a really good way to decide which people should vote for the election. Anyone who believes this garbage shouldn't be allowed to vote and the people who think that this is just another tasteless scapegoat should have the privilege to vote.

[lineofdeath]

PURE STUPID.
It is like a dog, it isn't the dog that is dangerous, it is the owner.
Games aren't dangerous, the player is.

[Mac]

Oh man, this is much worse than the one Congressman who thought we should have a Federal speed limit of 55 mph to save gas! I can't believe people like this are elected... sigh. Video games are not the problem... people are... same thing with many things, actually.

[HeracrossIsBoss]

Games like pokemon makes me want to put my dog in a pokeball, and throw it to other people E_E, no. I understand there are games that make people more aggressive. But worse than guns I cant believe.

[Nakuzami]

Originally Posted by Sydian

Yes, something made for entertainment is the reason that people are mad. People are the problem. Not games. Not guns. People.

TY commenter is obviously an overprotective parent and needs to take a seat. I hope they have a ton of dislikes. Or maybe they're trolling. A Video game disc took out a clay model...okay because humans totally aren't thicker than clay.

You . . . do realize that this comment was completely and totally sarcastic, right? ._.;

Other than that, I agree with your statement completely. It's people who are the problem; not video games, not guns, not anything else.

Video games are simply a creative outlet. If someone goes on a murderous rampage after playing a little too much Borderlands, I think they probably have a severe mental disability. . . . >.>;

[lollygag]

Makes me wonder...do any of these Congress members even know the first thing about video games? I mean, don't any of them have children or grandchildren who play video games?

I admit, I am a Republican myself, but even I don't agree with this guy.