Jack Thompson blames VT shooting on video game violence

Jack Thompson blames VT shooting on video game violence
Just hours after the worst mass shooting in US history occurred on the campus of VT (our hearts go out to the families of the victims), Jack Thompson found his way onto Fox News and blamed the shooting on violent video games.

Be reminded that this was hours before the suspect was even identified.



We dont have exact quotes of what Thompson said, but watching the video you can plainly see that many of his comments are misleading and some are just false.

It is saddening to see that Thompson is using a massive tragedy to pawn off his personal agenda.

Watch the video here


Source:
Kotaku


Thank you to senior member Handsom for the heads up on this story.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Apr 2007 7:09
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  • 49 comments
  • bb05

    The daily news isnt any worse? Games arent the only thing that influenced him... "Normal" people understand the difference between virtual and reality...

    18.4.2007 07:26 #1

  • rosedog

    I saw him on Foxnews this morning and he was trying to push his bullsh!t agenda. It was great when he started to bring up Counterstrike and the Washington Post the commentator stopped him saying that they looked for that article and could not find it.

    Its tragic enough with what already happened at VT.

    I'm gonna go home tonight and play some Gears of War just for you Jack!

    18.4.2007 07:28 #2

  • SProdigy

    Add Dr. Phil to the list:

    http://gamepolitics.com/2007/04/17/dr-ph...-tech-massacre/

    18.4.2007 07:37 #3

  • Thora

    When Thompson gets chance to get on TV he will use it for sure and blames games due to violence.

    18.4.2007 07:38 #4

  • krj15489

    video games are just a scapegoat for peole who need to blame these tradgeties on something. the real reason this happened was becasue the guy was screwed up. there was murder before gta

    18.4.2007 07:41 #5

  • DVDBack23

    Originally posted by krj15489:video games are just a scapegoat for peole who need to blame these tradgeties on something. the real reason this happened was becasue the guy was screwed up. there was murder before gtaamen...there was more murder before video games became mainstream.

    18.4.2007 07:45 #6

  • ZippyDSM

    Video games the new scapegoat for the elites that once bashed books,movies,music,TV and comics....its all rather sad.

    18.4.2007 10:04 #7

  • scorpNZ

    Virginia have slack gun laws amongst others,there's no need for a licence anyone including 12 year olds can get a weapon without question and that includes AK47's,they oughta take another look at the right for every American to bear arms,who was the moron that thought that up,30,000.00 people die in the states evey year from guns

    EDIT: There's no redgistration of weapons either, come to think of it before columbine weapons were taken into class then after columbine you had to leave them with security..wtf,here in NZ you have to go thru the police test to get a gun licence inc a phsych report afterwhich every weapon has to be redgistered at the gun shop and appropriately locked in cabinets

    18.4.2007 10:48 #8

  • sisneros

    Why do they focus on shooting in GTA? Why don't they freak out over HIT & RUN victims saying that GTA trained them to run people over? What makes guns so special? Why doesn't Thomson try to take away our cars too????

    18.4.2007 11:15 #9

  • aone

    you know if we just take video games, movies, television shows, books, and especially the news, away, murder and/or violence will just disappear. yep. its not like its ingrained into human nature or anything, nope, we learned it all from the media...all the mental illnesses of world, that you know, cause this kind violence...will just disappear. yep. totally right.

    idiots.

    18.4.2007 11:38 #10

  • evilh0ly

    http://www.godhatesamerica.com/

    I hope some hackers DOS attack this site. They planned to protest on the funerals for the victims of the VT massacre. Look at some their sayings

    "Why did this happen, you ask? It's simple. On April 16, 2007, this nation, through the offices of your military and conspirators therewith took a shot at the servants of God -- your marksman was limp and lame and he had terror all around, so he did a lousy job. But what you get for your trouble is that your God shot at you! The LORD your God sent a crazed madman to shoot at your children, and he didn't miss. Get this straight -- God sent this South Korean madman to kill 31 of your children at Virginia Tech. Was God asleep while this took place? Was He on vacation? Of course not. He willed this to happen to punish you for assailing His servants."

    Regarding the article, the gunman was a psycho.

    18.4.2007 12:38 #11

  • bb05

    bleh ignore me :)

    18.4.2007 12:46 #12

  • spydah

    The funny thing about this is that the people on mainstream TV and ones tied to politics or have some political gain from stories like this target things that will get people in a uproar. Nobody was in this guys head when he lost it or when he planned to shoot those people you can not blame something that you don't have any idea of where it originated from. Now im not saying things when watch or listen to or even some games don't change the way some people view stuff but im certain a video game alone or song alone influenced this dude to go off the deep end.

    18.4.2007 12:49 #13

  • mpstash

    god enough of the media
    i am a student at VT and i honestly just want to be left alone

    quit goddamn finger pointing

    18.4.2007 12:50 #14

  • akuma96

    I dont know but i been reading a lot About what happen on the 16 and I do not see anywere he play videogames. For all that we know he could have a been a Pokemon fan . It ticks me off they blame videogames . I remember in the 80's they blame the music for killings . It just some people are off set and they need help before they get to that point .

    18.4.2007 15:00 #15

  • rosedog

    Originally posted by scorpNZ:they oughta take another look at the right for every American to bear arms,who was the moron that thought that up,30,000.00 people die in the states evey year from guns
    Whoa hold on there. If you're going to make bold dumb statements like that why don't you through cars and knives in there too?

    Guns don't kill people, people kill people! It is as simple as that.

    18.4.2007 15:26 #16

  • akuma96

    we are the only specie that kills each other

    18.4.2007 15:43 #17

  • christ93

    meh, Thompson is an attention whore, no more, no less. And Akuma96 dolphins have been seen killing other dolphins for no reason in the wild.

    18.4.2007 15:52 #18

  • AxFactor

    This is the sickest thing I have ever read. His rants sound like that of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple. God does not send anyone to kill anything, if this is spiritual then it was Lucifer who was involved. God does not "allow" things to happen, humans have a thing called free will which can be a bitch! I am sorely disappointed in what he has done and he will get his in the end.

    18.4.2007 15:53 #19

  • eiffel65

    I saw on G4TV that the gunmen played Counter-Strike.

    18.4.2007 16:00 #20

  • Dunker

    Originally posted by scorpNZ:Virginia have slack gun laws amongst others,there's no need for a licence anyone including 12 year olds can get a weapon without question and that includes AK47's,they oughta take another look at the right for every American to bear arms,who was the moron that thought that up,30,000.00 people die in the states evey year from guns

    EDIT: There's no redgistration of weapons either, come to think of it before columbine weapons were taken into class then after columbine you had to leave them with security..wtf,here in NZ you have to go thru the police test to get a gun licence inc a phsych report afterwhich every weapon has to be redgistered at the gun shop and appropriately locked in cabinets
    That's a good thing. Most of the other "gun-free" nations have higher violent and total crime rates than the U.S.(1)

    Video games likely figured a role in this, but the general desensitization to violence is the bigger problem. That could just have easily have come from too much TV or movies, so video games cannot be singled out.

    One concern I do have, and one that we may find out about later, is how the VT madman became so effective. 9mm is not a very potent round, and even a well-trained police officer with a Glock 19 and a 15-round mag would have a tough time killing more than 2-3 people without expending a full mag. The fact that the lunatic was able to kill 32 people suggests he had some extremely advanced training (perhaps from a game, perhaps elsewhere). Even at close range, it usually requires several shots to neutralize a person, and more to kill them, statistically-speaking. I have had very advanced pistol and rifle training, and am considered an expert, and I cannot conceive how someone could be so deadly with a measly 9mm, even with typical police-grade training.


    (1)International Crime Victimization Survey as summarized in this Telegraph article:
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jht...23/ncrim123.xml

    18.4.2007 16:21 #21

  • handsom

    The counter-strike thing is interesting, but has a couple caveats...

    -In relation to Thompson's statements, the shooter wasn't even ID'd yet, and he said this, which is going too far.

    -The other concern with this information is the effect media has on people in a more immediate personal way. If I'm a big media network, interviewing people on a college campus, it's going to be incredibly easy to get an interview. I was present for a school shooting at Granite Hills, a few years ago. Was it a tragedy? Yes. What were a lot of students interested in? Interviews. I hate to say what I'm about to, because I'm a member of this group; but truthfully, many young Americans will say whatever sounds good enough to get them on tv. If a reporter goes on campus, asking about the shooter and video games; finding people to say he played them is like shooting fish in a barrel.

    Regardless of whether or not he did play counter strike, or Doom, or Grand Theft Auto, or if he used a Virtual Reality Visor to play Postal 2 in 'true' first person... Let's analyze his actions. This english major was going around calling people "Charletons" and criticizng the "richies", that's not exactly something you hear in a video game, unless you're referring to the little-known "Grand Theft Auto: Ye Olde English Edition".

    The police have been interviewing several people on a much less biased basis, and have concluded that the student was a 'loner'; and have not found anything yet. I doubt that the news media,in their strongly biased, directed questioning that encourages storytelling and stretching the truth to keep the cameras on; really came across any major truths that the police haven't already. Counter-strike players aren't typically the 'loner' types; it sounds more like someone just naming off a game they've heard of, and on a college campus like that, there can't be many students who haven't heard of counter-strike. The sutdent's limited profile thus far sounds a bit more like your generic whacko than your hardcore gamer... But then again I'll have to see how many times I hear "Charleton" at my next lan match. lol.

    18.4.2007 16:37 #22

  • bpanther

    hold on there every one was every one not watching and reading right all this was over his girlfriend cheating on him thats why he killed her first---------the kid had many other problems so i doubt very much this was over video game violence--maybe those guys should get their resources right check into the problems he had as a child growing up and what other probs he had!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    18.4.2007 17:37 #23

  • veyron

    Originally posted by akuma96:we are the only specie that kills each other
    Ever watched animal planet? You are dumb:(

    18.4.2007 20:15 #24

  • veyron

    Originally posted by evilh0ly:http://www.godhatesamerica.com/

    I hope some hackers DOS attack this site. They planned to protest on the funerals for the victims of the VT massacre. Look at some their sayings

    "
    I've heard of these people from the Stern show. They're all monsters. Hopefully god will use his magic powers to "will" them dead.

    18.4.2007 20:19 #25

  • sisneros

    Originally posted by akuma96:we are the only specie that kills each otheryou must not be much of a biology nerd cuz we are not the only species that kill each other. if you ever watch the discovery channel you can see lions eating their cubs during extreme starvation. so please know what you are talking about before you open your mouth...

    18.4.2007 21:29 #26

  • Bobby728

    Correct me if I'm wrong!!Violence has been apart of the Human race since the caveman.We cant blame anything for the violence but that's just the way we are. War has been going on since ,well forever.People are just screwed up in the Head.You cant blame anyone or anything for one person's actions.

    18.4.2007 21:52 #27

  • famousmn

    that has to be the most dumbest thing i have ever heard... are you gay???? just stupid get over it he was fucked in his head... not video games like the one before me im going to play Gears of War and graw 2 just for you!!!!!!!!!!!!

    18.4.2007 22:02 #28

  • Smee342

    Originally posted by mpstash:god enough of the media
    i am a student at VT and i honestly just want to be left alone

    quit goddamn finger pointing

    LOL does it look like anyone here is finger pointing, no we are all die hard gamers "gamingfans" and we are defending our right to such, and trying to make people understand that its not violent gaming is making people go crazy and do mass murder on like wat happend to ur college. im sorry but i refuse to take that as a answer from media type people.

    things of this nature take time to mold and suface from people.
    and i will figure point, 5 bucks says u knew in someone who in someway or form either bullied or taunted this person and my friend that is what makes mass murders and pshyco paths the feeling of neglect and self pitty becouse that is wat mainstreem america wants u to do,

    sure i have played video games since wat nintendo area and guess wat dont come to california becosue i might so go a bit CRAZY lol

    now i will apologize for going a bit off but its true, gaming cannot make people go nuts, and thus far there isnt much evidence saying such and nor is there any saying otherwise atleast not last time ive checked.

    and if u want to be left alone then dont come to a open forum and say JUST LEAVE ME ALONE becosue in the first place we did.

    Smee


    P.s i never like doctor crak phil me lol

    18.4.2007 22:34 #29

  • Smee342

    oh and also lol

    i found this comment on that gamepolitics.com site

    [qoute]CFTF Says:

    April 17th, 2007 at 6:01 am
    The first school shooting in American history was 1966. Predates videogames.

    Apparently, the gunman was a Chinese national. As someone studying in China right now, the most overwhelmingly popular games are RTS/MMOs/crazy Chinese games… nary a fps in sight. And they’re not exactly known for playing console games.

    If he’d been running around campus with a sword yelling “FOR THE HORDE!” every time he cut someone down? You might have a case. Here? Not so much. [/quote]im with that guy u would have a case if that was happening an then i would gladly agree on video game behavior lol

    smee

    18.4.2007 22:41 #30

  • borhan9

    This is amazing how he just goes straight in and blames the games and even blames GTA Vice City. I find that great advertising for the games developers. Pity he has the same name as a great Australian Actor.

    He really seems to have something against violent video games as a whole. Did he not see the video that was recieved by NBC news with the gunmen on there saying otherwise and having other motives in carrying out what he did and i am not saying wat he did was right not in the least all i am saying is the Jack Thompson should get his facts right.

    Look after finishing watching this video he is really passionate about this topic but needs to look at other methods of helping young people out with problems such as these.

    On a lighter note Jack should also be a spokesmen for the software developers cause he really does like to name drop games and i think this could be a good thing for advertising your games out there. :)

    18.4.2007 22:55 #31

  • cousinkix

    CANADA's Dirty Little Secret:
    ASSAULT RIFLES for Sale to the Public

    See for yourselves!

    http://www.marstar.ca/index.shtm

    Everybody needs an UZI, AK-47, MG-42 etc. that only goes Bang Bang instead of burrrr. Get caught with these in CALIFORNIA and you go to prison for several years. And they call US the gun nuts.

    TORONTO is the home of companies like INGLIS and PARA-ORDNANCE. Both firms make 9mm and .45 caliber handguns (with 14-17 round high capacity magazines) and export them to the USA. A hypocritical left wing mayor and city council blame the ugly Americans for their gang problems and crime rate.

    The Japanese and British do the same thing! They export freighters full of military surplus hardware and hunting rifles to the USA. A few companies even sell us their handguns and assault weapons. The ATF can provide a list of those imported brands of their weapons. If we ban these, they'll go crying to that damned World Trade Organization.

    Take your damned guns and sell them to your own crazy people and SHUT UP...

    18.4.2007 23:39 #32

  • huntr

    Originally posted by scorpNZ:Virginia have slack gun laws amongst others,there's no need for a licence anyone including 12 year olds can get a weapon without question and that includes AK47's,they oughta take another look at the right for every American to bear arms,who was the moron that thought that up,30,000.00 people die in the states evey year from guns

    EDIT: There's no redgistration of weapons either, come to think of it before columbine weapons were taken into class then after columbine you had to leave them with security..wtf,here in NZ you have to go thru the police test to get a gun licence inc a phsych report afterwhich every weapon has to be redgistered at the gun shop and appropriately locked in cabinets
    I am constantly amazed at the stupidity that otherwise intelligent people display when talking about guns. Federal law prohibits the purchase of handguns until the age of 21. When speaking of the AK-47, are you referring to the fully automatic select fire version, or the SEMI-automatic civilian version. Two different guns, although you wouldn't know it from the media coverage. In a country of 300 million people, automobile accidents kill more people than all the murders, suicides, and gun accidents combined. Where's the call for car control? We give a license to a 16 year-old to drive a car, knowing that one second of inattention and they can kill a whole family. Blaming an inanimate object for the acts of a madman is not the answer, but some people desperately need to feel that there must be a way to stop the crazies. They hope that if they pass enough laws, they will be safe. They are doomed to failure.

    18.4.2007 23:51 #33

  • cousinkix

    Hey EUROPE! That crazy bastard killed 33 people, most of them with one of your imported GLOCK pistols from AUSTRIA. KEEP YOUR GUNS! Shine em'...

    19.4.2007 00:59 #34

  • rosedog

    Originally posted by cousinkix:Hey EUROPE! That crazy bastard killed 33 people, most of them with one of your imported GLOCK pistols from AUSTRIA. KEEP YOUR GUNS! Shine em'...Way to start singling out people, NOT.

    I almost bought a Glock, then I saw the Desert Eagle :D

    19.4.2007 09:24 #35

  • mglez86

    quote from cousinkix:

    Take your damned guns and sell them to your own crazy people and SHUT UP...

    that's not the way to talk buddy, you have to understand that countries that export weapons do it cause it's simply a market, it's a way to make money, they don't care what you use them for and it's not their fault or problem if crazy people go and use them against inocent ones, if a country has something against weapons just don't import them, but you should know better that there are some countries that don't care about the danger in having so many weapons, it's all about having power, so if people are worried about what someone can do with a gun, don't blame the exporter, blame the importer.

    about the video games, they do not create violence, like they said in a movie, tv does not create psychoes, it only makes them feel powerful. but they feel even more powerful if it's made easy for them to get a gun!

    19.4.2007 10:48 #36

  • rbell

    Someone wrote that he must have been a good shot. How good of a shot do you need to be to shoot people who are hiding under a desk?
    Most of the people died because we have become SHEEP, waiting for the "shepard" to protect us from the wolves. The passengers on flight 93 (Tod Beemer et al) had the right idea. If when he started shooting in the first classroom. everyone had rushed him, he would have only got a few. If I'm going to die I'll go out with a fight not lying down cringing like a baby.
    Remember it's America land of the Free and home of the BRAVE!!!
    It's NOT the governments job to protect us. God gave us a brain we need to use it!

    19.4.2007 13:20 #37

  • wetsparks

    Quote:Virginia have slack gun laws amongst others,there's no need for a licence anyone including 12 year olds can get a weapon without question and that includes AK47's,they oughta take another look at the right for every American to bear arms,who was the moron that thought that up,30,000.00 people die in the states evey year from gunsThat is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. A 12 year old walks into a sporting goods store with a couple hundred bucks and the cashier would sell him a gun no questions asked? wtf!? Also, these fuck ups, they are breaking the law anyways. You think they really care about the law if it said you cant own guns? They would find a way to get them anyways in the black market. Also, the right to bear arms refers to protecting yourself from invasions and to defend yourself from the government if it got out of control and the common people need to revolt. Like the KGB in Russia or in the book 1984.

    19.4.2007 13:47 #38

  • IcyCool

    Will this guy ever learn to shut the fuck up and realize that the people who take shit from video games have serious mental issues?

    19.4.2007 16:45 #39

  • 6Ripper9

    Quote:Originally posted by scorpNZ:they oughta take another look at the right for every American to bear arms,who was the moron that thought that up,30,000.00 people die in the states evey year from guns
    Whoa hold on there. If you're going to make bold dumb statements like that why don't you through cars and knives in there too?

    Guns don't kill people, people kill people! It is as simple as that.
    While I agree with the last part of your statement, the US does have pretty loose gun laws. It's sad when you can go into a pawn shop and buy a gun.

    19.4.2007 18:31 #40

  • Mr-Movies

    It's funny you mention the book 1984 wetsparks because many of the things in that book have come true and are about to be. Most people don't even remember that book or even know of it, but when it came out everyone said it was far fetched, could never happen, and now that it is no one seems to be aware it's happening, or even cares that we are giving up our freedoms rapidly and being watched most of the time. And you’re right this is one of many reasons why we need the right to bare arms. Its too bad that with so many people involved in this incident that someone couldn’t get the upper hand on this dipsh*t, and with that said we are more like sheep.

    These situations are showing up more often because there is little or no discipline, boundaries, and respect instilled in people these days. Parents don't parent, schools can't discipline, the wrong people go to jail, the ones that should don't, and we tend to live in the ME-ME age.

    As others have mentioned we've always had violence but it has been a long time since we've had so much turmoil in a given period of time. What’s next the Inquisition, French Revolution, Crusades, Rwanda, ooops wait that just happened and the wonderful UN closed their eyes to it. I’m pretty sure Bush would be for the Inquisition.

    6Ripper9
    Do you have an address for that pawn shop I'd rahter buy from them over the anal gun & pawn shops where I live which are overly regulated.

    19.4.2007 18:31 #41

  • Dunker

    Quote:[quote][quote=scorpNZ]While I agree with the last part of your statement, the US does have pretty loose gun laws. It's sad when you can go into a pawn shop and buy a gun.No, it's pretty good, actually. Some would argue that at least guns have age limits, whilst video games and many other things do not. I do not share that point-of-view, but bear in mind that the U.S. could and perhaps ought to look at tightening up some of our speech codes, especially with respect to reporting acts of violence like VT and airing videos a madman sent to the press.

    With that said, our gun laws aren't nearly as loose as a lot of Americans (and others) think they are. If we were more like Switzerland or Israel, we'd have little criminal violence. I have no desire for us to be like criminal havens like England or Australia have allowed themselves to become.

    -Do you believe you own your computer and shouldn't be told what you can run and do? Then say *NO* to Microsoft Vista!
    -Since half the questions here involve media problems, here ya go: Only use Verbatim or Taiyo-Yuden discs (get your TYs from Rima.com, not Supermediastore or meritline). Forget the rest, no matter what "brand" they sell under. Always burn at 4x speed regardless of the speed rating of this discs or your drive. If you have burn problems with these then you have to update your drive's firmware. For double-layer discs, only use Verbatim DVD+R DL and burn them at 2.4x speed.

    20.4.2007 01:00 #42

  • mglez86

    about 1984, i think the fact that the things said in the book are becoming real by the minute is the reason why they mention it so much in politics, but there are countries at worse positions, like Mexico, which gives the power to the police to do whatever they want, and when people think something is unfare the police can go after them, they have the power any ways, i just hope we are not at the stage where they have cameras watching us from our tv's, cause there's a tv at almost every house in this planet, kind of freaky *shivers*

    20.4.2007 06:07 #43

  • akuma96

    Quote:Originally posted by akuma96:we are the only specie that kills each otheryou must not be much of a biology nerd cuz we are not the only species that kill each other. if you ever watch the discovery channel you can see lions eating their cubs during extreme starvation. so please know what you are talking about before you open your mouth...
    "during extreme starvation" human dont just kill in extreme event. we just do. Have u not heard of war or just pure hate .

    20.4.2007 08:09 #44

  • mglez86

    Quote:[quote]Originally posted by akuma96:we are the only specie that kills each otheryou must not be much of a biology nerd cuz we are not the only species that kill each other. if you ever watch the discovery channel you can see lions eating their cubs during extreme starvation. so please know what you are talking about before you open your mouth...
    "during extreme starvation" human dont just kill in extreme event. we just do. Have u not heard of war or just pure hate .[/quote]

    and also haven't they heard about terrorist atacks?

    20.4.2007 08:14 #45

  • rosedog

    Quote:[quote]Originally posted by akuma96:we are the only specie that kills each otheryou must not be much of a biology nerd cuz we are not the only species that kill each other. if you ever watch the discovery channel you can see lions eating their cubs during extreme starvation. so please know what you are talking about before you open your mouth...
    "during extreme starvation" human dont just kill in extreme event. we just do. Have u not heard of war or just pure hate.
    [/quote]F'ck that, an outside male lion will kill any cubs of a pride he takes over just to ensure HIS genes can be passed on.

    Thats f'ckd... Imagine if stepparents did that to their spouses kids. Johnny...Your ass has gotta die.

    so as it was said before:

    ...please know what you are talking about before you open your mouth...

    20.4.2007 12:41 #46

  • wetsparks

    Quote:No, it's pretty good, actually. Some would argue that at least guns have age limits, whilst video games and many other things do not. I do not share that point-of-view, but bear in mind that the U.S. could and perhaps ought to look at tightening up some of our speech codes, especially with respect to reporting acts of violence like VT and airing videos a madman sent to the press.Its not freedom of speech that the media uses to air that stuff, its freedom of the press. Freedom of speech is already long gone with all the political correctness bull that is going on.

    20.4.2007 14:23 #47

  • Smee342

    Watch Out,I just played a Seroius game of Duck Hunt!!!





    RUN.....

    so do u think we will get hazard pay out of this ?

    20.4.2007 22:19 #48

  • DragonRM

    He had plenty of things wrong with him... way more than enough to ensure that he should have never been able to get a hold of the weapons in the first place. I like how Captain Dinglegamer (JT) just spouts it out, before there's enough info, like it's obviously the reason for it :p

    21.4.2007 17:26 #49

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