After some days of playing Grand Theft Auto, and seeing the responses from various people ranging from gamers to critics, and even the "all knowing" Jack Thompson.
I am forced to ask the critics such as Jack and Glenn Beck, What has happened to the responsibility of the individual? During an On-the-air interview Mr Thompson consistently says that the Grand Theft Auto series is nothing more than a murder simulation. He brings up the case of Devin Moore, who played GTA3 and Vice City for 10, 12, sometimes 16 hours a day, and essentially trained him to butcher innocent people.
Why is it we use this to excuse his deplorable actions? Would not his parents have noticed him obsessively playing a game for that long?
I believe games to more relieve stress and anger, than anything else. I believe Mr Thompson to be viciously exploiting these families and the victims to remain in the spotlight for his own personal benefit.
He goes on to bring up the Virginia Tech massacre, and links the game Counterstrike and Half-Life to the shooting. Though there was never any proof that Seung-Hui Cho's free time spent at Virginia Tech was on Counter-strike.
After that he goes on to say that "Dozens" of examples exist... Out of millions of gamers, there are dozens of example. Seems like a low percentage to me.
As he continues to bring up school shootings, I cant help but feel, and question, how these kids were treated in school. Most of the time they fit in with the shy, timid kids, who are bullied mercilessly until they break, and the aftermath is the result.
I guess being a gamer who has played countless of games (played Doom when I was 12 and up) and hearing that these games are the cause of so much, I cant help but continue to ask, why does everyone look for an excuse to the real reason why they act out?
It reminds me of a story when I was just 3. My mother say me in the fridge, eating the cake she had told me not to eat. She looked down at me and asked, "Did you eat any of the cake?" and I respond with cake all over my face "No.... sissy did though...."
I know there are many more examples, but lets move on shall we?
There is also the fact that Grand Theft Auto is rated M for Mature, many stores have taken on the responsibility of I.D.'ing customers that come in to buy M-rated games. Movies and CD's take on identical approaches. Books require none.
My last point deals with the other media that are packed with so much more violence, and not questioned. I can go pop in any of the Saw movies and be flooded with images of dismemberment, gore, and scenes of graphic torture. Video games do not get as graphic as these scenes of violence, yet it is the games that suffer. Books are the same way. There is one in particular that is filled with incest, torture, sex, alcohol, and even the threat of sawing a baby in half. This book is found in every library across the country, and our dear friend Jack Thompson even quotes from it.
It is the bible (though he does not know the difference from the "Old Testament" from the "New Testament"). Should we blame that and ban it from homes, make it so you must be 18 or older to purchase it, and provide a nice clear warning label on it for parents to be warned about? I could even go as far as to blame massive deaths contributed to wars and forcing through use of torture on people to adopt it.
But that would be putting blame else where for others motives, even I can see that. So lets just acknowledge we are all responsible for our own actions, even you Jack Thompson and Glenn Beck... even you.

-Munkee x