@monkeyspoon5

"See how the crime rates in Canadian are significantly less than the US? Do you think that has anything to do with the fact that people can't buy guns instantly up here? I mean, hardly anyone has a firearm for their own protection and yet our crime rates are far lower than many cities in the US. I mean you guys can buy guns at Walmart for chrissakes."

What would you do if your government just all of a sudden decided take all of your personal freedoms away? What would you do to defend yourself when debate fails? Would you fight the government with a baseball bat versus their guns?

What you said they would never do this? What would stop them? They have the guns and you don't.

You know, Henry Ford owned several newspapers and magazines in his career. In those magazines and newspapers he told the reports to write anti-semantic articles and opinions. Those newspapers were given to anyone who bought a Model T and anyone who went to a Ford dealership. It is said it was a reason for anti-semantics in America.

Can you see the parallel I'm trying to draw?

@monkeyspoon5
"Which leads me to what always confuses me about the United States, that they don't seem to focus on those problems enough, and instead focus on spending even more on their military."

Well that's because our gov't is full of morons who focus on grabbing votes by giving people what they think they "want" instead of what they "need"... Unfortunately, the average person does not want to hear that issues are very complexed and would take a LONG time to solve. they want to hear that the issues are simple and that the solutions are simple. And thus, the gov't takes the wrong actions to solve the problem.

Perfect example is the whole video game issue. No one wants to hear about the mountain of factors that could play a role. Having one scapegoat and saying that it's the source of evil and that getting rid of it will solve all of life's problems is that kind of idiocy the average person wants to hear...

unfortunatly, it's gotten so bad that politicians focus their careers around this flawed reasoning, whether their liers or actually believe that kind of BS, and use this to gain popularity and get votes... most any politician that might know what NEEDS to be done, might get pushed aside cause they aren't giving people what they want to hear...

@Danny Boy & Upgrayedd: Thanks for the info guys I never knew that tabloid meant anything other than the nut ball shit I see in the supermarket.

if it helps more people stp playing that shitty shitty game most people call counter strike, im all for it.

but honestly, EVERY boy from the age 15 to the age 30 has played a video game, even if its in passing

so when one of them kills people
its all video games fault...
if video games are the cause of these things why aren't there like 95000 murders per day from these crazed video game trained killers? if anything its the fact that its easier than ever to get a gun in this country. he bought two guns a few weeks before the shooting legally, and he had been in a mental institution briefly when he refused to take medication for some disorder. people that have been in mental institutions shouldn't be given access to guns. problem solved. in fact, no one should have access to guns, if that happened no one could shoot each other. most murders solved, was that so hard?

i'm sick & tired of the same old shit of politicians & journalists just coming up with random stories in order to put down the video game industry. Obviously it's here to stay, and it's a big money maker so nothing is going to affect it

@Jack - Jim Sterling thanks you for the credibility. I mean, if he were just another nutbar, you wouldn't be here commenting, right? You're adding fuel to your own fire, dope. Take it back to the south, where the geriatrics listen to you.

Can we get a IP address check on that Jack Thompson user-name?

If it is, wow. The best this sack of megaton douche could come up with is e-tard? Oh, you've pushed me, Jack. You've pushed me to my limits and I can't stop myself. I'm going to say it.

You're gay!

I know that'd hurt any closed minded conservative. The thought of gay, I mean. You can blame gayness on video games.

@Mxyzptlk Lives saved by guns?? Are you crazy?? Have you seen the statistics on how many people are killed by guns in the states each year.

Compare that to countries where you don't have the right to own a gun, and you find something 'surprising'. Many less people killed a year by guns. Do you think there is an inherent violence in the US which is manifested in gun crime, and the statistics would hold without guns in the mix?? Or do you think maybe giving anyone who can breathe a gun may not be the smartest idea??

I agree, someone could go crazy with a knife, but working in an emergency dept, I can tell you a lot of stabbing victims survive, unless it's a particularly brutal (read multiple wounds) attack. Gun shots can't be outrun quite as easily.

I'm also a liberal person, I believe in personal freedom. However, I do not agree that my personal freedoms extend to the right to end you life at a time of my choosing.

But again, this is a simplified argument, the notion of removing guns from the US is laughable even when you ignore the large lobby groups. The actual process would be entirely impossible.

The article seems to brush over the fact that he was in the army for a while:

In the army, soldiers use no money to get shotguns, pistols and other equipment they need to move around a country in which they're constantly under threat of being killed by roving terrorists.

@ BlackSun - So you'd rather the police just seal up your body bag?

That's a pretty convincing Jack Thompson impersonation if that isn't Jack Thompson. Tell you what, Jack O' Lantern, if you are keen to engage the Dtoid Army, feel free to fire an email to jim @ destructoid . com.

I'll be glad to see that you're welcomed into the Destructoid community as a man befitting your prestige.

You know, these killers' problems have nothing to do with video games, at their core. It's always because they were picked on, or they were abused as a child, or they're mentally unbalanced and/or off their meds, or they were dumped, or they were lonely and angry...

Video games do not turn people into killers. People turn people into killers. At the risk of sounding like a hippy fuck, we'd have far fewer killers, and potential killers, if people were more considerate and acted less like assholes to one another. If you'd direct your efforts in that direction, Jack, you might actually be able to do some real good.

@Sharpless

Pretty spot-on, I think. While this guy's actions certainly aren't JUSTIFIED because people were assholes to him, the argument can be made that a mentally ill person can be pushed to his limits by cruelty from his peers. And who would really know which particular person is mentally ill vs. another? If it's plainly evident, then those who mock or tease him are all the more douchebaggish for it.

Reminds me of a lady I saw at the supermarket today. I was browsing around the chip aisle when she comes shuffling along. She looked to be in her mid-40's, maybe early 50's, and her body had a marked slant to it when she walked. She was also very wan, and her face looked . . . almost blank. You could tell she was there, I don't think she was impaired mentally.

I couldn't help but wonder what her story was. Am I looking at the products of a degenerative disease? Or at someone who used to be wheelchair-bound who can now proudly walk? Was she born that way? Did this come from some sort of abuse, even? There was no way to know.

My heart kind of sank, too, because I'm fairly certain she received her share of mockery from younger, more able-bodied people with no maturity and nothing better to do than pick on someone who had done then no harm. But that's how it is when anyone is ever different. Anything different or peculiar or unfamiliar must be bad or weird, or to be mocked.

In my opinion, Mr. Thompson is in no way different from those kinds of people. Just pick up rocks and start throwing at whatever scares you.

Goddammit press.

@Im OK
Actually, I give him credit for trying to dialogue with the general gaming public. Unfortunately, I then have to subtract a lot of points, since all he ever seems to do is insult gamers and spew the same recycled, barely-accurate "facts" he utters on television. Way to be professional, Jack.

@Bioautographical
Good observations. I like the way you think. I've been an "outcast," or "fringe," sort for most of my life. While I've never had the urge to go on any kind of rampage, I can certainly understand where their pain comes from. Sorry to get all super-cereal here, but there's a lot of hurting people out there. Everywhere, really. More than we realize, usually.

@Rational_Jesus
Thanks for posting. We need more people like you to stand up and help silence the Thompsons of the world.

off course video-games are too blame!

not the fact that a known psychopath can legally buy guns!

@Sharpless

Were he actually trying to establish a real dialogue of some sort, I would agree with you. But he's not. He's blatantly and unashamedly trolling, and never more than that as far as I've ever seen when he posts to Kotaku or GamePolitics or wherever. Well, either that, or he is so incredibly, horrendously deluded that he somehow thinks that coming into a gamer forum and spouting his ridiculous nonsense, calling everyone "e-tards" or "kiddies" or "pixelantes" or whatever in the process, is somehow going to sway anyone to his side. Either way, it's just laughably pathetic.

If he could and would actually attempt to carry on a civilized conversation, rather than impotently raging, I would be inclined to listen to him, even if I don't agree with him. But, at least in this particular case, he only seems to be interested in masturbating to public orgasm about being "right, oh so right, oh god oh god I'm coming" while calling people infantile names. I don't give him any credit for that in the slightest. So, I say again, until and unless he is willing to not be an enormous dick, he simply needs to STFU(AJPG).

Or, failing that as I know he will, he should at least not come up in here spreading his bullshit because nobody cares aside from the morbid amusement to be gained from it (if any). He should just stick to peddling his spew to Faux Noise. At least there, he'll find a more receptive, agreeable, and like-minded audience.

After realizing that jack thompson really IS Jack Thompson i gotta double post.

Dear Mr. Thompson,

I somewhat familiar with your work. I actually think I agree with you on one of you main arguments. Minors shouldn't be able to buy mature rated games.
Why is that what your hanging your hat on? Kids shouldn't be allowed to buy playboy, jack daniels or diet pills either.
They do though don't they. Why don't you go after these other "ills of society"? That is why I don't pay attention to you.
You see, there are HUGE companies out there who's soul goal in life is to create and maintain addictions in every person they can. The government is KILLING THOUSANDS of our own citizens based on mis-information and the idea that we are doing the country we are invading some good. Our schools teach to the dumbest kid in the room thus making every other kid a little more bored with school and a little dumber. there are large business that want to steal as much money from as many people as possible before they get caught because the punishment for them is far less than the profits from committing the crime. We have huge issues with sexual predators in this country and the ways they are being improperly sentenced and dealt with that enables them to keep committing atrocities. Theres more, I could go on for hours but this is enough for my point.

I applaud you for doing something. You, unlike most, are not sitting on your hands. However, I feel like your arguments are trite and obviously meant to do nothing but keep your name buzzing. Hooray for you Mr.Thompson. I hope you achieve what ever it is your trying to do (what is your goal again?).
I would like to propose this to you good sir. The amount of buzz you could create if you were to say "Phizer want to make your kid an addict" would be ten times what your getting right now. More people of BOTH sides of your moral fence would be willing to listen to you. As you are right now? Well, I don't care. I am a father of 2 (home schooled) gainfully employed (not a lawyer however) married (to a woman) I vote (not telling, go make up your own minds!) and I couldn't care less if 14 year old billy is allowed to buy Gears of War. Its his parents fault and that is that. If my son showed up with GTA4 he would lose his xbox and he knows it.

Good luck with whatever it is your trying to do and I wish you well sir.

The sooner this man is discredited, the better.

Fucking hilarious he came here to call us e-tards, really.

"Jack Thompson, Attorney, and You're Not" Didn't Jack get his membership from the Lawyer's thing in Florida Revoked?

@manta

Good response! He acted like a kid in his post. Sure we all swore and what not but we are e-tards he's supposed to be the pro here.

If I didn't read the usernames and personal references I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between any other comment and Jack Thompson's.

Oh what a society we live in. First amendment in full effect.