games  anime  |  toys
Destructoid is gaming news, community, videos, and sometimes love. Take the tour or jump in with Facebook:

 


LA Demo botches spin job on gaming bill, Pat Brown is my new favorite person photo

GamePolitics, the only gaming blog read by Henry Kissinger, has a story that deftly illustrates the "ethical creativity" present in many of our elected officials.

Louisiana State Representative Roy Burrell (D) was the sponsor of a 2006 bill (authored by Jack "Anti-Zeitgeist" Thompson) that sought to keep violent games in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying "Beware of the Leopard." Thankfully, weary, post-Katrina ravaged Louisiana saw through the piles of rhetoric and crude drawings of ducks and struck down the bill as un-Constitutional.

As a response to the ruling, Rep. Burrell wrote an op-ed piece in the Shreveport Times, lambasting The Times and the federal judge who made the ruling for (metaphorically) laughing at him, and punching his elderly mother in the jaw.

He also saw fit to point out the mountain of evidence supporting his position via the time-honored method of citing the work of people much smarter than himself. Hit the jump to vicariously watch a grown man jam his entire lower torso into his mouth.

To quote Mr. Burrell's op-ed:

I am offended The Times and one federal judge would question state legislators’ commitment, integrity and legal knowledge… Like me, during the legislative process, legislators never knew they would vote unanimously on HB 1381, only to have it struck down by a federal district judge, then publicly criticized by him and the media for doing their legislative duty.

The unsuspected cost of $100,000 to taxpayers for legal fees is but a small price paid to save the life of just one child, given the many killed or maimed, linked to the mind-altering harmful ultra-violent video games…

One expert, Pat Brown, a national top criminal profiler and parent, said that these video games are causing our children to become psychopathic killers by 9 years old. Others, such as Dr. Phil McGraw (psychologist), Bill O’Reilley (Fox news), professor James Alan Fox (criminal justice expert) and Candice DeLong (retired FBI profiler) echoed similar sentiments.

The story becomes hilariously awesome the following day when GamePolitics' readers noticed a response in the online comments section following the piece. I don't have nearly enough (or any) college degrees to paraphrase the comment properly, so I'll just let the original blurb, authored by Mr. Burrell's cited expert, Ms. Pat Brown, speak for itself:

Dear Rep. Burrell,

While I agree with your concerns and approve heartily of working to legislate control over violent video games, I need to correct the quote you attributed to me that these video games create psychopaths by age nine. Violent video games alone cannot create a psychopath.

What I have stated often in television interviews is that a psychopath is already a psychopath by age nine. It is a combination of personality and childrearing (by the family and community) that help create that psychopath.

VIOLENT video games can be a part of this picture as they lend to the loss of empathy that is a hallmark of psychopathy and young children viewing repetitive violence and participating in “killing” via video games are living in an unhealthy psychological environment. Furthermore, teenagers who are already psychopathic and then spend a great deal of time with violent video games are being inspired to act out their psychopathy in a similarly violent manner.

Violent video games do not make well-adjusted older teens or adults into mass murderers (although there still could be more positive pasttimes and inputs for these game playing individuals)…

GP did some checking, and ended up contacting Ms. Brown, who confirmed it was indeed her comment.

Even ignoring for a moment that a duly elected Representative cited Bill "Jesus hates Arabs too" O'Reilly as a credible source on a matter of law, you have to be amazed at how instantaneously this politician metamorphosed into something akin to a walking anus. The point at which you cite experts who then refute everything you stated publicly is the same point at which you demand the Louisiana Senate install dank caves in the hills surrounding New Orleans so you can live the rest of your life as a hermit, feeding on newts and delicious cave mold.

Pat Brown, on the other hand, is my new favorite everything. Here we have an expert who tempers her belief that violent gaming can have a negative impact on the socio-emotional wellbeing of young children, with the fact-based reality that many factors play into the development of a human being. If I wasn't almost positive that she could slice me in half using only the power of her mind, I'd certainly go a-courtin'. 


Continue: More Violence stories





prev next

12 comments | showing # 1 to 12

momiji58's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/12/2007 07:22
momiji58
Hey, I like Douglas Adams too!

It's also amusing to see some righteous-type person other than JT making an ass of himself. Seriously, doesn't anyone try to actually read their source materials before quoting them?
B-Radicate's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/12/2007 08:54
B-Radicate
wait, there was more to my upbringing that contributed to the person i have become as an adult than games? shit... i never thought of that...

politicians are retards when it comes to topics like games. no one has an informed opinion on the matter, at least not as properly informed one, clearly. we'll just have to wait 'til we have a president who grew up on mario. then we can all reast eay.
B-Radicate's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/12/2007 08:54
B-Radicate
oops... i meant *easy*... damn it, sorry.
TheStripe's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/12/2007 09:20
TheStripe
Just more and more ways to help keep parents from parenting. All games with violent and/or sexual content are rated either Mature (17+) or Adults only (18+). If kids are playing videogames with violent content, the only ones to blame are mommy and daddy. But if those games are conveniently banned by MegaCongress™ (voting to expand the government since 1787) then mommy and daddy certainly can't be to blame when junior goes all Cho on his classmates. The life of a single child is most certainly worth peeing upon the tattered remains of the first amendment.

And why does the ESRB have M and AO? The only real difference between the two is content of a sexual nature. They claim it also covers mutilations, torture, anything beyond, you know, painting wall after wall after wall with digital brain. What's particularly funny is that more than half of American teens lost their virginity BEFORE the age of 17. But those 17 year olds are going to have to be satisfied sneaking up on unsuspecting convicts and sawing their heads off with razor wire (Manhunt) or exploding the chests of dozens of lumbering zombies (Resident Evil: pick one.) The first sign of digital genitalia though, and blam, none til you're 18. (If you can even find those games in the first place. Unparent unions have forced basically all retailers to stop carrying games with an A/O rating, which is as good as banning them.)

And now that we're finished with the constitution, *flush* Bye-bye, once-cherished document!
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/12/2007 09:41
tazarthayoot
Nex that picture is all parts epic and full of win.
Gameboi's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/12/2007 09:53
Gameboi
Agreed. Read the story, but you had me hook, line, and sinker at the picture.
bhive01's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/12/2007 09:54
bhive01
I'd say Epic with a Win twist,but that would just be splitting hairs.

Nex, seriously get Pat Brown on the phone or email or something and do a Dtoid piece on violence and games. It would also be made of epic and win.
brad drac's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/12/2007 10:41
brad drac
Y'know maybe folks in the legislature should focus more on the physical and psychological welfare of kids than randomly scapegoating easy targets they know absolutely goddamn nothing about. Roy burrell is clearly an ignoramus, and it depresses me that a lot of people are stupid enough to listen to opportunistic jackasses like him. I would challenge any anti-gaming lobbyist to read this story and give a rational argument as to why it was wrong. Oh shit, I forgot. Anti-games lobbyists aren't big on rationality.

Awesome 'shop again, nex.
KyleGamgee's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/12/2007 11:37
KyleGamgee
a courtin'! Hahahahaha!
Im OK's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/12/2007 16:02
Im OK
I am not at all surprised to hear that Jack Thompson was involved in this somehow. I wonder if Mr. Burrell got Thompson to write his op-ed piece for him as well. ¬_¬

(Nah, I doubt it, since the op-ed piece doesn't bestow lavish and undeserved praise on Thompson himself, which is what it would have done had Thompson wrote it for him.)

Not only did he cite Bill O'Reilly, but he cited Dr. Phil as well, whom we all know recently lost all credibility himself.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/12/2007 22:14
Mxyzptlk
I agree, the most disturbing part of that op-ed piece was that Dr. Phil is considered an expert in anything other than giving painfully obvious advice to retards.
Rezbit's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/12/2007 23:30
Rezbit
Nex, you could have just posted that picture as an article and it would have won the whole internets. I wish I knew how to quit you.
prev next

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

Comments policy

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?

Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!

 
New on Destructoid.TV play all videos

Loading
Loading Destructoid Videos


    Win this!
    Dive in! meetup+play for a chance to win a PC

    Dtoid Twitter    Got news?   tips@destructoid.com

    Reviews & Previews
    Assassin's Creed 2 review
    Crossfire Remote Pistol review
    Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles review
    Left 4 Dead 2 review
    Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex review
    more reviews
    Driver
    Avatar
    GT Racing Motor Academy
    Bad Company 2 beta dishes out meaningful experiences
    Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks
    more previews


    - The Dtoid Army is 51016 strong -

    Showing Cblogs with 3+ faps   show all

    Call for entries: do the wrong thing

    New to Dtoid? Read the survival guide




     Originals
    Chad Concelmo: The tragic history of the videogame turkey





















    More Destructoid Originals




     Popular now more






















    Team Destructoid   tips@destructoid.com
    Nick Chester
    Editor-in-Chief
    Niero
    Founder, publisher
    Jim Sterling
    Reviews Editor
    Hamza Aziz
    Community Manager
    Dale North
    News Editor
    Rey Gutierrez
    Video editor & director
    Anthony Burch
    Features Editor
    Colette Bennett
    Tom Fronczak Brad Nicholson
    Ashley Davis Ben Perlee
    Conrad
    Zimmerman
    Chad Concelmo
    Jonathan Holmes Jonathan Ross
    Brad Rice Jordan Devore
    Will Maddock Matthew Razak
    Dyson Joseph Leray
    Topher Cantler Samit Sarkar
         
      Dexter
    Adam Dork
    Daniel Lingen
    Hollie Bennett
    Joe Burling
    Mikey
    Stella Wong

    Josh Tolentino




     

     
      get involved

    register or login
    post a blog
    post a forum
    enter a contest
    contribute a news tip
    suggest a feature
    be a guest editor
    support

    new member's guide
    login assistance
    tech support
    report abuse
    email our editors
    read our dev blog
    nuclear crisis?
    keep in touch

    RSS feed
    Twitter
    Facebook
    Myspace
    Flickr
    Game nights
    Meetup+play online
    seriously

    about Destructoid
    advertising
    terms of use
    privacy policy
    jobs at MM
    buy our crap
    our network

    Tomopop
    Japanator
    Despingation?




    Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press
    living the dream since March 16, 2006