Violent Video Game Burning

[Orby]

They're made of metal.

lol smart ass :P

[RicardoZ]

lol smart ass :P

Well burning the guns won't stop these nuts anyway. You can make a bomb that's even more deadly out of household items, just read the Anarchist's Cookbook or some of the writings of the (ironically) anti-gun left's hero Che Guevara.

[Trunksee]

Its natural for people to seek someone or something to blame when the blamed is not around to be blamed. In this case the easiest target would be video games.... why they just don't burn the guns I don't know.

Because its simple. Video games that violent serve no purpose outside the military. Just because you enjoy it its just like guns. People are willing to say the cold hard truth because its offensive. Mentally ill people need to be put back in asylums. Its not politically correct to blame people though as you alienate voters. Banning either one, guns or violent media, is stupid to the well adjusted person, but in the wrong hands of the mentally ill both are detrimental to society.

[Xeones]

Is it bad I hope they breath in the smoke as they burn these disks releasing poisonous gas for no reason aside from their own staggering stupidity?

[Gheld]

Because its simple. Video games that violent serve no purpose outside the military. Just because you enjoy it its just like guns. People are willing to say the cold hard truth because its offensive. Mentally ill people need to be put back in asylums. Its not politically correct to blame people though as you alienate voters. Banning either one, guns or violent media, is stupid to the well adjusted person, but in the wrong hands of the mentally ill both are detrimental to society.

Video games are nothing like real guns. Your opinion is bad and you should feel bad.

http://www.thekimfoundation.org/html...tatistics.html

It's estimated 1 in 4 people suffer from some form of mental illness or another. And even if you just focus on mood disorders, severe anxiety disorders and schizophrenia , you still have well over 10% of the population pretty royally messed up in the head. The fact is, a shit ton of mentally ill people are likely to play violent video games. The odds of any one of them becoming violent are slim to none.

And with 32,000 people committing suicide every year (succeeding, not just attempting) in the US alone, you can be damn sure that when one does become violent it is ALMOST ALWAYS against themselves.

And when you add up all these shootings; the numbers absolutely pale in comparison to the number of people murdered every year by perfectly sound mind, sound bodied individuals.

http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/180/6/490.full

In a Finnish cohort study, those with schizophrenia accounted for 4% of those registered for at least one violent crime (Tiihonen et al, 1997). In a Danish birth cohort followed to age 44 years, 2% of all males with lifetime arrests for violence and 9% of all females had schizophrenia. When we exclude those with comorbid substance misuse, these figures drop to 0.8% for males and 6% for females (Brennan et al, 2000). In Dunedin, New Zealand, 94% of a total city birth cohort were followed up at age 21 years. Without considering comorbidity, just over 10% of past-year violence committed by these young adults was attributable to schizophrenic spectrum disorders.

The studies have been done. The primary contributing factor to violence committed by the mentally ill is substance abuse. Not video games, not the media, etc.

I mean if you look at the Finnish study, considering that 1.1% of the population has schizophrenia, and only 0.8% of males who have a violent rapsheet are non substance abusing schizophrenics, (I can't comment on the females because the percentage of inmates who are female in Finland isn't immediately available to me) a schizophrenic who stays away from drugs and alcohol is less likely to hurt somebody else than your average every day person.

[Deleted]

Well, this just had to happen didn't it? In reaction to the school shooting in Connecticut, some organization is holding a "book burning" for violent video games, music and movies. Hell, they even offer gift certificates to people who bring them in, what the hell.

http://www.polygon.com/2013/1/2/3828...-violent-video

People who've probably never been at a computer, even less ever played any games. Yeah, they're ignorant.

---------- Post added 2013-01-03 at 05:47 PM ----------

Because its simple. Video games that violent serve no purpose outside the military. Just because you enjoy it its just like guns. People are willing to say the cold hard truth because its offensive. Mentally ill people need to be put back in asylums. Its not politically correct to blame people though as you alienate voters. Banning either one, guns or violent media, is stupid to the well adjusted person, but in the wrong hands of the mentally ill both are detrimental to society.

That logic would be better applied to private ownership of assault rifles and other weaponry, it has no place other than in the military.

There's no truth in video games inspiring violence. The truth is much more real and much more obvious.

[Zardoz541]

Got the Oroboros off google. Getting a tattoo of a greatly modified version (with the eye of Horus in the middle) on my right caft soon. The language is Enochian (supposed language of the gods) and is just a repeat of what is in english. "I was, am now, and shall have no end." Which is a quote from the Sumerian god, Enki.

Damn, I just lost 5 bucks... At first I thought Sumerian or stylized Phoenician... You know, as someone who once (many, many years ago) had a few of LaVey's Enochian Keys memorized, I probably should have known that. But I can't honestly recall if I ever saw it in a written form. Everything I ever read was in (poorly) transliterated English print. Thanks for the response!

[Promark]

I fail to see what problem people are having with this. Did you guys even read the full article? I bet you just jumped in with the same knee-jerk reaction you think these people are having. They even specifically say

"The group's action is not intended to be construed as statement declaring that violent video games were the cause of the shocking violence in Newtown on December 14th"

They want parents to evaluate what their kids are watching/playing and start a conversation with them about it. Is that really so bad?

Edit: It's not like they are going out of their way to find and destroy games, they are asking for 'donations'.

[Deleted]

Sounds like denial and projection to me.

[Trunksee]

Im just drawing a comparrison to the assault on gun owners. Both are stupid and serve no purpose. There is no immediate need for either so whats the.big deal if we ban both? Thats my point. This illistrates the hypocracy in both arguements. I dont need violent video games and movies and maybe there is a chance someone is influenced, ban. I dont have a type of gun but it could be.used, ban. It ignores the.fact.that.the vast majority wont committ these crimes. Its bad logic. We attack items because we can admit we fail ourselves.

[Video Games]

Scapegoat from coast to coast.

[smegdawg]

Sounds like a way to get money for those old violent video games that you don't play anymore.

You know so we can go out and buy the new ones that are sooooo much better!

[buck008]

I fail to see what problem people are having with this. Did you guys even read the full article? I bet you just jumped in with the same knee-jerk reaction you think these people are having. They even specifically say

They want parents to evaluate what their kids are watching/playing and start a conversation with them about it. Is that really so bad?

Edit: It's not like they are going out of their way to find and destroy games, they are asking for 'donations'.

If they would have stopped at that statement, absolutely. It's perfectly valid for a community organization to suggest that parents take a look at what their kids are playing, actually look at the games for themselves, and have a real conversation about serious issues that might arise. Parents today don't do that, by and large, they just blame the games themselves. Or movies. Or music. Or books. Pick your medium really. The part where they encourage the townsfolk to bring in the offending media with the intention of burning it is the scary part. Leave the decision of what to do with that crap to the parents as well, don't suggest a public burning. You come off looking like a crazy asshat, even if zealotry wasn't your original intention.

[rhorle]

Not even in the slightest. If you are that mentally unstable to be influenced by fictional events, then more then just videos are to be blamed. Take Rap music for example. It promotes more violence, shooting, and rape, then any video game I know of. Thats all that genre is about, but I don't see people rallying behind burning that trash. Even the lame stream media should be blamed for pushing this kid of life style.

Did you read the article linked to, or did you just see video game burning and started to protest and rage against it? Because the group is collecting movies, music, and video games that are violent and destroying such. Every is focusing on video games and burning to the exclusion of all the other facts and making very funny statements in the process.

---------- Post added 2013-01-03 at 01:54 PM ----------

Actually, most of what they will be burning is plastics and other fun stuff. In short, they are responding to a violent act by releasing deadly chemicals into the air. Bravo.

Through an industrial incinerator that is property of the city. The incineration is a way to get rid of the garbage and not a primary purpose of the group. Sensationalist topic with a sensationalist article that hardly anyone actually reads.

There are a few methods to get rid of garbage. Incineration is one of them that is used all of the time but suddenly now it is bad for them to use it?

---------- Post added 2013-01-03 at 02:02 PM ----------

What a waste of money.

Not really. The group is asking for media that people no longer use but think is to violent. Or if your kids think it is to violent and want to get rid of it. Instead of it sitting around the house for new people to be exposed to or revisited down the road you can turn it into them for a potential gift card. In return they snap the disc and through it in a dumpster. The dumpster is later incinerated, instead of going to a landfill, which is a normal action procedure for people that have incinerators in their towns/area.

It is the same thing gamestop does except game stop resells your games and gives you considerably less for them. They aren't asking for people to go out and buy the games just to destroy them. They are asking for parents to look at their kids, and ask them if they want the games destroyed, or to decide if their kids are a little to into the violent games. Then to turn them in for a gift card (hopefully for local businesses).

It is based off of http://www.polygon.com/2012/12/23/37...-violent-games

---------- Post added 2013-01-03 at 02:04 PM ----------

Totally this.

These people are raving lunatics. What's next? A witch-hunt?

You hope people choke on fumes, just like the poster you quoted hopes, and they are raving lunatics? They are collecting games, movies, and music that people don't want and rewarding them for turning it in. Why is crazy about that? The burning is part of normal waste disposal, again what is crazy about that?

---------- Post added 2013-01-03 at 02:05 PM ----------

All this is, is people taking the coward way out, so they don't have to take responsibility for their own actions or children. It is the parents job to police what their kids are watching on TV, what video games they are playing, who they hang out with etc. It's always easier to point the finger at someone else. While it is sad what happened to all those kids and teachers, it's not the video games fault. I have played Grand Theft Auto multiple times. I have never had the urge to go out and steal a car. Or purposely slam into cars going the wrong way on the road. It's the parents choice to buy the kids the gaming consoles and SHOULD be their responsibility to watch what the kid plays. Plain and simple.

You say it is the parents job to police what their kids are watching and playing but then call it the cowards way out when a group asks parents to do just that? You can't have it both ways. Either they are supposed to watch what their kids are doing are they are not.

[buck008]

They are asking for parents to look at their kids, and ask them if they want the games destroyed, or to decide if their kids are a little to into the violent games. Then to turn them in for a gift card (hopefully for local businesses)

That message gets lost when people hear "turn this into the government so we can destroy it". I'm not saying that's what the group said, I'm saying that's the connotation. It is always, always going to be how people react to that statement. They buried the lead by even suggesting it. Just tell parents that they really need to take a look at the media that is consumed in their household. They need to have a talk with their kids to see if they understand the issues that mature or R rated titles can bring up, including graphic violence. If you end the message there, there's no controversy.

[rhorle]

The part where they encourage the townsfolk to bring in the offending media with the intention of burning it is the scary part. Leave the decision of what to do with that crap to the parents as well, don't suggest a public burning. You come off looking like a crazy asshat, even if zealotry wasn't your original intention.

Yes you do come off looking like that. Oh you were talking about the organizers of the event and not you? My bad. They are collecting them with the intention of destroying them. The burning is a by product of the waste disposal system, incineration. Why are you so up in arms over incineration versus a land fill? Sure recylcing would have been the best choice over all but I haven't seen anyone objecting over that.

Just like everyone else they focus on one thing, burning. And zealotry color their responses accordingly.

[Deleted]

Is it bad I hope they breath in the smoke as they burn these disks releasing poisonous gas for no reason aside from their own staggering stupidity?

No it isn't.

[Statix]

Well, this just had to happen didn't it? In reaction to the school shooting in Connecticut, some organization is holding a "book burning" for violent video games, music and movies. Hell, they even offer gift certificates to people who bring them in, what the hell.

It's easy to blame video games and movies because they have violence in them, but how do those people explain similar crimes being commited long before either of them even existed?

How would people like that explain the Wild West? The stuff that went on during that time. Beating eachother up for accidentally bumping into someone. Shooting eachother for pointless crap. That stuff happens today and they blame the violent video games and movies. Well, here's a question for you: What caused people that lived during the Wild West to behave like that, centuries before the technology to make movies was invented, let alone the technology for video games?

Human f'ing nature.

[rhorle]

That message gets lost when people hear "turn this into the government so we can destroy it". I'm not saying that's what the group said, I'm saying that's the connotation. It is always, always going to be how people react to that statement. They buried the lead by even suggesting it. Just tell parents that they really need to take a look at the media that is consumed in their household. They need to have a talk with their kids to see if they understand the issues that mature or R rated titles can bring up, including graphic violence. If you end the message there, there's no controversy.

First of all it isn't being turned into the government. It is being turned into a local organization made up of several local entities. It is being incinerated by city employee's because that is what happens when a city owns an incinerator. Their employee's are the ones that incinerate everything. Stop trying to turn thing into something its not. First its burning, and now its the government. Whats next to justify the hate towards them?

[buck008]

Yes you do come off looking like that. Oh you were talking about the organizers of the event and not you? My bad. They are collecting them with the intention of destroying them. The burning is a by product of the waste disposal system, incineration. Why are you so up in arms over incineration versus a land fill? Sure recylcing would have been the best choice over all but I haven't seen anyone objecting over that.

Just like everyone else they focus on one thing, burning. And zealotry color their responses accordingly.

I'm not up in arms. I'm explaining why people reacted a certain way. Explained it a little further in the post following your giant wall of responses. You are clearly not unaware of the "book burning" connotations and the images that the phrase conjures. It doesn't matter if it's true. Public perception, as evidenced here, will kill any good intentions the group may have had because of poor wording.

Also, to respond to your more recent post, I don't think this group has done anything wrong, nor do I think the hate is justified. I understand why. That is all. I understand and agree with every point you've made. I'm trying to express why others are up in arms. You also missed the sentence where I very clearly said: I'm not saying this is what they said, I'm saying this is the connotation. In other words, this is what people hear.