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Video games blamed for latest string of mass shootings

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Following the latest tragedies in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, Republican party members have already begun pointing fingers at the video game industry.

God, can we please stop?

I’m so tired of having to write up stories like this. I’m tired because they’re not even events now, they feel like commonplace. How scary is that? This weekend saw two more mass shootings in the USA with gunmen taking up arms in El Paso and Dayton and killing 20 people and 9 people respectively, with dozens more injured in the process. These horrific acts of violence obviously brought about waves of finger-pointing as politicians addressed the problem at play while not actually addressing anything at all. The loudest of these voices comes from Kevin McCarthy, the Republican House minority leader who stated that video games are partly to blame for these incidents as games that involve shooting “dehumanize individuals”.

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In an interview with Fox News, McCarthy stated, “We watch from studies shown before of what it does to individuals…When you look at these photos of how it took place, you can see the actions within videogames.” McCarthy never cites any specific studies that back-up his point regarding the effects that video games have had on adolescents, although it’s no secret that many have found a wide array of results with some studies stating that video games do affect violence in youths and others saying that they have no effect whatsoever.

McCarthy’s comments were reinforced by Texas deputy governor Dan Patrick who stated to Fox News that video games that feature guns and shooting as primary gameplay “teach young people to kill”. “I look at the common denominators, as a 60-something father and grandfather myself, what’s changed in this country? We’ve always had guns, we’ve always had evil, but what’s changed when we see this rash of shooting? And I see a videogame industry that teaches young people to kill”.

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These last two three events bring the total number of mass shootings in the USA to 251 in 2019 alone. And that’s just…shit, man. Politicians can blame whatever they want but at the end of the day, if firearms weren’t as easy to get a hold of in the United States these events wouldn’t have happened at all. It’s pointless playing the blame game after people have already lost their lives, that’s not helping anyone, but every time there’s a horrific tragedy like this, people are so occupied with pointing out what they think the problem is but never actually take any steps. Hell, if the American government wants to blame violent video games, go ahead and ban them. I guarantee, without a shadow of a doubt, that mass shootings will still plague that nation because the problem isn’t video games.

Last Updated: August 5, 2019

49 Comments

  1. HvR

    August 5, 2019 at 11:24

    OMG all this stupid politicking trying to ban << insert here what your moronic political leaning propganda tells yout to ban >> to stop psychotic assholes.

    In other news double that number gets shot and killed every weekend in small area in Cape Town and we have the wonderfull FCA to protect us.

    Reply

    • Dutch Matrix

      August 5, 2019 at 11:24

      Oh that thing is a very nice idea. I mean, let’s make sure that the person that wants to buy a gun is NOT a psycho.
      But the problem is the psychos are getting their guns off the street.
      But we know our government is powerless to do anything about THAT problem.

      Reply

      • HvR

        August 5, 2019 at 11:32

        Best of all the US would have had a federal “mental disorder” database/watchlist in place if the DEMOCRATS didn’t derail it.

        The psycho will find a way if you do not stop him.

        A bunch bureaucratic system and arbitary rules will do fookal to stop it; in fact the stricter and more complex the system the bigger the chance for corruption and black market to channel firearms precisely to the lot you do not want to have firearms.

        Reply

        • Pariah

          August 5, 2019 at 11:39

          Yeah, there needs to be a solution somewhere in the middle. But in America, nothing is ever like that. It’s either all red or all blue, and death or taxes to the losers!

          Reply

  2. HvR

    August 5, 2019 at 11:24

    OMG all this stupid politicking trying to ban << insert here what your moronic political leaning propganda tells yout to ban >> to stop psychotic assholes.

    In other news double that number gets shot and killed every weekend in small area in Cape Town and we have the wonderfull FCA to protect us.

    Reply

  3. Dutch Matrix

    August 5, 2019 at 11:24

    Oh but of course it is video games.
    This weekend, I went shooting pigeons with a friend. Let me tell you. Shooting is NOT nearly as easy as what a game makes it out to be.
    We all know what is the problem. It is not the gun, it is the unstable person weilding said gun. And as the Dwarf in WarCraft 2 said: “Guns don’t kill people! I do!”

    And how the US makes it way too easy for said unstable person to get a gun is the culprit here.

    Reply

    • HvR

      August 5, 2019 at 13:21

      If in-game firearm handling was anything like real life all my decades of PC training would have put me higher than bottom half in my typical shooting competition standings.

      Reply

  4. Dutch Matrix

    August 5, 2019 at 11:32

    Nevermind

    Reply

  5. Viper_ZA

    August 5, 2019 at 11:32

  6. Yahtzee

    August 5, 2019 at 11:39

    • Llama In The Rift

      August 5, 2019 at 11:56

      Exactly….now how do you go about implementing stricter rules and licencing whitout causing a civil war?….especially the southern parts of the US.

      Sure they will blame games cause they have nothing els to point fingers to exept the real problem which they know but don’t know how to handle.

      Reply

  7. Admiral Chief Umbra

    August 5, 2019 at 11:39

    if firearms weren’t as easy to get a hold of in the United States these events wouldn’t have happened at all

    Don’t be daft Brad, this is leftist propaganda

    If someone has an agenda to kill, the tool used can be anything (bomb, car, truck, knife, poison, etc)

    Reply

    • Dutch Matrix

      August 5, 2019 at 11:39

      And let’s face it: The interweb is not great for only finding free porn or movies.

      Reply

    • Dresden

      August 5, 2019 at 11:47

      You saw that guy in Germany that go chopped up with a samurai sword in broad daylight. Fucking brutal and sickening.

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Umbra

        August 5, 2019 at 11:47

        I didn’t, also, WTF

        Reply

    • RinceThis

      August 5, 2019 at 19:36

      Wot? Are you serious? You think that having easy access doesn’t help? Wow man, just wow.

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Umbra

        August 6, 2019 at 08:38

        Don’t blame the tools, blame the fools

        Reply

  8. Admiral Chief Umbra

    August 5, 2019 at 11:39

    The biggest problems here are that children are not being disciplined at home, growing up and then having kids again that are further not being disciplined, the society is getting worse every year

    Reply

    • HvR

      August 5, 2019 at 11:40

      Not even that.

      Asshole psyco going on a rampage killing per capita has been pretty constant over the last 100 years except when there was huge conscripted war going on.

      Some people are just born broken.

      Reply

      • Dutch Matrix

        August 5, 2019 at 11:46

        The challenge parents, teachers, friends and family faces are identifying these broken souls and getting them help.

        Reply

        • HvR

          August 5, 2019 at 11:47

          Defnitely and if the assistance does not help they need to keep seperate of society.

          My belief has always been if you are unfit to posess a firearm you are unfit to be in society.

          Reply

        • Pariah

          August 5, 2019 at 12:16

          Honestly, the prohibitive cost of health care in the US probably has a lot to do with that as well.

          Reply

          • HvR

            August 5, 2019 at 12:24

            I agree on that mental disorders should have a government funded system.

            Totally different tangent I was actually how cheap day to day medical care in the US is; US collegue was complaining about the costs: $20 for just a 15 minute GP visit

          • Pariah

            August 5, 2019 at 13:11

            Yeah that’s like half what we pay lol. But it’s when it goes in hospital or not day to day that they pay a literal fortune. There are some horror stories, and it’s sort of created a fear of needing anything that isn’t your local GP/Pharmacy. Spawned a bunch of memes too.

          • HvR

            August 5, 2019 at 13:21

            True true

            The problem is probably more due to fact that their medical insurance is more like short term insurance than medical aid.

            Again what you menitioned earlier that middle ground would a current South African private medical aid/fund solution with basic regulations.

          • Pariah

            August 5, 2019 at 13:31

            Middle ground is where the solutions lie. To hell with extremism.

      • Dresden

        August 5, 2019 at 11:56

        Toxic ideologies are also a thing these “broken” individuals cling to feel a sense of purpose/belonging.

        More and more young people are depressed and have no order in their lives or a sense of being. I think that’s also a big contributing factor.

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief Umbra

          August 5, 2019 at 12:05

          Well put

          Reply

        • HvR

          August 5, 2019 at 12:06

          In some way true; but it goes way beyond depression.

          These individuals latches on “flavour of the time” IMHO the promise of immortality through infamy is the biggest factor since you see a big up tick in moving from spree killings to single incident mass killings since the Columbine shooting.

          The New Zealand mosque shooter is probably the “best” example of this depravity. Life streaming, rambling in his manifesto on everything from Trump, Islam, Pewdiepie, social media and how he will forever be remember for gun control reform in New Zealand.

          Reply

          • Dutch Matrix

            August 5, 2019 at 12:06

            I would have loved to quote some Christian metal song, but I believe the best would be Disturbed’s Legion of Monsters.
            Media should stop making these sick people ‘heroes of the hour’ if you catch my meaning.

  9. Gr8_Balls_o_Fire

    August 5, 2019 at 12:05

    We can all speculate as much as we want as to how and why these psychos are doing what they’re doing, but none of us will ever have the answer. There will be no one solution that stops everyone. It will probably have to be a complete revamp of societal norms across the human spectrum.

    Reply

    • Dutch Matrix

      August 5, 2019 at 12:06

      Oh? Is that all?

      Reply

    • Admiral Chief Umbra

      August 5, 2019 at 12:06

      I can have that done before noon. Just get me my flammenwerfer

      Reply

      • Dutch Matrix

        August 5, 2019 at 12:15

        Oh I love bad guys with flammenwerfers in games. Shoot the tank. Watch them go boom!
        Sure about your cleansing weapon of choice there, Admiral?

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief Umbra

          August 5, 2019 at 12:24

          The tank is lined with Darryn’s milky-chili-cobwebs, not even a 30mm AP round can penetrate it!

          Reply

  10. CrAiGiSh

    August 5, 2019 at 12:32

    It’s easier to buy a gun in American, than to learn how to play Fortnite …

    Reply

  11. Magu マグ

    August 5, 2019 at 12:50

    It’s extra annoying because I’ve met some great people including all of my best friends through gaming. In school we were just nerds, geeks and general outcasts. Can live with that. Now we are criminals? 1v1 me bro.

    Reply

  12. Unavengedavo

    August 5, 2019 at 13:02

    These last two three events bring the total number of mass shootings in the USA to 251 in 2019

    There has only been 216 days in this year so far. Yet people still don’t blame gun control(or lack thereof)

    Reply

  13. Unavengedavo

    August 5, 2019 at 13:02

    These last two three events bring the total number of mass shootings in the USA to 251 in 2019

    There has only been 216 days in this year so far. Yet people still don’t blame gun control(or lack thereof)

    Reply

  14. Unavengedavo

    August 5, 2019 at 13:11

    Okay, so lets say for argument sake that the increase in violence is because of video games.

    But having a system in place to prevent these violent video gamers from purchasing, or having access to semi automatic rifles and handguns would have prevented them from shooting up schools, Walmarts, churches, colleges, parks, concerts, and festivals.

    Reply

    • Unavengedavo

      August 5, 2019 at 13:11

      Because in the 80’s it was music and D&D that was blamed for these types of violent acts. Now it’s video games.

      What will they blame next if banning video games doesn’t solve the problem?

      Reply

      • Pariah

        August 5, 2019 at 13:11

        Yeah, KISS was satanic. Remember that shit? Like come on, that’s a bed-time lullaby for today’s standards.

        Reply

  15. Dutch Matrix

    August 5, 2019 at 11:32

    Nevermind

    Reply

  16. HairyEwok

    August 5, 2019 at 12:15

    Don’t blame games, blame morals. A person that does this has no value or sense of morals.

    Reply

  17. BradeLunner

    August 5, 2019 at 14:10

    This guy is probably backed by the NRA, who are basically are cartel. They’ll blame anything but gun control. I don’t believe games are the root cause- I’m not sure they have no effect though, politicians never look at the root cause, only what forwards their agenda

    Reply

  18. Anon A Mouse

    August 5, 2019 at 16:23

    Always love how people get a hissy fit when games are blamed for violence and point to the individual, yet are very comfortable to blame the gun in stead of the individual.

    Fact remains, if an a-hole terrorist wants to kill they will use what ever they can get their hands on to commit the act.

    Then again dancing on the graves of people killed to score a few brownie political points is also par for the course.

    Reply

  19. RinceThis

    August 5, 2019 at 19:24

    He can literally go f**k himself with a cactus.

    Reply

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