|
Still trying to fight his seemingly endless battle against violent video games, Jack Thompson has now forwarded his concerns to the White House. The latest on the already disbarred ace attorney has him sending a letter to none other than President Barack Obama. In his letter (a very, very long one at that), he outlined various cases across the globe showing violence which have - for some reason (of his) or other - been linked to video games. We're posting his letter in its entirety below so you can read it, but the long and short of it is this... Thompson is pleading to Obama to have some form of restriction on violent video game. Hold on, not just any form of restriction, but an outright total ban. Once again, JT has brought back his age-old 'video games as murder simulators' argument, this time asking PotUS to prevent these kinds of games from being sold to the US market, whether they be kids, adolescents, or even adults. Here, he uses some very strong words and dropping very sensitive topics like the Columbine tragedy. He even made an appeal to the President's emotions, "from one father to another," asking him to ban violent games from America. So, for the sake of integrity, here we have the whole letter, from Jack Thompson to Obama: Dear Mr. President: Recently a German teenager methodically authored a massacre at his school, and like the perpetrator of a nearly identical earlier massacre in Erfurt, Germany, he trained on Mature-rated video games to both incite and train for this mass killing. Now the head of German's national police union has called for a total ban throughout Germany of these virtual reality murder simulators that have been repeatedly linked to such senseless massacres. He is right to do so. In early April 1999, I appeared on NBC's Today show with the parents of the three girls killed in their Paducah, Kentucky Heath High School by a fourteen-year-old video gamer who trained to kill them on Doom. When Matt Lauer asked me what I feared most from what we had learned in Paducah, I told him that we feared other boys in other American high schools would train on the same murder simulator to kill even more students. One week later, Columbine's Klebold and Harris made that awful prediction come true. That is why I have been on CBS' 60 Minutes twice, both upon the request of the late and great Ed Bradley, to warn the nation that more Columbines are on the way. There have been enough murders caused by violent video games that if I were to list in this letter the names of the victims, those names would more than fill the remainder of this page and all of the next. Since 1999, I believe it is fair to say I have led the charge around the globe to keep these mature- and adult-rated games out of the hands of underage kids. I wrote the bill to do just that, passed unanimously by both houses of the Louisiana legislature, which was signed into law by Democrat Governor Blanco, only to have the video game industry blackmail that state into not defending that constitutional law in federal court. I have more recently drafted House Bill 353, which both houses of the Utah legislature have overwhelmingly passed, and it awaits Gov. Huntsman's signing of it into law. All this bill does is amend Utah's already existing Truth in Advertising Law in telling purveyors of mature and adult entertainment that if they say to the public they do not sell their age-restricted products to children, then they must keep that promise. Otherwise, they are engaged in fraudulent, deceptive, untruthful advertising. What has been the entertainment industry's response to this clearly constitutional and straight-forward bill? They have bombarded Gov. Huntsman with lies that completely misrepresent the bill, but even more remarkably (how is one truly surprised by a new wave of fraud from a fraudulent industry?), an organization calling itself the National Coalition against Censorship is telling Gov. Huntsman that "minors have a First Amendment right to adult entertainment." The lunacy of such a statement is precisely what the Entertainment Software Association itself actually believes, but it has only said that under cover of federal pleadings in federal court cases challenging constitutional video game bills. Both the Entertainment Software Association and the Entertainment Software Rating Board are spending countless dollars doing all that they can to avoid strict compliance with their own age ratings on games. The United States Federal Trade Commission repeatedly documents the breaking of both the movie and the video game industries' promises made to the nation after Columbine. The latest lies coming out of both the ESA and the ESRB to try to intimidate first the Utah legislature and now Governor Huntsman are shocking, as they reveal an industry that has absolutely no behavior compass but that provided by greed. The video game industry makes Wall Street crooks look like a bunch of Mother Teresa clones. Therefore, this industry's continuing mendacity, coupled with the recurring mass murders in Germany and in the United States and elsewhere linked to these games, has caused me, after ten years of leading this battle against the mental molestation of minors for money, to rethink and revise my goal. Heretofore I have taken the video game industry's word that it does not want kids to get adult products. The industry has finally caused me to shed, in the last few days, my propensity to give it the benefit of the doubt. What they are now doing in Utah shows that what must be done in the United States is what is about to be done in Germany. If the video game industry will not do what is necessary to keep killer games out of the hands of impressionable kids, whom neuroscience proves are the most likely to copycat these virtual reality killing scenarios, then we must implement, as a society, a total ban on the consumption of these murder simulators by adults and kids alike. An industry that uses fraud to get adult games, that are age-rated, into the hands of kids by using those age ratings as a deceptive fraud rather than as a real shield to prevent the grand theft innocence of our children, has used up all the trust and goodwill extended it since Columbine. An industry that will not do what is necessary to protect children from the harm its product causes has forfeited any "right" to conduct its business as usual. An industry that insists children have a constitutional right to purchase adult products is nothing more than a band of thuggish pirates like those operating off the Somali coast. An industry, then, that will not keep its adult products from children, while claiming it does, must be deprived of its opportunity to sell these adult products to anyone. This is the price this industry must pay for more than a decade of deception and death. Game over. I am not the only person who believes this must be done. There are indeed those within the video game industry itself who are appalled by the fact that the ESA, the entity that speaks for the entire industry, is so cavalier in thumbing its nose at parents and their children. They know that the video game industry is one more Virginia Tech away from commercial annihilation. Your own soon-to-be confirmed Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke, knows how dangerous these murder simulators are and how deceptive are the video game industry's marketing practices. He, as Governor of Washington, signed into law one of the nation's first video game laws on whose behalf I testified in Olympia a number of years ago. As a Republican, I am delighted that Mr. Locke will be heading Commerce, which has been so heavily involved in documenting the continuing marketing of violent entertainment to children since President Clinton asked it to do so after the heartache of Columbine. Secretary Locke will be an excellent person to study this problem anew, and I hope, if you ask him to look at this issue, he will then recommend to you and your Administration a total nationwide ban on these killer games that I now, this very day, seek. I conclude by asking you, one father to another, to take the bold moves necessary to get these murder simulators out of America. We have more guns than people in this country. We are training our teens to be Manchurian Candidates to use them and to author what will be more Columbines, more Virginia Techs, and more shattered communities. Regards, Jack Thompson PS: Your first judicial nominee, David Hamilton, upheld as constitutional Indianapolis' clearly constitutional video game law. This fact serves to show that this judge of your choosing is in tune with what has been my legal position on these matters as well. I am certain Judge Hamilton would consider as utterly absurd the position of the video game industry that minors have a constitutional right to purchase adult products. Thanks to Aadithreya for the heads up! Related articles:
|
|
|
[Via Popzara]
Permalink |
Email this |
Linking Blogs
| Digg It!
Bookmark / Find this article on: |
|
55 Comments
|
what a douche.
Tell the children to put condoms over their heads, i'm sure that will protect them.
I never heard anything about a German school massacre though, sounds kinda scary. Probably been watching too much Arnold Schwarzenegger films. (even though he's austrian he sounds german)
Well maybe you should watch the news more often because there actually was a shooting recently, but of course he wasn't training with video games, that's only something the dumb politicians here have invented to scare parents ...
btw austrians speak german too ...
C'mon already Satan! Take this bastard to hell!
Amen to that brother! haha
Why can't this guy just stop already. Oh well, I guess he likes the publicity.
my letter to obama was way more important than this guys, ya we need regulation of games, but if u really want to to regulate and keep kids safe, fix the internet, make some type of regulation/registration for kids on the computer, heck the internet has games that do get banned, sick images, and how to's for crimes, mind you probobly not all in one place, but it IS on their and it IS accessable to anybody with a computer and internet connection
This dude needs to move to Australia where he would fit in. This is America, land of the free. If I want a violent ass video game, I have the right to have it. I hope this moron slips up and does something to get his ass thrown in jail for a few years.
As for "Murder Simulators"... How the hell is doom going to train you to kill people....? In this dudes eyes Wii is the most violent of all, that is since you actually hold the controller like a gun... This dude is a moron. I hope he gets hit by a bus...
Stop posting this dudes crap. Everyone on QJ hates him.
I don't want him to be thrown in jail for a few years... I want him to get life in prison. Jack Thompson has no place in this country. If only there was another red scare... JT would be in a containment camp in a matter of seconds for attempting to restrict American's rights.
This guy is such a *****in' lame ass. Does he honestly think that if that German guy didn't have that video game to "practice" with, that he wouldn't have done what he did? No! He would have found some other way to "practice." Paint ball, maybe, or Nerf guns, or even water guns, damn it. Now, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with these things. I love myself a game of paint ball. I'm just saying that people need to stop thinking video games are the root of all mother *****ing evil! I"M SICK OF IT! (I used caps to actually express myself yelling at my computer monitor)
Jack Thompson is truly the biggest sCumbag on the planet. I hope he reads the things people post about him. I can only hope that the hateful things people say hit him where it hurts, though I know it doesn't. People like JT have no emotions to hurt. These creatures feed on the pyschological suffering of others. It sickens me.
For those of you who don't know: looking into Jack Thompson's eyes may cause shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, explosive diarrhea, seizures, polio, Hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, or instant death.
okay... lets ban movies too. lets just ban the goddam war in Iraq. wouldnt you thing COD4 would prepare you to be a better soldier?
this guy is full of shat. Obama has more important letters to read. this is a joke.
Yeah, because going on Leno was SOO Important, He doesn't have time to read IMPORTANT letter's.
Hell probably commit suicide when hes gone past 60 (lets hope we wont have to wait that long)and realizes how much times hes wasted with ***** like this, it all amounted to nothing.
I agree no one should post any info on him its just giving him attention which he shouldn't have.
I'm sure this guy has good intentions for this whole bill and all, but seriously i think Americans (myself included) should stop voting away our freedoms because stuff happens and we overreact with a doomsday scenario...
first the patriot act, and now the Digitally safe and sound act. no more murder, car jackings any of that. all you will be able to play is paper rocks and scissors. not even wii play, we can't have people encouraged to box by a game. crime will disappear over night. just like our freedom.
I don't think so, yourmistakes. Paper rock scissors condones violence.
that is all.
WATCH OUT! HE'LL SUE YOU FOR SAYING THAT!!!!
President Obama has been things to do than listening to this douche bag, like saving the economy and all.
But the devil himself Thompson is pretty smart, kissing up to a president who has young children and saying that the are in danger because of "Murder Simulators"
YEAH CUZ OBAMA GONNN FIX IT, YUP
HE GON FIX EVERYTANG, MAGICAL PRESIDENT SPEND ALL OUR MONEY AND RAISE TAXES,
YUP HE'S GONN FIX IT
By the way, I normally do not type like that.
If he put in half as much effort into trying to find a cure for cancer (or to promote stem cell research because it will benefit handicapped people such as my father!!) as he does into fighting these murder simulators, I might actually gain a little respect for him.
if they ban all the murder simulator game then what kinda fking game should we play....dressing the celebrities and all those *****s??
Obama coming on tv, talking about the letter then bashing jack thompson for being un-american and taking away people's entertainment. i hope this digs Jack a big whole but this will probably do nothing and nothing will probably be said.
btw, dark*****rocker, check out www.textfiles.com
you'll like the site. no, it's not a shock site
The whole problem lies with how easy it is to acquire a gun in the U.S.
Video games have nothing to do with this. If these old people who likes to make claims on how VGs train kids to kill, they should play it themselves to see how wrong they are.
Also, almost every teenager in germany plays/or has played CS one time or another. What does that have to do with the kid acquiring a gun, and going into a killing spree.
Guns are evil they sit there motionless calling your name, telling you to kill people. People need to realize the right to own a firearm guarantees all other Constitutional rights. As soon as you give up that one, you will soon lose the rest.
You should still have the right to own a firearm.. just a specific one.. And it's okay, the Constitution is sorta old, I mean, until it was changed it excluded women and blacks.. You gotta keep up with the times. When the Constitution was written I'm sure there weren't hundreds of people going around buying super deadly weapons and killing random people with them.. Maybe just a few of those
Jack Thompson will win the war. but with a price. the price is. Staggering Economy. once Games are BAN in United States (as an entertainment. Games makes BILLIONS and BILLIONS each year) that'll probably destroy the Gaming industry and well. thousands of people will lose their jobs. then Jack Thompson will try and ban films and media. then EVERYTHING that have got to do with violence. and when all that happen. the world will go into CHAOS.
Simulation of killling................video games?.....i mean come'on
pressing buttons will train us to kill ?....they should give video games in the military LOOOOOOOL
The thing is, Jack Thompson would have had a very strong case had he not been such a jackass about everything.
I might get flamed, but I'll say it anyway. I can somewhat agree with Jack Thompson on one issue - it is in the industry's best interest to keep "mature" titles away from minors. Should this responsiblity lie on parents and gaurdians? Absolutely. Unfortunately, that isn't the case.
This isn't a case of "protect the children from the filth," it's an issue of what we can do to stop local news from tarnishing gaming as a legitimate entertainment medium at least and a growing artform at best. Do I believe that all mature titles should be banned outright? Absolutely not. Hell no. Do I think that there should be fines for selling a mature title to anyone younger than 18? I think it's a necessary evil that we, as gamers, should take into consideration.
I also understand fully that age isn't the direct appoximation of anyone's intellect, maturity and morallity level. It's a shame that a 16 year old with a good head on his shoulders who enjoys a game of GTA every now and again would have to wait until he's a little older to be able to play it.
In regards to this article and Mr. Thompson's letter - I highly.... HIGHLY doubt the letter would even get so far as President Obama's desk. As it looks right now, Thompson seems like a desperate, shamed lawyer that's grabbing at straws by trying to pass laws that apparently get larger and more unconstitutional with every step. Had Thompson embraced and tried to understand our industry from the get-go, he'd have much more respect. Instead, he seems like a jackass that's just tying to ruin our fun, which is a shame because he originally had a very good stance in the beginning.
So I say again, Silly Jacky. Tone yourself down, educate yourself. Play a few games, understand what we're all about. Stop jumping to conclusions, sensationalizing ***** you know nothing about. I think we all understand your concerns fully and, if you're willing to meet us at eye level, we'll work with you.
As it is right now, you're spewing your holier-than-thou righteous bull***** over us. We don't want these tragedies to happen anymore - no less than you do. But as it is right now, when you try to assume the worst of us - we tend to hate you.
Enough.
Anyways Gris, I agree with you . It's not fair for the victim's family to suffer a loss in such a way but I don't see how it's not the law enforcements fault also. Why is he worrying about things that can't really be fixed, I mean to be honest they're are further worst ways to plot a shooting spree. The thing is lung cancer, DWI accidents result in much more fatal count per year (and the same age rate) why not fix things in our country to where we can enjoy these games and still be able to feel safe . I say metal detectors in every store, library accompanied by a navy seal lol j.k but seriously though this guy was banned from his little tea parties but still doesn't get it .
Mature is rated for 17+ not 18+.
THIS MOTHER *****3R SHOULG GO 2 HELL AND SUCK MY BALLS WHILE HIS ON HIS WAY
IF HE SAYS DERS MORE GUNS DAN PPL IN USA DEN I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN 1 BUT IF I DID HAVE 1 THE FIRST PERSON I GET IS U
If games were really making people go crazy and commit murder, Jack Thompson WOULD BE DEAD...
Hasn't he noticed he is alive, which means that even though us gamers are extremely angry at him, we haven't killed him. Because we are not crazed murderers.
That's pretty funny.
And true.
omg... that is an extremely good point that I never thought of. lol wow
i completely agree sooo if any gamer is thinking of going on a crazed rampage soon you know who to go after right *hint,hint it rhymes with mack jhonson
*Puts the sniper rifle away*
Yeah....
died years ago....just look at those eyes, like a dogs eyes, all black and lifeless like.
I think the phrase is actually "doll's eyes" but dog's eyes works too.
I've been playing violent games my whole life since I was a child.
I'm an honest and a kind person. Nothing hasn't affected.
Stupid parents that raise their kids wrong end up with dumb violent kids.
Just lol'd. The fact being, that this is IMPOSSIBLE. If it did happen, the world would be shaken. Why? Because this is HARDCORE media censorship. Its What stalin, Hitler, And all the fascist governments of the world did in the past. Censor the things that they thought would lead to their downfall, and it looks like ol' jack is doing the same thing. Put simply:
Mr. Jack Thompson is communist. And in the cold war, Communists were usually thrown in jail.
Coincidence? I think not.
I can not wait.
that we noble QJ readers ought to draft and have notarized a petition making it illegal for Mr. Thompson to ever reproduce, or communicate with anyone who has an iq less than 130 ever again.
I totally disagree.
We should get a petition for a public castration, a public cutting of his tongue, and then execution.
/Jacky
That way we don't have to worry about him doing it behind our backs.
that we noble QJ readers ought to draft and have notarized a petition making it illegal for Mr. Thompson to ever reproduce, or communicate with anyone who has an iq less than 130 ever again.
wow does this man have a life seriously he claims that video games are WHAT? murder simulators is he retarded wtf is his problem ok,so if i watch a movie with guns and action ill want to kill someone if i watch porn ill want to rape someone this guy (as stated by someone else) has no place in america he has abused his freedom of speech with this (what word can i use?) HERESY this guy thinks a video game is capable of teaching some one to kill there is no need if some one wants to kill thats on them,killing is as simple as pointing a gun and pulling the trigger,killing is as simple as grabbing a knife and thrusting if you need a video game to show you that there was somthing wrong with you from the start these wernt little kids that murdered those people they were between the ages of 16-18 grown enough to know what a murder is and to know how simple it is to shoot someone i think we should be more concerned on how the hell they got there guns in the first place not what they supposedly "trained" with (which i may add is not supported by anything he said in his letter what the guy was playing doom and then killed someone?) but i digress i can probably go on for a good 5 paragraphs but the fool is just not worth it.....i just hope obama doesnt even consider what the fool is saying and ruins it for all of us im 16 going to 17 if i REALLY wanted to learn to kill someone id got to my local paintball arena
son of sam
hillside strangler
yorkshire ripper
jack the ripper
gacy
dont think these guys played video games
what drove these guys to murder?
I think Gacy played PONG. Hitting that helpless ball made him do it.
Obama's TO DO List:
1. Ban Video Games
2. Fix Economy (Maybe)
3. Change
5. Change
4. Reverse 4 and 5 on this list
6. Change his underwear
I think smoking would get banned before video games. At least there is proof that it kills people. But just look at history and you know that that wont work. As soon as the government starts to sensor what adults can read, watch, and play, the U.S. is going to become a civil warzone. Even more then if they tried to ban guns.
Well, actually, yeah i do. it's not the ESA or ESRB selling these games to kids - It's the Shops. they are trying to get the legeslation eased against them, but if some DOUCHE had you nuts in a vice, wouldn't you want it loosened. The manufacturers do of course have some fault in this, Making "Murder Sims" so damn fun to play... But not to say the ESRB doesn't wack a big 16+ or 18+ stamp on the side and send it on it's way.
Not many cases that i've seen in which a game was underrated for age content, so as i said, it's up to the POS to sort out whom it sells to.
Ban Movies - much more Violent content. Ban Smoking - way more deaths. Ban Drinking - Way more Violent behavior. Ban Wrestling - Simulated Violence (no it's all real :P). Ban Driving - Far too dangerous. Ban Swimming - you might drown. Ban eating - you might CHOKE...
i think everyone would get the point.
the one thing to ban might be Guns. Ok, i don't like in the States, But i know there is something somewhere about the right to Bear Arms (maybe it meant to hag some Bear arms on your wall - Thanks Family Guy). I think that banning guns does not take away from this, as arms (or Armoury in ye olde classic sense) includes many weapons from swords to batons to knives, etc. I'm not saying go and get crazy Samurai Jack styles, but i think that a Bat, or a tazer would be a suitable substitute for keeping with amendment rights, and being a not-so leathal form of DEFENSIVE weapon - as that is what that right pertains to.
Ok, a little unrealistic i know, but we do come to this perfect internet world where anything is possible (HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!)
Oh and WHERE WERE THEIR PARENTS!!!!!
Last BIG paragraph "Ok, i don't like in the States" should be *Live*. Nothing against the states... now. Go Democrats - sort that ***** out. Yay Obama.
Ban Jack Thompson from life.
From my intensive research of this character, i have come to the conclusion that he is intensely insane and i think he should be in a mental asylum...
|
The QJ.net Network |
|
| Site | Feed |
| QJ.NET | RSS |
| Nintendo DS | RSS |
| PlayStation 3 | RSS |
| PSP Updates | RSS |
| Wii | RSS |
| Xbox 360 | RSS |
| MMORPG | RSS |
| Personal Computer Games | RSS |
| iPhone - iPod Touch | RSS |
| QJ.NET Forums | RSS |
| Most Commented | |
| (103) | |
| (38) | |
| (35) | |
| (34) | |
| (34) | |
| (29) | |
| (29) | |
| (29) | |
| (23) | |
| (22) | |
| (21) | |
| (21) | |
| (21) | |
| (20) | |
| (20) | |
| (19) | |
| (18) | |
| (18) | |
| (18) | |
| (17) | |
Accessories
(255)Applications
(59)Artwork
(95)Blu-Ray
(429)Cell Processor
(80)Cheats
(3)Controller
(234)Deals
(195)Events
(244)Firmware
(155)Games
(10499)Hacks and Exploits
(88)Homebrew
(65)How-To
(48)Humor
(79)Imports
(18)Interviews
(1470)Linux
(53)Mods
(57)Netcasts
(12)News
(11155)Off Topic
(1104)On Shelves This Week
(32)Opinions & Analysis
(1320)PlayStation Network
(1727)Previews
(663)QuickJump QuickPeek
(36)Reviews
(29)Rumors
(1109)Scans
(179)Screenshots
(917)Site News
(55)Videos
(2579)Weekend Warrior
(37)
Titles
Archives
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005


