[...] Cho Seung Hui, the troubled young man whose nightmarish assault on his fellow students will most likely be studied for years to come, doesn’t seem to have been someone who had any involvement with video games in his recent history. Despite certain idiotic claims by both the man who needs to stop using my surname and Dr. Phil, it seems that he actually didn’t own any video games… violent or otherwise. According to the search warrant, Cho’s dorm room revealed the following items to authorities:• Chain from top left closet shelf • Folding knife & combination padlock • Compaq computer from desktop • Assorted documents, notepads, writings from desktop • Combination lock • Dremel tool and case • Nine books, two notebooks, envelopes, from top shelf • Assorted books & pads from lower shelf • Compact discs from desktops • Items from desktop & drawers: winchester multi tool, 3 notebooks, mail, checks, credit card • Items from 2nd door: Kodak digital camera, Citibank statement • Two cases of compact discs from dresser top • Drive: Seagate: 80 Gb • Six sheets of green computer paper • Mirror with blue plastic housing • Dremel tool box with receipt • Dell Latitude service tag [...]

I am tired of people saying video games are the problem. It reminds me of the great D&D scare in the late 70's and early 80' that was bought about by the Tom Hanks movie Twin Towers. Now even therapists use role playing

Well. the only problem with Dr.Phil's proclamation from on high -is that this kid didn't play video games. (according to published statements from his roommates) Instead he spents his time reading, and typing (writing) on his computer. Maybe Dr. Phil should start one of his great nationwide campaigns to BAN reading and writing! Then, and only then will the world be safe from harm. In the past we've banned books, this is just the modern day equivalent, Sieg Heil Dr. Phil!!

[...] Another voice heard on the topic was that of the preeminent Dr. Phil, who proffered his authoritative opinions on Larry King Live: [...]

maybe you could just make a stricter................... eum gun-law? In my country people get first mentaly screened before they actually can buy a gun, so you wouldn't have psychopats running around with guns

Question Marks
By X: THC

"This didn't have to happen", Cho Seung-Hui said, after murdering thirty-two people at Virginia Tech University.

And this terrible tragedy of sons, daughters, mothers and fathers didn't have to happen, if we'd only listened.

But we never listen.

We never listen to those that are different from us- the outcasts, the lonely, the homeless, the ones that are unspoken for. We don't try to understand. We shun them and put them out of our minds because of our fear that we will become like them.

And these people become more and more lonely and alienated in their isolation.

Words like "creep", "deranged misfit" and "psycho" devalue this killer's humanity so we don't have to face how similar he is to us. Cries of "how could he have been stopped" are uttered by media quick to sensationalize and gain market share, when the words "how could he have been listened to" are never considered.

Because we don't want to listen.

We don't want to hear about loneliness and alienation when we're all so busy with our lives, making money and making friends. And the unpopular, the ones that don't fit in, the lonely ones are ignored or made fun of because we don't care to understand anything about them.

This man who clearly needed help, Cho Seung-Hui, devalued himself so much that he called himself "Question Mark".

There are more "Question Marks" out there. There are millions of them. And if we don't listen to them, they will follow the same path again and again, because people are not connecting. We are becoming more and more disconnected from each other, creating more and more "Question Marks" every day.

Most "Question Marks" don't become murderers. Some just kill themselves. Most harm no one and live just as we do, needing antidepressants to appear what we call "normal". They may be someone you know, someone you love.

This "Question Mark" was once a little boy, who cried, and smiled and loved, He wanted to fit in just like you and I. But that desire to fit in transformed itself into anger towards a society that shunned and ignored him.

How many more times will we shun and ignore the one that doesn't fit in, the one in the corner, the one that's different? When all we have to do is listen, before it's too late.

But we won't.

Thirty-two human beings who did not know Cho Seung-Hui were murdered.
They were sons, daughters, fathers and mothers, with dreams of futures that will never come and children that will never be born. The thirty-two leave behind people that love them. People that are now scarred for life by this horrible day of death.

To most of us that have not been directly involved, this tragedy will become a memory and fade like all the others that came before.

And the "Question Marks" will appear with more frequency, again and again, because we don't listen.

We never do.


---------------


http://www.x-thc.com

It seems to me that many people need to blame something other than the actual evil (Dr. Phil is a good guy but he's mostly an entertainer). If you don't pick the video game, you pick the parents, the teacher, the gun, the amount of time to respond. I’m not trying to say these things have no effect, just that they are not the cause.

And people seem to suck it up. All the while, the person who did it is rarely blamed as the cause. Unless there is some major thing that happened in the person’s life, something else needs to be made the blame. The media tries to pick the way he acquired the guns, where he is from, and what his education level was and I’m sure there is more to come. But you never hear “he had a problem with deadly consequences”. There are bad people and bad things in this world, you can’t stop them and you can’t change the blame.

blah blah blah blah

music made me do it
I hate my parents
I read a book and loved the idea
I played this video game and man o man lets go kill


Ohh I can get this gun and lets see if I can get away with it and get attention and oops I just killed some people I feel bad I dont want my family to see me so I will kill myself


I dont have the facts either but on my wifes side she has a aunt that is always wanting attention and always saying she will hurt her self and never does it. Some people are crazy and decide to do bad things but if Im mental and I make the effort to get guns, lock doors - plan my actions I would be considered determined and something higher is making me do this.

This just in: Some mad man who played put-put-golf is on pebble beach going crazy hitting the balls at people......

[...] I knew this type of thinking would be inevitable, but I didn’t expect someone to be so desperate as to blame video games for the VA Tech shootings before the bodies are cold.  Well Dr Phil did just that on Larry King. LARRY KING: Why, though - OK, you want to kill someone, you’re crazed, you’re a little nuts, girlfriend drops you, why do you kill innocent people?… Dr. McGraw, are they treatable? DR. PHIL: Well, Larry, every situation is different…  The question really is can we spot them. And the problem is we are programming these people as a society. You cannot tell me - common sense tells you that if these kids are playing video games, where they’re on a mass killing spree in a video game, it’s glamorized on the big screen, it’s become part of the fiber of our society. You take that and mix it with a psychopath, a sociopath or someone suffering from mental illness and add in a dose of rage, the suggestibility is too high. [...]

I share with the rest of America the profound sadness at the preventable loss of so many young and promising lives at Virginia Tech. Dr. Phil is right, “When is America going to wake up?” I am a retired law enforcement officer, a forensic language instructor with a Ph.D. in Forensic Criminology and a Ph.D. candidacy in psychology. I am also a researcher affiliated with the University of Arizona, Center for the Management of Information (CMI) and the Center for Identification Technology, Education and Research (CITeR). With all my experience, training and education, my frustration intensifies every time there is a school-related violent act. As a society we publicize, dissect, and focus blame. Where is our concern for prevention and when will we put our energies and funds behind a serious and focused program for prevention? Our attention must be turned to the time when an individual can be influenced in a positive fashion. To date, we as parents, teachers, law enforcement officers, profilers and security experts have rushed to respond to each situation after the fact and question motives, security measures and even God to find the answers. We are looking for answers in the wrong place at the wrong time. The incident at Virginia Tech will not be the last of this nature. Within a short time of this disaster, schools in eight states experienced incidents of threats, bomb scares and lock-downs. We cannot afford to be naïve.



In conjunction with my educational efforts, I chose during this past year to become a substitute teacher in one of the local K-8 schools; to observe both teachers and students in daily interaction and become an active part of that process. Previously, my research focus has been internet predation and identification of pedophiles. What I have learned is that there is another dire need. I have received a real education in interacting with young students and have identified some who are in serious need of intervention simply by engaging them in conversation.



Earlier this month and prior to the Virginia Tech massacre, I presented a plan for a public service (free) training program in forensic language analysis to the administrator of this K-8 school and a proposal to expand our relationship in the development of an in-service educator curriculum to extend to all area schools, again as a public service. However, this horrible incident at Virginia Tech has intensified my crusade to convince school administrators, educators, legislators and others that we have to train the people who are in educational positions to recognize language clues for potential violence and recommend for treatment, “at risk” children before they become statistics. The only reasonable place to begin this training process is within the school systems.



The English Chair at Virginia Tech instinctively recognized from his language that the young man who committed this atrocity was severely in need of psychiatric care. She reported her observations to school administrators and law enforcement and encouraged him to seek treatment. It was too late, his mindset and pathology were already established and though some form of intervention might have helped him, as a 23 year old adult who had yet committed no crime, he had the right to refuse treatment. Unfortunately for his 32 victims, he was already on a path of destruction which had been planned for some time. He could have been identified in his youth as a person who had psychological tendencies toward depression, self-destruction and violence towards others. His language and actions could have been evaluated to detect the need for intervention. There are scientific, psycholinguistic measures which can identify emotional issues and a propensity for violence from written and verbal statements. Instead of continuing to focus on reactionary efforts, we need to be looking at our children when they are in their formative years, grade school and middle school to identify the danger signals early on and provide intervention and treatment.



To one who understands the significance of linguistic detection and teaches psycholinguistic technology to police officers, the process of early detection seems so obvious. These methods are trainable, understandable and non-intrusive.



I offer this as a partial solution for prevention. We have not seen the last of these incidents and preventative measures are needed now, not after the violence has occurred. We need to begin at an early age and initiate the process in our schools. Educators are the one group of people who have the most continuous and prolonged contact with our children. They need to be adequately trained in the application of psycholinguistics to recognize danger signs.



It doesn’t stop there. My company cannot do it alone. I was moved by the power of the public outcry and support for the Rutgers basketball team following the comments made by Don Imus. That same outcry and positive support are needed here and now. Our communities must get serious about school budgets, class size, and stop handicapping our educators to the point that they are too overwhelmed to seriously focus on these issues. This effort must also include referrals and funding for treatment. How much does a SWAT callout, a Great Falls High School lock-down or the investigation of a violent act cost in terms of money, time, and loss of productivity, not to mention the cost to society of the loss of a single young life or that of an educator? It seems to me that money and effort would be better spent in preventing these incidents years in advance of their occurrence. Schools are under-funded. Child Protective Services are overburdened with huge case loads. The juvenile criminal justice system is swamped. Yet we appropriate vast sums of money to support security measures that are nothing more than Band-Aids placed on a gushing wound. Prevention, not reaction is the answer to this violence dilemma. It is not as newsworthy as a mass killing but certainly more effective.



I encourage your support in this effort.



Sincerely,



Dale L. Tunnell



Dale L. Tunnell, Ph.D.





Dr. Tunnell is available to answer questions regarding psycholinguistics and forensic language analysis and may be reached at the numbers and address below.





Forensitec

"Unlock the Truth"



P.O. Box 1283

Florence, MT 59833

Office: (406) 273-4815

Fax: (413) 254-4865

Email: dtunnell@forensitec.com

URL: http://www.forensitec.com

[...] With the recent tragic events at Virginia Tech, the speculation of links between video games and violence have flared once again. In actuality, the research has varied widely and is largely inconclusive. Unfortunately, the part that seems most often left out of the research is the individual. Putting aside the beneficial aspects of gaming, for a moment, I want to comment on the suggested links between video games and violence. [...]

i think people should of noticed this guy had to of had friends but video games give me a break as soon as something bad happens they automaticly blame video games i guess pong also started ww2 dr. phil just wants some attention i guess that means his show gets no ratings

with the expression "funny" i meant the whole discussion about computer games are the reason

the massacre itself ... hm i cant express how sad it was in my simple words... such cases simply suck and lifes are more important then anything else on the world!

"And we’re going to have to start dealing with that. We’re going to have to start addressing those issues and recognizing that the mass murders of tomorrow are the children of today that are being programmed with this massive violence overdose."

Indeed. Our "economy" (read corporate profit and employment) requires a minimum daily discharge of armament around the world ... by whom and at whom is immaterial. The way things are structured now, without the MDR of violence we go belly up. No mention here I notice of the US Army's recruitment video games.

I think everyone in this blog should take a glass of water, relax and enjoy it.

I can't say if he did all of his training in video games, but probably some. When I started shooting in the early 90's - recreationally at first, without formal training - I learned a lot and became quite proficient at combat-type shooting by playing games, most memorably Wolfenstein 3D as well as others. I did not have the benefit of gun-like controllers and 360-degree realistic graphics, but I suspect that probably not all of the shooter's training likely came from the video game systems available to the average consumer, and he likely had more advanced training. I suppose we'll find out, sooner or later.

"You take [videogames] and mix it with a psychopath, a sociopath or someone suffering from mental illness and add in a dose of rage, the suggestibility is too high"

Yeah... just think of the mass murders that resulted from Pong...

What a laugh. If you ask me it's because of a lack of discipline in America. For years children haven't been spanked when they were little. The same thing is beginning to happen in South Africa as well. If children aren't taught that there are consequences for their actions they'll grow up to have little or no fear of persecution if they do wrong.

This is just what the crowds want to hear to, a easy escape goat. A video game... START FUCKING CARING FOR EACH OTHER AND RAISE YOUR KIDS. Its defently the parents and the socitys fault. A video game made this happen is pure bullshit!

Dr. Phil is a horses ass!
THEY said the same thing in the 1950's about comic books.
comics were the cause for juvenile delinquency, had congressional hearings.

Philly is just trying for some free publicty, shallow thinking, dim witted.

G

@ Dunker
What you said about his proficiency has been bothering me, too. So far he's killed 32 people excluding himself. Last I heard he wounded 15. 32 and 15! This is the first time I've ever heard of a mass-killing (war, shootings, bombings, etc) where the number killed was higher than the number wounded. This is unheard of! Somehow this guy had some training. I doubt he did it in video games though. Just knowing where to hit doesn't mean you can. If that were so, most of us are martial arts masters and we can kill with a whim. In reality, you need physical training and practice to manage such a feat.

According to the International Crime Victimization Survey, violent crime is much worse in those "gun-free" countries gun control freaks love to compare America to. I certainly don't envy Europe or Australia; here in the U.S., any scumbag who wants to kill, rob or rape can expect swift justice, and I wouldn't want to live in a society where you are expected to let lunatics rob you blind or rape your wife.

That said, video games likely figured a role in this, but the general desensitization to violence is the bigger problem. That could just have easily have come from too much TV or movies, so video games cannot be singled out.

One concern I do have, and one that we may find out about later, is how the VT madman became so effective. 9mm is not a very potent round, and even a well-trained police officer with a Glock 19 and a 15-round mag would have a tough time killing more than 2-3 people without expending a full mag. The fact that the lunatic was able to kill 32 people suggests he had some extremely advanced training (perhaps from a game, perhaps elsewhere). Even at close range, it usually requires several shots to neutralize a person, and more to kill them, statistically-speaking. I have had very advanced pistol and rifle training, and am considered an expert, and I cannot conceive how someone could be so deadly with a measly 9mm, even with typical police-grade training.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/02/23/ncrim123...

@ChrisEU

"Understand that I’m not against guns, sometimes you have to empower your words (war). When I said that America has to tighten their gun law I meant that America should improve the training and screening of gun – owners so that you can prevent that people buy firearms just by showing their driver – liscense. (So I have heard). If in past the laws around guns were better, why not restore them? But like I said then was then and now is now."

The law is a bit stricter than that. To buy a gun from a shop, you need two forms of ID (three, including immigration papers if you're a resident alien like the shooter) and fill out some paperwork. The shop owner then transfers the paperwork and ID info to the State Police, who then run a background check through the FBIs criminal records database. The shooter passed the background checks though.

Then, regardless of what you hear about the lack of gun registration, the background check system serves as a de facto registration. If a gun is found, the police can trace the serial number back to the shop, where a copy of all the paper work must be kept forever (and turned in to the ATF when the shop closes).

"I also have power to change things and I’m also self reliant but I don’t own a gun. I think this is the problem in America. There’s no trust. I have trust in my democratic government and also under the professionally trained forces that insure my security. Just trusting them would be naïve but I also know that these forces and the government, etc are checked regulary.

The only reason why I’d buy a gun is as a hobby and if I’d buy one I would first properly train and then ask for a permit. And if it was really needed, I to would trust my friends, neighbors, and family with my life should we ever need to fight invaders in our own city, but only if they are properly trained like for example the people you know of the shooting range than I to would rather rely on them."

Sorry, I didn't mean that you're totally non-self-reliant. I was specifically referring to the ability to defend self, family, and others.

As for trusting democracy, well, I'm honestly more worried about the failure of the bureaucracy behind it than I am of it turning evil. After witnessing government incompetence so many times- from police failing to arrest anybody after I was dragged from my house by skinheads and beaten nearly (and technically) to death, being shot at by a totally banned submachine gun, or police telling us there was nothing they could do after someone did a drive-by on my friend's house since they went one city over out of their jurisdiction; to things like the LA riots and the Feds taking almost a week to begin to stop the roaming bands of looters after Katrina from beating, raping, and robbing people in the street- well, yea. I've always known people with guns, and had shot them sometimes, but it wasn't until after Katrina that I bothered to get one.

And since then, I've gone beyond the required background check/purchase, and taken the basic level pistol training/safety course, gone through additional an background check and police interview to get a concealed handgun license. All this, even though my state allows unconcealed carry with no license, just to be sure everything was kosher.

As such, I don't have a problem with training, in and of itself. Hell, with another 10 or 15 hours of it, I could probably qualify as a peace officer. :p I just don't think the government should mandate training before "allowing" one to exercise a right unless they offer it to everyone in school or something. But then this goes back to how the prohibitionists have driven target teams and safety classes from schools in the interest of, err, safety. Go figure.

"Indeed Urban warfare is an efficient tool against a strong army. But the middle East isn’t a stable region and if I lived there I too would own several rifles to insure my security but I thougt America was a stable region ?"

Most of the time, yes. But sometimes it falls apart a la Katrina. And with the increasingly bitter partisan divide growing, it wouldn't surprise me to see another civil war in the next 15 years. :(

"Indeed the EU has a well trained army, surely not the equivalent of America but our soldiers aren’t only well trained in warfare but normally they have also received a good basic education at school. Where they learn about history, nota bene about WW1 and 2. So I can hardly believe they would follow a dictator blindly. And if there would spring up a dictator I wouldn’t try to fight his army because it would be almost impossible to win from a well trained army and I would be outmanned. I’d rather sabotage them from the insideand do much more damage as with a gun, and during this time I would normally have learnt how to use a gun."

Individually, the EU members' armies might not match America, but put together they probably do. Haven't seen the numbers recently though.

As for following a dictator, well, sometimes dictators are mighty popular with a lot of the people. Hitler was democratically elected, after all. There have been surveys here of armed forces and the police, and about a quarter of them said they would follow orders if told to fire on unarmed citizens, round them up in camps, or go door to door to illegally confiscate their arms. The good news is, it's a small number, the bad news is that any of them said yes...

Oh, Bull Dr. Phil you can't blame video games. Video Games don't kill people , people kill people. By saying that Video Games kill people is like saying that spoons make people fat.

Qoute: "it’s glamorized on the big screen, it’s become part of the fiber of our society. You take that and mix it with a psychopath, a sociopath or someone suffering from mental illness and add in a dose of rage, the suggestibility is too high."

And then George Bush said: Lets start a war in Iraq!!!!

Oh wait...... Stupidity and being deceptive is not in the mix.....

Same excuse everytime....lets blame videogames and music. I suppose everyone needs a scapegoat. Why not blame it on weak ass tv shows that love to make a buck off of tragedies? Lets be serious people blaming it on that stuff if just lame as the people stating it.

So.......if video games make people kill other people then I'm guessing...wait...so does the history channel! I mean come on! So much violence in WW2 or the takeover of europe by the Romans. I mean these ""kids"" can be so impressionable.

get real...this "kid" was 22. Last time I checked normal people have the brains to make decisions. If the person is "insane" (to put it in laymans terms) no matter what the person watches or plays in their spare time they WILL have the urge to kill whoever or whatever.

Here's an idea. Instead of wasting your time blaming video games or tv why don't you make it mandatory to do full background tests on all people applying for firearms? Make the waiting list two years and if the person has any record of mental illness or a criminal record then no gun for them.

I'm so sick of hearing about news like this.... gah. Can't they ever drop the subject?

First off, let me state a couple of facts:

1.) I am an American.
2.) I am not nor have I ever been a member of the NRA.
3.) I do not own a firearm.
4.) I do not plan to own a firearm in the near future.
5.) Contrary to, evidently, popular belief many Americans DON'T own a firearm.
6.) Guns DON'T kill people. At least not any "deader" than when any other method of killing other human beings is employed. It requires the conscious act of a HUMAN BEING to cause harm to another for violence to occur. No weapon (be it thermonuclear ordnance, firearm, or even body part) suddenly decides of its own volition to annhilate, kill, or maim any human being.
7.) Violent crimes can and do occur everywhere. Even in Switzerland.
8.) Contrary to popular media-instilled belief, the U.S. DOES have current firearm ownership legislation. Heck, most states even have their own on top of that.
9.) LEGAL firearm sales in the U.S. require background checks. Most states require waiting periods while the background check is conducted.
*** THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE, SO PAY ATTENTION NOW: ***
10.) Who said criminals and the majority of violent offenders (especially repeat offenders) obtain their firearms in a LEGAL manner?

Now, let me state a couple of opinions.
1.) I personally find it reprehensible that, because of fact #1 stated above, some of you reading this right now have already dismissed me as an ignorant, irrational, gun-loving barbarian incapable of understanding your point of view. to those of you who feel this way, I await your spirited rebuttal, no doubt couched in condemning tone and condescending locution.
2.) I enjoy living in America.
3.) I do not daily fear for my life and safety nor that of my family any more or less than if I chose to live in any other "developed" nation in the world.
4.) I do not believe that anybody (read: the U.S., the E.U., or any other nation or group of nations under a governmental entity) can really say that their system is perfect. The best any of us can say is that we try to work with what we've got.
5.) I believe in the right for others in this country to legally and responsibly own firearms.
6.) I enjoy the freedom to potentially own a firearm in the future if I feel the need is warranted.
7.) The idea of "violence begets violence" is correct in MOST cases, however when you are face to face with someone intending physical harm upon you or your loved-ones and they refuse to be reasonable, you either meet violence with an appropriate level of violence or you become a victim.
8.) I don't live in your culture; I don't claim to understand your culture; I can't tell you how to "fix" your culture. I request the same courtesy.

@ChrisEU

I believe you have chosen your words poorly when you say:

"This is why America has to tighten their gun law. So that only responsible people with the proper training could own guns and not the yobs and chavs."

Instead, what you should be saying is:

"This is why America needs to better ENFORCE their gun laws. So that only responsible people with the proper training could own guns and not the yobs and chavs."

I personally live in Illinois (which is, by the way, one of the strictest states in the union with regards to firearm legislation). To the best of my knowledge, there is no legal concealed-carry provision in my state. IT IS ILLEGAL TO CARRY HIDDEN FIREARMS ON YOUR PERSON AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN IN THIS STATE. This does not stop nefarious individuals from concealing firearms on their person in preperation to effectively commit a violent act. More frequently than not, you can also bet that such an individual did not obtain that hidden weapon in a legal and governmentally traceable manner.

The following statement may come as a revalation to some people:

Criminals do not adhere to laws!

Sarcasm aside, if someone has full intent to cause illegal harm upon another why should it be assumed that they will not engage in the illegal purchase of a weapon to further their goals.

This begs another point. To ammend:

Criminals (everywhere) do not adhere to laws!

Armed bank robbers in the U.S. just as armed bank robbers in Germany, or Australia, or Russia, or Japan, or Switzerland, or the Cayman Islands will have obtained their weapons by whatever means necessary and will not hesitate to use said weapons if they feel so inclined. I am sorry if I sound cynical, but laws do not reign over the lawless.

@illspirit

Easy, killer. You're coming off to the European boys and girls as a conspiracy nut. Like I said, nobody's system is perfect and we are all trying the best we can. You cannot assail another person's way of doing things, call them stupid and weak, and then expect them to understand (let alone agree with) your point of view.

On the other hand, I do agree with your 1 in 30 versus 1 in 213 argument. Personally, I don't like being a victim either.

It has not been my intent to offend anyone. If I have offended you, then I believe you have misconstrued something. I will be glad to debate it rationally with you. I will not be badgered into an irrational "My governmental policy is the bestest" argument with you.

Just my thoughts...

This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Blaming video games was the first thing those idiots popped out of their mouth. I'm thinking about going to Jack Thompson and "Doctor" Phil and slapping some since in their oversized egg heads. They are so full of themselves, thinking they "know" everything. My god, have you even watched "Doctor" Phil? He's a jerk.
Next thing you know he's going to blame racism on black people.

If a psychopath (or person with another mental problem), is able to leagaly buy mulible guns. Violent games should not be your main consern.

[...] In the talk show forefront, Dr. Phil has decided to add video games to a list of terrors of society, according to Game Politics, “Noted T.V. shrink Dr. Phil McGraw appeared on CNN’s Larry King Live last night to discuss the rampage.” [...]

@ChrisEU -

"This is why America has to tighten their gun law. So that only responsible people with the proper training could own guns and not the yobs and chavs."

I half agree with you, but by agreeing I disagree. With misguided actions like the '94 "gun free" school zone law, the rabid gun prohibitionists have decreased the amount of training. 25 years ago, gun/hunting safety courses and school rifle teams, even in places like NYC. And the '68 Gun Control Act made it harder for parents to teach their kids how to safely use a firearm by adding various age restrictions/requirements. Instead of lowering crime like they claimed it would, crime skyrocketed until the late '80s (and Columbines started happening frequently after 94..). 'Tis impossible to say the laws were causal, but they did decrease the training and positive exposure of young people to guns.

The same prohibitionists have also cut funding year after year to the Civilian Marksmanship Program which was established in 1903 to train the civilian militia.

"Believe me, the UK is still a democracy or else it wouldn’t be in the EU and if the majority of the citizens were against those camara’s you would have heard it in the news. The fingerprint and that national database is just a proposal and isn’t there yet so lets only talk about things that already exist please."

Yea, I know it's a democracy, but I did say "inching," "want to," and such. Looking back, I could have been clearer that it was meant to future tense/speculative. Sorry about that.

"I also prefer that a democratic chosen government takes care of the homeland security than indivdualists with guns who aren’t seriously screened."

Fair enough. I'd personally prefer the people to have the power and be self reliant. Yes, some professionals led by some sort of elected leader are needed in many cases, but I would trust my friends, neighbors, and family with my life should we ever need to fight invaders in our own city.

I also know plenty of people who practice at the shooting range much more than the police. As in, like, every week vs. qualifying twice a year in many departments. Needless to say, I'd rather have one of them with a gun at hand if something like VT went down than to rely on the cops. Who may or may not show up on time.

"I hope you weren’t serious. War isn’t fought with ‘just a lot of firepower’ like +-65 years ago (even then it wasn’t) which america’s wars on terror have proven the last years in the Middle East, and please d’ont talk with a denigrating tone about the EU we can take care of ourselves just fine, or do you still expect us to crawl and be gratefull to you for something you didn’t even help accomplish? Then was then, now is now."

Dead serious. However I wasn't talking about symmetrical warfare. Yes, let's look at the Middle East . The insurgency in Iraq is made up of, what, 200K people with small arms? Yet the coalition with all it's might can't get them under control.

What I was asking was not well your military could fight off invaders. Most of the EU obviously has forces which are more than capable of doing so. My point was, what would you do if a dictator spring up and your own military was turned against you?

Unlikely, to be sure. But as is the case in Iraq, even a fraction of the population can make life hell for an army, should it ever be needed.

He jus plain stupid to comment something like this.

Bah, who cares what you say doctor phil, your not even a real doctor!

@ illspirit

This is why America has to tighten their gun law. So that only responsible people with the proper training could own guns and not the yobs and chavs.

Believe me, the UK is still a democracy or else it wouldn't be in the EU and if the majority of the citizens were against those camara's you would have heard it in the news. The fingerprint and that national database is just a proposal and isn't there yet so lets only talk about things that already exist please.

I also prefer that a democratic chosen government takes care of the homeland security than indivdualists with guns who aren't seriously screened.

And your last paragraph:

So, tell me, what will the great people of Britain do when they wake up and realize that tyranny is once again at their door step? Will they ask Americans to once again send guns like they did in WWII after they banned civilian ownership the last time?

I hope you weren't serious. War isn't fought with 'just a lot of firepower' like +-65 years ago (even then it wasn't) which america's wars on terror have proven the last years in the Middle East, and please d'ont talk with a denigrating tone about the EU we can take care of ourselves just fine, or do you still expect us to crawl and be gratefull to you for something you didn't even help accomplish? Then was then, now is now.

greets

chris

Why the hell blame video violent video games?
Its not the video games that kill, ITS THE KILLER

@ed oj

this is just another case of "shit happens". as cold as that may sound its the most basic way to put it. there are really no things to blame other than the person themselves or maybe the mental health system in this country. blaming thing like guns, religion, whatever, is just as stupid as blaming games.

For once I would like to see someone blame something other than video games. How about violent MOVIES, CARTOONS (Tom & Jerry taught me lots of violence), FORCED RELIGION, ANGER AT SOCIETY, ANGER THAT PEOPLE ALWAYS BLAME VIDEO GAMES AND MUSIC, the NRA, ETC. Surely, if you can't distinguish between violence in video games and real life, then you also can't distinguish it between movies and real life either! But of course, "let's blame something I don't care about, but keep quiet about the things I enjoy."
The guy left notes, and he blamed rejection and RELIGION as part of it, not video games.

It's a tragedy that we have a "Dr." Phil and idiots who will listen to him.