February 15, 2008 -
Anti-video game violence activist Jack Thompson appeared on (where else?) Fox News this morning and once again tried to draw a link between violent video games and a deadly school shooting. In this case, Thompson related games to yesterday's rampage at Northern Illinois University.Although we didn't catch the segment, Thompson e-mailed his comments to GamePolitics, attaching a screen shot from the Fox interview:
I was on the Fox News Channel this morning because of the possible violent video game connection to this latest massacre at Northern Illinois University.
In the e-mail, the embattled attorney related his violent video game crusade to his ongoing struggle with the Florida Bar:
I am certain that the past and future survivors of these incidents will not fully understand why The Florida Bar is seeking to destroy a latter-day Paul Revere... for his telling the truth about companies and lawyers that are spawning, for money, these types of events.
GP: The facts are not yet in on the NIU rampage, of course, but that has never stopped Thompson from rushing to blame video games in the past. GamePolitics readers will certainly recall Thompson blaming the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre on games even while police were still securing the campus.
Among the few details known so far is that the shooter, Stephen Kazmierczak, had a stellar academic record. Press reports describe him as a 27-year-old graduate student, so he was well past the age where any type of video game content restriction would come into play.
UPDATE: Fox is now reporting that Kazmierczak was not taking his medication for an unspecified condition and acting erratically in recent weeks. So, once again, a disturbed person goes on a rampage with a gun, not a video game.
UPDATE 2: GamePolitics Correspondent Andrew Eisen has pointed us to a video of Thompson's Fox appearance (below). Thompson rambles a bit, loses his train of thought midway through and even makes reference to a chapter that didn't make it into his not so highly-regarded 2005 book, as if to say, "look, I predicted this!"
Comments
Not a surprise.
Quite frankly, I'm surprised he's not getting involved in the CA school shooting that left a 15 year old brain dead.
Oh, wait, that was a possible hate crime. Which could, if pushed with similar ignorance as John Bruce's, be linked to religious bigotry. Nah, he doesn't want to risk a demand to search the home and computer of the shooter for religious propaganda based on bigotry. Might lead someone to demand legislative efforts to "Protect The Children!" from bigotry and hate being taught by religious organizations. Based on his own beliefs (as seen in numerous situations, including video games such as Bully and his so-called debate on gay marriage as well as his battle with Norm Kent), he really wouldn't want THAT to start happening, huh?
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
I know it isn't. It tends to follow "Just because you're necessary doesn't mean you're important"
Because the other video game experts know better and probably refused right away. And most likely they have better things to do than JT who seem to have plenty of time to spread misinformation.
possible links between school shootings have been uncovered by dynamic laywer jack thompson, studies show that most school shooting are carried out by carbon based life forms, a significant contributing facotr as 100% of cases show this pattern.
It is high time we banned carbon from the periodic table to protect our children.
Jack you are an idiot.
At least he was anointed a 'video game expert'.
As for Fox News, they aren't a news source. They're a medium for mass manipulation, an arm of the Republican party. I honestly believe it's misleading for them to even refer to themselves as "Fox News." They don't distribute news. They distribute "opinion" in exchange for compensation from conservatives.
Jack Thompson is a soon-to-be-disbarred attorney, grasping for any piece of publicity he can get, and he appeared on a "news" outlet that has less credibility than The Onion. I really don't see why anyone cares. There are more important things to be worried about than a has-been spouting lies on a fake news station.
I thought the reason we weren't on Fox news was because we're all well adjusted folks who don't go conclusion hopping and wait for more information. So yeah, hooah to you, sir. Me, I'll be waiting for the facts.
Just like Cooper Lawrence! Hooah!
Yay.
Cooper Lawrence was also on Fox News, and that didn't stop her from being completely wrong and misinformed now did it?
Anyone else said "fuck you" out loud when you heard that?
Oh and...
@ Chris
Make that into a law. It has a very, very good chance to be passed since it says "protect our children"
(1) I don't mentally molest the families, individuals, and communities that suffer such tragedies just push my personal, religious, and/or political beliefs.
(2) Like leads to like. FOX News advocates lying to and deceiving it's audience, even having won a law suit to defend the right to do so. And that Demon-Pretender-To-The-Throne-Of-Heaven that you worship advocates lying and deceiving to force your personal, religious, and/or political beliefs upon others. So, no, it's not a surprise.
And even if that poster wasn't the real John Bruce, these facts remain true.
Nightwng2000
NW2K software
People who have this particular issue, especially those with schizophrenia, often stop taking their meds for what is, in their minds, a legitimate issue. They start to think that since they're better they don't have to take the meds anymore. This leads to a rather vicious cycle of ups and downs and wildly erratic behaviour.
"Simulaters, also called video games" WHAT THE F!@@$)!%$!#)@502
581%*)*%@!*%*@)%!$@**%@
*)!!!!!!!
Fox News+Jack Thompson=Very Very bad for Video games
I can't stand Thompson, I have a headache now and trying to interpret his bull into english takes to much strain...
Could I also point out that these killings were all done with guns. I don't propose we repeal the second amendment.
IF, and that's a big if, this person was influenced by video games, would you say he wouldn't have committed this crime if he hadn't played video games, yet still went off his medication and was in posession of the guns?
How many of these incidents has happened in the last 10 years? How many casulties of campus and school shooting have their been? Now, how many people died in drunk driving accidents? Wouldn't you be better off fighting the Alcohol Industry to bring back the prohabition?
What percentage of the adult population will commit crimes BECAUSE they played a video game? Do you feel justified in stopping mentally stable adults from enjoying the medium since it MAY effect a minescule percentage of the population? Would that not also follow a ban of peanut products since they are harmful to a small percentage of the population?
What is your ideal outcome, your end game? If a judge said to you, 'You win, what do you want?', what would you ask for? Do you want all violent video games banned? Do you want stricter laws regarding the selling of these games? Given the option that whatever you asked for, no matter how outlandish would be granted, what would you ask for them to do? At that point, what would define a violent video game? PETA doesn't like Mario jumping on turtles, teaches kids that it's cool to kill animals. Same goes for Big Buck Hunter. Athiests may feel that Veggie Tales isn't right for children. Who makes the call? Police Trainer (it's an arcade game) has you shooting human shaped targets for high scores. Grand Turismo teaches unsafe driving habits and lack of responsibility when you crash.
I'm asking these questions to understand better.
Maybe I’m crazy. But I thought there was more wars and killings, or at least the same amount before video games,computer, or tv was around. Heck even before guns where around. Jack needs to shutup. He's part of the problem, the problem being no one taking responsibility for what they do. THE VIDEO GAMES MADE ME KILL THEM!
Freaking idiot.
2) if he isn't, he needs to be.
2.1) if he is, the JT copycat also needs to be.
do you watch glen beck FlashnFuse?
Ow! My Brain!
@Thompson: Tell me to my face, someone who was on campus, along with those in that auditorium and the families of the victims that video games were the cause. Crusader my ass your just like the rest of the news media you don't give a shit about those who were injured or died. You don't care about how students like me were scared and desperatley trying to contact our families'. You don't care that some of those shot had to be airlifted all the way to Rockford for treatment.
I can say this Thompson because I along with 25,000 others was at NIU. I can guarantee you this nobody at the time thought that video games caused it
If you go to NIU to further your cause I will be there with every one else I can get to help me to make sure it goes nowhere.
@Everyone else
Anybody got his contact information? If so I plan to forward it and this story to every student currently enrolled at NIU.
And last time I check, Fox News doesn't put experts on their show. They put on anyone with something controversial. We know that Fox news is extremely bias towards video games (and democrats).
No Thompson. Here’s what the Washington Post reported:
“Several Korean youths who knew Cho Seung Hui from his high school days said he was a fan of violent video games, particularly Counterstrike, a hugely popular online game published by Microsoft, in which players join terrorism or counterterrorism groups and try to shoot each other using all types of guns.”
Oh, and you might want to spell-check your username.
Andrew Eisen
I can't believe there are so many people lapping up this crap.
Of course, they are the type that watches Faux News in the first place, and are already lost completely.
Fox News is giving air time to someone who can't even spell his own job right ... Shame, shame...
Right now, let's think a bit more about the victims and less about those who are simply a waste of time.
Just how close to the actual shooting were you when it transpired? Seriously, thats frightening if one of the readers here was that close. Also, how can I contact you regarding your query?
ps. not saying family guy is trashy, but it's funny to equate thompson with that show.
Then we will assure him that, as soon as you've burned down every church, mosque, and synagogue - and have sued every publisher until they cease printing the bible and the Koran - THEN, and only then, will we put down our controllers.
Like a few thousand others I was on the other side of campus but less than a ten minute walk away.
If anyone does have Thompsons' contact information please feel free to e-mail it to me at [edited]
EZK: You don't need it.
it's the simple fact that videogames have not been found to cause this problem, but jack thompson just loves skewing the research.
Hey, maybe I'm just nitpicking, but come on. How do you expect us to take you *cough* seriously *cough* when you can't even spell what you supposedly do correctly?
Given that no gaming link has been shown in this case, the quick jump to blame games is reprehensible. In fact, even if Kazmierczak was a gamer, the fact that he required medication and did not take that medicine should be more than sufficient to make this case an outlier, and not the result of the games (if games can even influence behavior).