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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > Violent films, video games played role in Gabbie Giffords shooting, killings

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Violent films, video games played role in Gabbie Giffords shooting, killings

Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at 07:25 PM

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Ajreaper | Jan 14, 2011, 10:53 AM EST

What a bunch of garbage- how about the bible? Plenty of violence in there, particularly the old testament- anybody think we should ban the bible? The bottom line is people choose their behavior- the entire it's not my fault a video game or movie made me do it is nothing but a bunch of crap- how many video games was Hitler or Stalin exposed to? As a society we need to stop making excuses for what people choose to do- hold them accoutable and let them suffer the consequences period. I grew up a hunter, was around guns my entire life, I have always enjoyed movies that often had a fair amount of violence in them, I play violent video games (Call of Duty for example), I have coaches a violent sport (football) for over a quarter of a century and I was a Marine and I have never hurt or killed another human being nor do I have violent thoughts toward others- so for every nutt who does something horrible there are a million just like me who have not. Punish the minority swiftly and move on.

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McNamara31 | Jan 14, 2011, 10:30 AM EST

@seamusmoore... 15 states have pending legislation to allow college students to "carry guns on campus" and you think this is a good thing? You mention fairytales. I see these armed campuses as a nightmare and a country going backwards, curing violence with violence instead of upholding the rule of law.

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jamieLM | Jan 14, 2011, 09:56 AM EST

All the posters have valid points. I agree with sirpeter about violent video games desensitizing people and for some people becoming an addiction. We live in a violent culture. We see violence everyday, everywhere, from sports to terrorists blowing up/and or shooting people, but not every person in possession of a gun goes out and kills people. Not every mass murderer or serial killer has watched hrs. of violent videos, nor has every person who's watched these videos become a killer. Sirpeter's last sentence is the key - (severe) personality disorder caused by real life experiences and I'd add - and/or brain chemistry disorder (mental illness) due to a variety of causes. Loughner must still be held accountable for his actions. Unless the standards of insanity are met, personal responsibility is required.

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sirpeter | Jan 14, 2011, 07:32 AM EST

The effects of Violent films,violent video games on human beings,can play a MAJOR factor in real life killings.The key human emotion here is anger and aggression .While every human being is exposed to a certain amount of aggression and violence,it does not manifest itself in overly aggressive acts. The real danger with some people is they become ADDICTED to watching violent images ect.Thus a brain washing and a desensitization occurs which can lead them to take that FINAL STEP from fantasy to reality.Anyone no matter how smart you are, or how strong you think your mind is,are easily brain washed and can be desensitized to any reality.Aggression and violence is quickly absorbed and processed in the brain and you are desensitized in a very short period of time.It's a survival mechanism to get your ass in gear if you want to survive a real threat.This can be proved easy by exposing horrific images to a person. After a short period, the shock value goes down almost to zero.BUT!!..The root cause is deep in the personality of the killer,you can be 100% sure he has a personality disorder..caused by real life past experiences.

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sirpeter | Jan 14, 2011, 07:27 AM EST

(Cont)Take GeorgyDillion and his on-going addiction and compulsion to post about Immigrants and how bad they are.We have all read them,but he can't stop posting the same thing.This forum is his violent video game.He is looking for assurance that he is correct.If ever gets it (ie wins the violent video game)He just might take that final step with a baseball bat and use it on some innocent Immigrant.

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TechNoFear | Jan 14, 2011, 02:22 AM EST

What violent games, those containing graphic depictions of violence, did he play? Did you bother to check the ratings [ie ESRB] on these games before you wrote this? The games that he has been mentioned playing (Starcraft, Diablo and Earth Empires) do not contain realistic violence. Starcraft and Earth Empires are Real Time Strategy (RTS) [build an empire]. Diablo is not in in any way 'realistic violence', it is 15 years old and contains fantasy themed 'cartoon' style graphics.

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creech42 | Jan 14, 2011, 12:20 AM EST

Lost in all the finger pointing, fear mongering, sensationalism and blame portioning one factor missing from your article. I'm not talking about your lack of actual data to prove your claim but rather what you leave out the whole affair. That is personal responsibility. When was the last time YOU saw a Hollywood movie without significant violence? One thing for sure, we know that millions of people watch movies play games and do not kill people and maim. There are many grandstanding writers who make editorials that are exceedingly without facts or relevant information yet point the finger at political parties for perceived misinformation. Their own creations are helping with errors and outright lies. Likewise, those websites who allow editorials without fact checking or relevancy pretend, like politically minded newscasts that they are presenting truth. They need to actually understand the actual effects of violent imagery on the human brain if they dare to. I won't hold my breath, but every time I think of an editorial like this one I ask myself if these writers are just cashing in on the hot button current event as it is often believed. I think not. Like the political newscast the makers know in their hearts they do not understand the full effects of violent images on people and the causes of events like those in Arizon but they too have a role in spreading misinformation and myth.

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Daelda8 | Jan 13, 2011, 04:38 PM EST

If you are blaming violent media for this tragedy, I wonder why you are stopping at violent movies and video games? What about violent sports such as boxing, hockey, the rodeo, football, etc? What about the violence shown every day in news reports? What about the violence present in novels, music and comics? Are those things somehow "less violent"? "Less influential" on our society? If you think that is so, then I ask you - what about the March 27, 1999 Michigan State University riot following the NCAA game? Please tell me how the violence in these other media differ so greatly from movies and video games? How do they not qualify as violent images?

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MelanieDavis | Jan 13, 2011, 04:33 PM EST

These things aren't mentioned because it has never been proven to be so despite numerous studies conducted - on both sides of every issue. The results of all the scientific studies are inconclusive. Did these things contribute? Possibly, but not likely. The real question was and is - does/did he have friends who care/cared deeply about him? Did people reach out to him to become a friend or did they just make fun of him? Was he involved in the community and making a difference in any way? Not one person anywhere has gotten answers to these simple questions, which I chalk entirely up to bad, sensationalist journalism. Oh, and I play those "violent" video games and watch the occasional "violent" movie you so dread and place blame on. I also have quite a few friends who I care about and also care about me. And I'm involved in my community helping those less fortunate than me to get back on their feet.

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seamusmoore | Jan 13, 2011, 03:03 PM EST

@Mcnamara VA Tech banned guns from its' campus and prominently displayed "gun-free campus" signs all over. Tragically, that didn't stop the carnage on April 16, 2007. Few college students would ever carry around a weapon around campus even if it were legal to do so and they had a permit to do so; but the fact that they might be carrying a gun might make a madman think twice. It brings to mind the Chris Rock routine about how all these mass shootings happen at suburban white schools and never at an inner city black school. Why? If you pull a weapon at an inner city school, there might be 3 or 4 more people drawing and pointing back at you. The 2002 Appalachin Law School shooting death toll was 3; it might have approached VA Tech numbers (32) had not two law students (a police officer and a sheriff's deputy)retrieved weapons from their cars and pinned down the gunman. When did the Columbine seige end? When the police (with their guns)showed up. Life isn't a fairytale, one can't just wave a magic wand and wish something to be, thus making it so (like a "gun-free zone" on a college campus).

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McNamara31 | Jan 13, 2011, 08:49 AM EST

As the mom of a teenage son I have seen the violence in video games go ballistic in the last 10 years. However there is something that should concern American parents even more...Presently several states are modifying their laws to allow college students to carry concealed weapons all day on campus and in the dormitories. Arizona's HB2014 (same as the Texas version) states "COLLEGE SHALL NOT ENACT OR ENFORCE ANY POLICY OR RULE THAT PROHIBITS THE POSSESSION OF A CONCEALED WEAPON BY A PERSON WHO POSSESSES A VALID PERMIT." Parents now looking at college options for their children should make themselves aware of the states with this legislation in process. I can only imagine the massive tragedy waiting on the horizon if this legislation is passed.

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seamusmoore | Jan 12, 2011, 10:58 PM EST

Niall, the exposure of the shooter to violent films and video games is the symptom in this case, not the cause. As a parent, why would you not limit your child's exposure to the malevolent influences you cite, at least during their formative years. According to statements from Loughner's neighbors, his parents were not exactly pillars of the community, having been described as aloof and heavy drinkers. That's not to say that sometimes even good parents can't control a child's descent into mental illness, which clearly is the primary cause of this tragedy. You lived in San Francisco, do you recall Dan White's "twinkies defence" for shooting Mayor Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk? Sometimes, evil acts defy rational explanation, so some folks invent irrational ones.

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maloney | Jan 12, 2011, 10:12 PM EST

What about the schools with their is no such thing as a wrong answer or no grades so little Sally won't feel left behind or scoreless sporting events where everyone wins. How about political correctness as in the sheriff's dept. knowing how crazy this guy was with all his death threats they had to respond to but never turned the kid in for a check out. Like wise the college. His dad running after him the day of the shooting knowing he had a gun but never called the law. Talk, movies, games or guns had nothing to do with these shootings. Political correctness was the killer.

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maloney | Jan 12, 2011, 10:04 PM EST

Are you serious? Your take is 'blame the media'? Grow an original thought, sir.

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