Five ways conservatives are undermining the case against gun control

 

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/20/bedford-five-ways-conservatives-are-undermining-the-case-against-gun-control/#ixzz2LYLwWCLJ

 

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I thought that the article was well written and brought up some valid points like how modern culture grows ever more coarse and hence society and socially acceptable ideals reflect that.

While I disagree that violent video games, movies and TV programs foster violence, it was interesting to learn that Adam Lanza spent the week prior to his heinous act playing video games in a blacked out room in his basement.

 

Not sure that a cause & effect could be substantiated, but one has to consider the effect of violent games, movies etc on an abnormal mind.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

i think violent video games and movies are FACTORS, but they arent the REASONS.. mental health problems are the reasons, and violent video games and movies (and things of the ilk) just play into it..

 

i personally think most of the problems have to do with parenting (or lack thereof).. and i hope no one takes offense to that (because there are obviously good parents out there who raise children properly), but so many don't. So many don't spend time, take time, make time and communicate properly with their kids.. so many just give their kids whatever they want or ignore them, etc. It is making for a spoiled, entitled and sour generation (in general).

 

....but i digress

I've played violent video games and watched violent movies the majority of my life. It's a complete and total farse. Video games and movies don't make people violent. People make people violent. Bad parenting, lack of discipline growing up, and an overall downturn of society's moral values are the reasons we have psychopaths roaming the earth more now than ever.

 

Can video games and movies desensitize children to acts of violence? Maybe, but it certainly had no negative effect on me because I had good parents to teach me right from wrong.

I've played violent video games and watched violent movies the majority of my life. It's a complete and total farse. Video games and movies don't make people violent. People make people violent. Bad parenting, lack of discipline growing up, and an overall downturn of society's moral values are the reasons we have psychopaths roaming the earth more now than ever.

 

Can video games and movies desensitize children to acts of violence? Maybe, but it certainly had no negative effect on me because I had good parents to teach me right from wrong.

agreed.. i've played my share of violent video games and im one of the most well-adjusted, level-headed people you could meet (not tooting my own horn, just sayin')..

So lets suppose that video games have a clear negative effect on a mentally violent mind. Then what?

 

Do we regulate the sale of, or ban these types of games? It seems to me that chasing video games is a pointless endeavor. The same arguments that are used to defend the right of the people to own "Assault Weapons" can be used to defend an individual's right to play "Assault Video Games".

• Millions of Americans use them without harming anybody every day.
  
• The people who abuse them are people who already have a negative mental predisposition.
  
• They are protected by the United States Constitution.
  
• Correlation with high-profile events does not imply causation of those same events.
  

To argue that we need to regulate or ban these games is mind-numbingly hypocritical. Penn Jillette explains my point well in

.

"People need to take responsibility..." And there ya have it folks.

There is a model that was being used in the 90s by psychologists who specialized in at risk children and adolescents [not sure if they still use it]. It was called something like the "emergent model of risk" or "cumulative model of risk" depending on which person was talking about it. The basic theory was that there is usually no ONE factor. It's always a multitude of factors but the one thing that was ALWAYS of key importance was the youth's "social safety net". This social safety net was basically close social relationships, whether a parent, a relative, a friend, or mentor. Someone they had a close bond with and could trust and talk to. A child with a safety net like this could have many risk factors and not act out meanwhile another child with similar risk factors [or less] and no safety net acts out.

 

There are lots of risk factors out there; violent video games and movies are definitely a risk factor (many studies have shown they desensitize people to violence), sh*tty parenting is a risk factor, psychological problem are risk factors, low SES, the list goes on.

So lets suppose that video games have a clear negative effect on a mentally violent mind. Then what?

 

Do we regulate the sale of, or ban these types of games? It seems to me that chasing video games is a pointless endeavor. The same arguments that are used to defend the right of the people to own "Assault Weapons" can be used to defend an individual's right to play "Assault Video Games".

• Millions of Americans use them without harming anybody every day.
  
• The people who abuse them are people who already have a negative mental predisposition.
  
• They are protected by the United States Constitution.
  
• Correlation with high-profile events does not imply causation of those same events.
  

To argue that we need to regulate or ban these games is mind-numbingly hypocritical. Penn Jillette explains my point well in

.

 

It's funny, they're trying/tried to lump a larger tax and more restrictions on video games some time ago.

It's funny, they're trying/tried to lump a larger tax ...on video games some time ago.

Because that will help...

Because that will help...

 

Of course, meanwhile more liberties will quietly seep through cracks as congress chips more and more away whether gun control passes or not.