Texas Teen Video Gamer Arrested for Threatening to Torture and Kill Miami Anti-Video Game Activist
The Harris County, Texas Sheriff’s Department (Houston) arrested today, at his high school, a 16-year-old boy who was immersed in extremely violent, Mature-rated video games. This boy, whose name may be released by authorities shortly, called Miami attorney Jack Thompson and threatened to torture and kill him. The threat was taped.
Thompson has for past seven years been involved in national efforts to stop the marketing and sale of Mature-rated, violent games, some of which titles this boy consumed, because of their impact on the attitudes and behaviors of kids. This incident helps prove the harmful impact of the games. The specifics of the torture with which Thompson was threatened are so grotesque that they cannot be properly placed in this news release. The torture was to end with the shooting of Thompson, as in this teen’s favorite games.
“Shoot the messenger” is the video game industry’s strategy. This time, because of the arrest in Texas, it didn’t work. It backfired.
posted by Pat Campbell @ 6:04 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Don't blame it on the video game. This is absurd. Although I do not believe that kids should play adult games, I contend that it's not the game that "brainwashes" the mind. He may be mentally unbalanced for a number of reason. He may even have a chemical imbalance. The video games he plays are not likely to have caused this outburst. And he, feeling theatened, did use all that he had learned to (in his mind) defend himself.
The overindulgence in video gaming is an escape. He has a problem that needs PROPER attention, not a jail sentence. We need to rerealize that children are children, not adults. It seems that we adults are acting more like children. (Remember "Lord of the Flys")? Did you read it? I did in High School. If we really think that our kids have such shallow minds to be influenced by video games then lets look at the movies; at horrific news videos, and the ungodly things some of our politicians say. How about advertisements? We could go on and on.
Kids can be influenced by anything and I feel that it is the parents responcibility to help their kids cope with what they see and feel. It use to be the parents fault when a minor committed a crime because it was viewed as the parents responcibility to bring their kids up proper. These days many parents are unable to do this.
Restrict adult games just like alcohol and tobacco. But that's it. This kid is not thinking like an adult, just an unruly child and need supervision. Not jail time. And I am possitive that he had no real means or plan on how to carry out his threat. Maybe Thompson has been playing to many video games. He's certainly using this in his game.
If you gonna threaten someone, don't be stupid. Be smart and put your number on private and not tell the person your name.
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