Editorial - Video Games, Violence, and the Law
An editorial by
Sam Altersitz published on 12.8.2003
DISCLAIMER: The thoughts expressed in this editorial are the thoughts of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of GamesAreFun.com, or its editors (excepting the author) in any way. Some language used may be offensive to some people. Reader discretion is advised.
In other words, if you don't like profanity, and don't like other people's opinions, don't read this piece.
By now everyone knows the mantra. “The Columbine shooters played
DOOM!! It proves that violent games lead to violent people!!!!!” The media ate it up and used the
DOOM angle to get ratings. There were other causes, according to the parents of the two confirmed shooters, such as the music the teenagers listened to: KMFDM, and Marylin Manson; both of which the media made many people believe were the spawns of Satan.
More recently, there is the story of
two teenage step-brothers in Tennessee who shot at cars passing by on the interstate by their home with a .22 caliber rifle; seriously injuring one person and killing another. The boys plead guilty, but blamed
Grand Theft Auto III and
GTA Vice City for why they did the shootings.
To these boys I have to say one thing: Bullshit. To the parents of the Columbine shooters blaming video games and music, and to those who believe such things cause violence, I have one thing to say: Bullshit.
Let's face it. In both of these cases it's quite clear where the blame lies. And it isn't with music or video games. The blame lies solely on the people who committed the acts.
The Columbine shooters obviously planned their attack for a good long while, long enough to make pipe bombs to use in the attack on their classmates and teachers. They obviously knew what they were doing was wrong, which is why they killed themselves rather than be taken into custody.
The Tennessee boys knew what they were doing was wrong. They plead guilty to murder and aggravated assault. They still tried to get out of it, though, by blaming a pair of video games for their own dumb ass actions.
But in the end, there's no one to blame besides the people who did the actions. The parents of these people, however, seem to think that there's other places to blame... so long as the blame can't be traced back to the parents of the shooters, of course. So while the blame really lies on the shoulders of the people who commit the acts, others will look for scapegoats, so long as that scapegoat is not them or people they know.
What About The Parents?
Notice that after the Columbine incident, the parents of the shooters quickly gave reasons why their kids would walk into their school with an arsenal of weapons and injure and murder others. But, notice that none of those reasons came back to them and their ability as parents. Instead, it was
Doom, Marylin Manson, and KMFDM that made their children do these heinous acts.
So, my questions include: Did Marylin Manson buy the guns these kids used? Did DOOM teach them how to build pipe bombs, as well as buy the materials necessary to make them? Was KMFDM in charge of making sure their kids were doing OK in school and ensuring there was quality time spent with the kids? Why didn't the parents realize their kids weren't happy? Why didn't the parents know that the kids had an entire arsenal of weapons stashed in their own houses? Did they even care?
But, we're apparently not allowed to question the ability of these parents. They said that video games and music were the cause, and the media has decided to go with that angle. Obviously there's nothing wrong with these parents who didn't know how many guns their kids had in their houses. Obviously these parents shouldn't have had any idea that there were pipe bombs stashed in their garages. Without a doubt these parents shouldn't have seen the warning signs that their kids might be depressed or otherwise not in good mental health. Video games and music was the cause, they say, and they are good parents because they had nothing to do with anything their kids did; including having no knowledge of how their kids were feeling and that they were obviously depressed and under other mental strains. But, again, we apparently aren't allowed to question parenting, especially if the people played video games or listened to music; because video games and music must be the root of all evil.
And what of the Tennessee step-brothers? Did their parents buy them the .22 caliber rifle? Were they able to get the rifle at a local store themselves (entirely possible in Tennessee)? Or did
GTA go out and buy the rifle for them? Was it
GTA's responsibility to inform the brother's parents where they were going and what they were planning on doing?
Scapegoating Our Way Through Time
You know, before video games and rock music, there was no war or murder.--Wade Monnig, GAF Editor
Although the sarcasm in Wade's statement is well evident, it rings true in how many people decide to blame other things for their problems other than themselves. There's a few names for these things: Fall guy, patsy, expendable asset. But the one most people know is scapegoat.
People always try and put the blame off of themselves and onto someone or something else to get out of trouble. It's happened for as long as man has been on this planet. People blame something else for their problems. Hell, one of the biggest uses of scapegoating was also one of history's worst: Adolph Hitler using the Jews, homosexuals, and gypsies as scapegoats for Germany's problems (you know, completely ignoring the fact that Germany, as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, started and lost World War I... and that that was the cause of Germany's problems).
In more recent times, things just get pushed off to more inanimate objects.
A kid killed himself? He listened to rock music! A kid killed someone else? He played pen and paper role playing games! Two kids went into their school and shot the place up? They played video games
and listened to rock music!
Over the past few decades, many things have been used as scapegoats for problems in kids. Comic books. Television. Movies. Music. Pornography. And now video games. But, because video games make so much money, and are sometimes very graphically violent, they make bigger headlines than most musicians. I mean, if I heard that somebody went ballistic after listening to crap like Nickleback (and Lord knows I want to go on a radio destroying spree when I hear Nickleback on the radio...), well it doesn't seem to me like that would get as big a headlines as if the kid listened to Marylin Manson, KMFDM, or GWAR and played
Grand Theft Auto or
Unreal Tournament.
But, the fact remains that there is no conclusive proof that any of these things lead to certain behaviors in people. Sure, there are studies that 'prove' the causation; but for every study 'proving' the causation, there is one that 'disproves' the causation.
The Mental Health Factor
You know, I find it odd that we don't hear about these kids' mental health at the time of the problems. We know that the Columbine shooters were picked on and teased at school, which could very obviously lead to depression and, if the teasing was bad enough, even sociopathic tendencies which later ended up becoming psychotic.
Were the Tennessee kids given a clean bill of mental health, or were they not even given any sort of testing? I haven't heard about any psychologists going in and such.
Now, let's get one thing completely clear: video games are fantasy. Period. End of story. They are not reality in any way, shape, or form. Most of what is on television is fantasy. Movies are fantasy.
Why do I bring this up, since it should be obvious? Well, if people are 'inspired' to do violent acts because they watch TV, play video games, or watch movies, then they have a problem distinguishing fantasy from reality.
You know, like my fantasy is that Rebbecca Romijn Stamos is with me, but I know the reality is she is with John Stamos (damn him!).
Just like I know that just because I can do a lot of illegal things in
GTA and get out of it with carefully placed police bribe icons and clothes changing icons on the map; I also know that if I tried to do half the shit I could do in
GTA in real life I would be shot to death before I even got arrested... and I wouldn't just end up outside the hospital a few hundred dollars poorer, either. I know the difference between fantasy and reality.
But, there are people who aren't able to make this distinction. However, the media and politicians would have us believe that anyone who plays video games can't make the distinction between reality and fantasy. If we were to listen to people like Joe Lieberman, it would seem that if you even look at a box of a game rated M, that within a week you'd be out killing your closest friends and family before moving onto the real blood bath in the streets.
I mean, violent games cause violent people, right?
Wrong. If people like Lieberman and Leland Yee of San Fransisco were to be believed, then our streets would be knee deep in blood-- with people running around with rocket launcher screaming how much they '0wnz0r' as they massacre every living object in a 20 mile radius. Maybe it isn't gamers who have the problem distinguishing reality from fantasy? Oh, wait. Sorry, sorry. I forgot-- it doesn't matter what the politicians say, as long as it gets them votes come election time. Silly me.
As I said, the only way that these things are going to cause someone to be violent is if they have mental problems distinguishing reality from fantasy to begin with. And the general population of the world does not have this problem, politicians and lawyers excepted, of course.
The world, especially politicians, needs to face facts. The fact is if anything fantastical inspires someone to do violent acts, then they have a problem distinguishing fantasy from reality. I've been saying this for years, but without a psychological degree, I guess my common sense opinion is worthless.
Am I saying that younger children aren't impressionable? No. But I am saying that the parents need to take the responsibility to be parents, and keep materials they feel are inappropriate for their children from their children. But just because younger children are more impressionable than older children, doesn't mean even these younger kids will automatically mistake fantasy for reality.
When Politicians Attack!!!
We all know about Senator Lieberman's hatred of all things entertaining. He not only wants laws against violent video games, but also against many movies, and much of the music of today as well. Fortunately, he hasn't been very successful with many of his attempts at 'cleansing' entertainment for our youth. His friend, Tipper Gore, has gotten the PMRC up and running, but that hasn't been a huge factor in music like she had hoped.
Recently Washington State was going through legislation where it would be illegal to sell video games that portrayed any sort of violence towards officers of the law. In this case, technically shooting at Nazis in a WWII game set in Germany would be illegal, since the Nazis were the ruling party, and thus the officers of the law... however, the lawmakers didn't see this correlation.
Now we have Leland Yee, of San Fransisco, trying to pass his own version of laws to 'save the children.' Part of his law proposals sound reasonable, in theory: put M rated games at a height of 5 feet at the lowest to prevent small children for seeing them in stores. That sounds reasonable, until you realize that Yee's wording is so vague, that certain games rated E for Everyone would have to go up on the higher shelves.
Essentially, Yee wants to add video games to an already existing California law regarding the sale of tobacco (and tobacco products/paraphernalia) and pornography to minors.
Leland Y. Yee - The same penalty that currently exists for selling other harmful material to children will be imposed. Section 313.4 of the California Penal Code states, "every person who violates Section 313.1 (the list of harmful material to children) is punishable by fine of not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000), by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment. If a person has multiple convictions they may be imprisoned in the state prison.
HomeLAN has an interview with Yee up on their site right now. Within it, Yee links violent video games to the Columbine incident (I told you it was a mantra), as well as a few other cases where the perpetrators were quoted as liking video games.
Of course, the best part about Yee bringing these bills to the forefront?
Yee has never played a single game he is attacking to know what sort of content it has while playing.
From the HomeLAN interview:
Leland Y. Yee - I have not personally played these games, however many of my staff members have. I have seen numerous footage pieces of these games, which clearly shows the need for such legislation.
Mr. Yee, I have not personally held an office in the government, but many of my family members have. I have seen numerous footage pieces on the news about how corrupt politicians are, which clearly shows that all politicians are greedy bastards who need to be taken from office and publicly beaten.
Somehow, I doubt Mr. Yee would agree that my statement is as true as his. Yet each statement clearly shows that neither of us has any real idea as to what happens in the thing we feel is wrong. Again, however, Yee is looking for votes; and attacking video games is a way to get parents on your side when it comes time for elections.
So, why doesn't Mr. Yee attack the music and movie industries as well? Surely there are enough studies out there that say movies and music are just as bad as video games? I mean, the Columbine incident specifically shows that music was a cause, right? Or what about the movie
The Basketball Diaries? The Columbine shooters watched and liked that movie. Movies are just as much to blame!
It's simple as to why Yee isn't attacking the movie and music industries: California relies heavily on the movie and music industries for its economy to work. Make laws restricting movies and music, and you will drive them from California in droves. The movie studios and music companies leave California, and suddenly California's economy goes even further into a downward spiral.
Even though the video game industry has a big presence in California, it is far outweighed by the presence of the movie and music industries.
Mr. Yee also points out that parents seem to be able to have more control over what movies their children watch, which is patently false. When I was 14, my parent's didn't watch over me like a hawk when I went to see a movie with my friends, and I doubt most parents out there now are watching their kids like hawks when they go out to see movies. And underage kids get into R rated movies all the time.
Leland Y. Yee - I certainly believe parents have a responsibility here. However, many live very difficult and busy lives and can not possibly monitor their children at all times. Unlike movies, in which parents can easily determine whether it is suitable for their child, many of these games must be mastered before the interaction begins at the most violent levels.
Yee seems to think that parents should have final responsibility; but that because they lead hard lives they may not be able to watch what their children play all the time. But if they lead such hard a laborious lives, how can they be ever watchful when their kids see a movie?
Leland Y. Yee - Parents are the ultimate shields against their kids drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and exposure to pornography as well. But as a society, we recognize the need to protect children from harmful material and we make laws to restrict access to these products.
Which is why teen smoking hasn't gone down, high school drinking and drug use has gone up over the years, and pornography is still just as easily accessible to anyone under the age of 18 as anything else; in fact, thanks to the Internet, pornography is even more accessible to people of any age than it ever has been.
But, it's OK, Mr. Yee. Hypocrisy is what we expect from politicians.
Of course, just as I go to post this editorial,
this statement is released about an incident involving a real gun taking place at a Counter-Strike tournament. The situation mentioned, however, ended with no one getting hurt, and was diffused peacefully. This will, of course, inevitably lead to more fuel for the fire from Mr. Yee and those who share his views.
It should be noted, however, that the person who pulled the gun out of his car was
not a participant in the event, but a friend of one of the participants.
Again, though, we don't know anything about this person's mental health or stability. Why did this person travel with a gun in his car in the first place? What happened that made him snap? My own thoughts are that he already has some mental problems to begin with or is already involved in some activity conductive to the pulling of guns, such as theft and/or gang relations. There's no real reason to carry a loaded gun in your car unless you intend to use it for some unscrupulous manner (or you are a police officer, but it does not appear this person was a police officer).
What Really Needs to be Done.
What really needs to be done with these issues is
not government regulations and laws to 'protect the children;' but a greater understanding by parents of the ESRB rating system.
Earlier this year, I wrote an
editorial for
Joystick 101 about the ESRB ratings and what I feel should be done.
What we need is for the
parents to become better educated as to what the
ESRB is; what the ratings mean; and why these ratings are important to allow the parents the choice of what games their younger children play. These ESRB ratings are there for the parents; not the industry itself.
Unfortunately, the ESRB ratings seem to be a mysterious entity to too many parents out there today. Too many parents don't bother reading the ratings on the boxes, and even if they do they probably don't understand them. There's still a major thought among parents that video games are just for kids, and these parents don't realize that there are games out there that are simply not for children.
Unfortunately, the ESRB tends to take a very hands off approach to teaching parents about the ratings. The ESRB should be more active, with pamphlets available for free at game stores; more public service announcements that actually make it onto TV when parents would be watching TV; and, in general, just a more active role in trying to ensure that retailers who sell video games enforce the ratings effectively. Otherwise, the whole reason the ESRB was formed, to prevent government regulation of the video game industry, will be all for naught.
Unfortunately, in some cases, the ESRB ratings can be slightly misleading as well. Much like the
MPAA ratings sometimes don't accurately represent a movie as a whole, the ESRB ratings sometimes don't accurately describe all of the content in a game. Both ratings systems tend to use individual scenes to decide whether they get a strong rating, or a more lenient rating.
A perfect example is Tecmo's
Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. This game carries a rating of M, for mature-- which means not suitable for people under 17. Why does this game, which has no blood carry this rating? Because in the opening cinematic, you can see one of the girl's breasts silhouetted and her bare ass for less than a second; and because the girls all run around in skimpy swimsuits the whole time.
I don't even like
DoAXBV, in fact, my vocal hatred of
DoAXBV is quite known. I think it's more of a tech demo for the next
DoA game engine than a real game. But even I can say that the game doesn't deserve an M rating. You can practically see the same things on any episode of Baywatch or any other TV show anymore.
But, in the end, it shouldn't be up to government officials to decide that their morality is better than anyone else's. It should be a choice for
parents to decide. It should fall on the
parents' shoulders if they buy M rated games for their 10 year old kids and then get all upset when they finally see the games in action.
In the end, the reasons that someone commits violent acts are that person's fault, not some video game they play, or movie they watch, or music they listen to.
As always, you can send hate mail directly to
me, or to
Denin, our Mailbag guy; or you can go to our
forums and discuss your views on this there.
--------------------------------------------
Wade Adds:
As a lifelong game player, let me say I have never, ever tried to jump on a turtle and send it flying at other human beings. I've never dodged spinning sawblades and, I'm pretty sure if I did see a room full of them, entering them and even considering that would be the last thing on my mind. While I have saved the world thousands upon thousand of times in video games, I have never felt it necessary to put in on any application I fill out when applying for a job.
In short, no matter what the setting of a video game, I have never had a problem seperating fantasy from reality. Be it
Mario,
DOOM,
Grand Theft Auto or
Hello Kitty Cube Frenzy.
