[samIamsad]

Another fellow human being ran amok today. According to recent news, the police found Marilyn Manson records, a Slipknot poster and a copy of "Escape From Monkey Island" in his room. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Seriously though, horrible news again, and a couple of months ago something similar happened in Germany as well and the "Killerspiele" ("killer games") debate amongst politicians is still going on. As to what the term "Killerspiele" is actually refering to.. well, everybody seems to have their own definition. As they see fit, it seems. Some go as far as wanting to make the act of producing such software a criminal act. But that's not what I'm trying to get across here. What I'm trying to get across is this: Computer games, rock'n'roll music, TV sets, anal intercourse, Oprah Winfrey: Let the blame games begin. They surely will, won't they?

[Jelena]

It's so sad, scary and horrible that it happens over and over.
Weapons in the hands of the wrong person.

[samIamsad]

That, too. Some of the headlines on (not only CNN.com) and content that goes like this "Cell phone video from Jamal Albarghouti captures gunfire on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia!!!"

bring a song to mind.

Originally Posted by Tool-Vicarious

I need to watch things die
From a good safe distance
Vicariously I live while the whole world dies
You all feel the same so

Why can’t we just admit it?

[Panthera]

It's horrible that something like that has happened again, and it's also horrible that every time this happens it turns into a debate about games and music instead of discussing how we can practically prevent this.

Like parent and school paying more attention to warning signs, phycological treatment and such..

and Monkey Island? What the heck could he learn from that? To insult people?

[rlpw]

You know I hate when they blame music and games for crazy. I'm pretty sure these people were just looking for a reason.

[Squinky]

Yeah, we shouldn't be blaming games and music. Let's blame religion instead.

[Dasilva]

Originally Posted by rlpw

You know I hate when they blame music and games for crazy. I'm pretty sure these people were just looking for a reason.

Tell me about it, people want something to blame.

[samIamsad]

Well, as for games, I think that there IS very, very, very much content that needs to be treated much more.. seriously, by developers, publishers, retailers, consumers and just about everybody involved combined. Yet I don't like it if something gets picked as a cheap scapegoat and easy target for... everything. The World has never been all that easy, no matter for what reasons and how much anybody likes it to be that way.

Originally Posted by Panthera

and Monkey Island? What the heck could he learn from that? To insult people?

And boys how to dress like a woman! Some people sure won't approve of that...


... like the Pope, for example.

Originally Posted by Squinky

Yeah, we shouldn't be blaming games and music. Let's blame religion instead.

CHRIST!!

[rlpw]

Originally Posted by samIamsad

And boys how to dress like a woman! Some people sure won't approve of that...


... like the Pope, for example.

You know it has always been funny to me that a man in a flowing, gold trimmed, and very expensive gown could complain about a man in a pencil skirt and high heels.

[Trader]

my exboyfriend was teased so badly at school, I had to get my brother to sort it out [brother very big person]. But my ex I think was planning to bomb the school, he had built a bomb in his basement but had to get his school science teacher to come and disarm it.

[Wormsie]

I think that behind this is yet another story of a person who was probably bullied, was an outcast, lonely, didn't fit in anywhere, and hated going to school every day. He was miserable and depressed and decided that he might as well take all those people who cause him pain - if only by silently approving others taking advantage of him - with him.

Yeah, I admit that it's too early to draw a conclusion like that, but it's been true in many other cases, so I wanted to present that viewpoint anyway. And I can really feel for anyone who feels that way, scary as it might be.

*Sigh* But yeah, speculation is useless. And I can also feel for those who were killed...

[samIamsad]

Originally Posted by rlpw

You know it has always been funny to me that a man in a flowing, gold trimmed, and very expensive gown could complain about a man in a pencil skirt and high heels.

Well, he'd just open his mouth, raise a finger and... er, never mind.

Originally Posted by Wormsie

And I can really feel for anyone who feels that way, scary as it might be.

Same..

And I can also feel for those who were killed...

Especially after having clicked onto the link promising to lead to a video depicting "cell phone video from Jamal Albarghouti captures gunfire on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia!!!". Yeah, I did it too...

[Aj_]

Originally Posted by Squinky

Yeah, we shouldn't be blaming games and music. Let's blame religion instead.

People who don't know fact from fiction...

[Giligan]

It was obviously the Mysts 'O Time Marsh that did him in.

[samIamsad]

I don't doubt a single bit that violent games, violent movies, violent books and violent pancakes have an impact on how humans and especially grown-ups perceive violence, since on the most basic level every bit of information we consume and are exposed to has an impact on us in some way or other. Yet violence has also always been an integral part of humankind. A part in us we just can't deny, no matter how. Essentially, if you're looking at it like that, a bit more in the metaphoric sense "violence" and "war" are part of ALL our lives, if it's fighting for the one you love, your job, or just struggling for survival. Sure, there might no blood getting shed, but in some cases, it CAN be worse than this. I think in most of today's societies, with all kinds of pressure applied practically all the time it can be more easy to "crack" (whatever that means in such a case) than ever before.

Btw, I also happen to think that what's "not acceptable", "frowned upon" or "restricted by law" often tells much more about a society than what's actually considered to be "okay". But that's another story..

[Squinky]

Originally Posted by Wormsie

I think that behind this is yet another story of a person who was probably bullied, was an outcast, lonely, didn't fit in anywhere, and hated going to school every day. He was miserable and depressed and decided that he might as well take all those people who cause him pain - if only by silently approving others taking advantage of him - with him.

Yeah, I admit that it's too early to draw a conclusion like that, but it's been true in many other cases, so I wanted to present that viewpoint anyway. And I can really feel for anyone who feels that way, scary as it might be.

That was basically how I felt about Columbine, back in the day.

Originally Posted by Wormsie

*Sigh* But yeah, speculation is useless. And I can also feel for those who were killed...

You mean you've been killed before? Cool.

[Wormsie]

Originally Posted by Squinky

You mean you've been killed before? Cool.

Remember Deadworm222?

[Filmman]

my prayer is out for these people how was kill in here this is sad

[Aj_]

http://killfile.newsvine.com/_news/2007/04/16/666369-breaking-shooter-on-virginia-techs-campus-at-least-31-dead

Killfile has written comprehensive coverage on newsvine, I read many of his articles, and it seems he finds himself in a position to cover this story. This incident seems to have captured the imagination, I'm not sure why.

[undeaf]

I'm not shocked by this at all. I guess I'm rather desensitized after columbine, 9-11, madrid, chechnya, iraq, bali...