Legally Insane: A History of Jack Thompson's Antics

[Andy Chalk]

Legally Insane: A History of Jack Thompson's Antics

A self-described Christian conservative and Republican, Thompson's beginnings were innocuous enough. Born in 1951, he grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, attended Denison University, went to law school at Vanderbilt University where he met his wife, then moved to Florida in 1976. He joined the Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church where he became a born-again Christian, got involved in local politics, and if that was the end of the story he'd be well on his way to a very normal, moderately successful and otherwise wholly unremarkable life.

Alas, it was not to be.

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[jccalhoun]

Nice article about Thompson's history. However, it is also important to note that what gives Thompson the time and money to pursue his witchhunts is his wife who is apparently a well respected attorney.

From Jack's book, Out of Harm's Way, page 124: "From August 1992 until John [his son] went off to school, my job was to be his stay-at-home father." "We decided I would be the one to stay at home. It made sense. Patricia [his wife] had a great job, and my professional life, jumbled by a radio war [against Stern] and other efforts stemming from that endeavor, was less structured, to say the least."

So while I think that Jack did a wonderful thing in staying home to take care of his son, the fact is he hasn't had to have a job outside of the home in a long time. Now that his son is older, Jack must have a LOT of spare time on his hands.

Secondly, this article states, "Investigators determined that Carneal was a gamer, regularly playing Doom, Quake, Redneck Rampage, Mechwarrior and others." Is there a source for this? I ask because from what I've been able to find the only sources for claiming that Carneal was a gamer are Thompson and Mr. Killology, Dave Grossman. (Actually more sources in the entire article would be nice. Was this original research, from wikipedia, Thompson's autobiography, or some other source?)

Regardless, it is always nice to have more articles out there revealing Thompson's "unique" history. Maybe someone will put his name in google and find out about him before they put him on television again...

 

[Beery]

Video games are the new scapegoat for mass murder and every other sort of insanity. Time was that they'd just have to say "Well, he kept to himself and was a bit of a loner" to explain away vicious crimes - as if being quiet and introverted always precedes horrific mayhem (which always made me wonder what brutal murders famous introverts like Sir Isaac Newton, Thomas Edison, Mother Theresa, Jackie Kennedy and Albert Einstein must have gotten away with).

Anyway, people these days are a bit more sophisticated - the 'loner' excuse doesn't work anymore. Too many people know it to be nonsense after Peter Sutcliffe, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy and many other brutal maniacs proved to be outgoing family guys. So what can replace the old 'loner' excuse? Well all the kids are playing video games and surfing the net for porn, right? So chances are, when there's a brutal murder committed by younger folks they probably played an electronic game of some sort and surfed porn sites, so heck, that must be it! Porn + gaming = brutal murder. The fact that murderers tend to be psychos can't have anything to do with it - it's gotta be the porn and the games.

It's incredible how stupid people are to believe such complete nonsense.

 

[TomBeraha]

It's incredible how stupid people are to believe such complete nonsense.

It's not incredible at all. It's Wizards First Rule, and to avoid over-explanation Mr. Goodkind is absolutely correct on this count.

 

[jackthompson]

Am I crazy? Nope:

John B. Thompson, Attorney at Law

1172 S. Dixie Hwy., Suite 111

Coral Gables, Florida 33146

305-666-4366

[email protected]



July 10, 2007



The Honorable Charlie Crist

Governor of the State of Florida

420 East Jefferson Street

Tallahassee, Florida Via Fax to 850-907-1267



Re: Extortion Plot at The Florida Bar



Dear Governor Crist:



In the last 24 hours, I have written Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle of an extortion plot involving Florida Bar officials. I have been the target.



Ms. Rundle, much to her credit, has had her staff contact me and inform me of their willingness to proceed in these regards.



I do believe, however, that it may be appropriate for you to appoint a special prosecutor for the purpose of conducting this investigation, given the incestuous of any local legal community.



By copy of this letter I am encouraging Ms. Rundle to seek such a special prosecutor from your office, just as Broward State Michael Satz recently requested one to investigate Judge Seidlin, all pursuant to my written complaint re Judge Seidlin.



Regards, Jack Thompson

 

[Ataraxus [deprecated]]

Ok, the previous post may be a joke, but I'll bite nontheless:

Your response to a list of crazy shit you've done is to copy a letter you wrote to somebody else alleging an extortion plot? I'm not trying to make a strawman here but lets break it down:

"You're crazy."

"No way, look at this letter I wrote, it's very professional and lawyer like. I allege a crime and address it to the governor!"

Jack, get help, before you end up like Carneal.

 

[Andy Chalk]

Surely Jack has better things to do with his time than play around with us.

 

[pi_neutrino [deprecated]]

It's incredible how stupid people are to believe such complete nonsense.

It's not incredible at all. It's Wizards First Rule, and to avoid over-explanation Mr. Goodkind is absolutely correct on this count.

I'd heard about Terry Goodkind's work before, but not in enough detail to know about the Wizard's Rule. That link was a breath of fresh air. Brilliant stuff! It's a shame more people don't recognise these.

Anyway. Jack. For those who haven't come across this before: http://www.vgcats.com/jack.php

It's a series of emails exchanged between Jack and webcomic artist and writer Scott Ramsoomair, creator of VG Cats [http://www.vgcats.com/]. It makes... interesting reading.

 

[Gansasalite]

Anyway. Jack. For those who haven't come across this before: http://www.vgcats.com/jack.php

It's a series of emails exchanged between Jack and webcomic artist and writer Scott Ramsoomair, creator of VG Cats [http://www.vgcats.com/]. It makes... interesting reading.

....My God.

Behind that Oh so fancy lawyer exterior, he's an 8 year old!
Im serious. He sounds likehe has a hard time understanding the real world. When he has things planed he "Appears" swarve to whomever he is adressing/ Being interviewed by. But catch him off guard, he's nothing (As is my opinion from reading up on him and watching his interviews).

 

[DeathWyrmNexus]

I remember my line of emails with this man. It was... special. He was blaming advertising as the means to which kids' minds are corrupted. I even still have them. Just odd.

I keep vainly hoping that humanity will steer away from the Devil Made Me Do It excuse but it never happens. Video games have an off switch, they don't control the user. They may coerce or reward the user but they never Make him do anything. Choice is always involved. The 1000+ hours I had on Vagrant Story before it was stolen *grumble* was my choice. The 340+ hours I am cranking on adding to on Disgaea 2 is my choice. I may be getting some sense of accomplishment from the games but I am the one turning on the power button.

You cannot be affected without your consent.

Also, on a more personal note, GTA: San Andreas helped keep my sanity when I was stuck working at Burger King. I could go home, turn on the game, brutally murder fast food places, turn off the game, sigh with relief, kiss the family, and go to work the next day with a happy attitude. Also to note, despite all my "murder practice," I never hurt anybody or really felt an urge. I could always go home and let off steam in constructive manner without bottling it up and being a grumpy ass to my family.

Moral of the story: A game is no more than what you make it.

 

[PurpleRain]

I hate that guy nearly on the same level as I hate the pope. Sometimes I wish for some sort of vigilantie to come and make this world a better place. That or fully blown anachy but then people might wreak my stuff.

 

[DeathWyrmNexus]

I hate that guy nearly on the same level as I hate the pope. Sometimes I wish for some sort of vigilantie to come and make this world a better place. That or fully blown anachy but then people might wreak my stuff.

Anarchy has a bad tendency to Not give people what they want but always manages to look cool from a spectator point of view. I vote for vigilante. I shall don my SpankMan uniform and with my Paddle of Justice I will... Nevermind, I forgot that I don't have super powers for a second there.

 

[FanboyInDisguise]

I recentley saw dear old Jack on GameHead TV, and it was interesting to see him laugh off the various death threats that have been sent to his Email. Though I myself wouldn't so much as bat an eye to hear he had been drawn and quartered in front of a hundred laughing gamers, I think the better way to deal with such obsenitly out of sync people is to simply ignore them. Let them get on their soapboxes and curse video games until Tommy Vercetti comes and personally shoves an RPG up their ass, but otherwise pay them no mind if but to chuckle at their idoicy as you pass by.

However, a quick thought passed my mind while he spoke, he said his goal was simply to keep violent games out of the hands of kids, which in and of itself isn't entirely a bad idea. I just think he's going after the wrong people entirely, such as going after Rockstar for Grand Theft Auto instead of the Targets, Wallmarts and Gamestops that have sold M rated games to minors. Or even going after the parents (Though what lawsuit he could bring against them would be interesting...) for being ignorant when giving their child Manhunt 2 then appalled when their innocent bubble is popped when they witness little Tommy pretend to gouge out someones eyes with the Wii-mote. Games are rated for a reason, and usually rather well too, far better than some movies have been. Still, this post is just another drop in the endless ocean of critisism that faces one Jack Thompson, and I personally can't wait until he hits the inevitable iceberg and sinks below into the bottomless pit of oblivion that awaits such zealots.

 

[FanboyInDisguise]

Anyway. Jack. For those who haven't come across this before: http://www.vgcats.com/jack.php

It's a series of emails exchanged between Jack and webcomic artist and writer Scott Ramsoomair, creator of VG Cats [http://www.vgcats.com/]. It makes... interesting reading.

Just read that...wow...

"Dear idiot." "Are all you gamers on drugs?"

Very professional...Hard to believe people take this guy seriously. Or worse, praise him : X

 

[KurtNiisan]

A self-described Christian conservative and Republican

- Well there's your fuckin' problem right there!!

 

[Mairsil the Pretender]

Nah, the pope is nothing on Jack. I'm a Atheist, and even I dont hate the pope. I'm mildly irritated by him. I strongly dislike Mike Huckabee (which is sad, since he seems like such a nice guy). I am depressed and angered by any fundamentalist christian you care to mention. the sad fact is that most of those people are the way they are because they were raised to be that way.

But Jack, Jack I loathe. I would be amused by him, if he wasnt so adept at worming his way onto TV to deliver a soundbite. he's just a delusional idiot who should be kept out of the public eye for his own protection, like someone's retarded cousin. and the funny thing is, I dont even like GTA! It's not a game i play! He hasnt spoken out specificaly against any game I have a vested interest in. But, I nonetheless beleive in the gaming community, and whats more, I dont suffer fools.

Wouldnt it be nice if we could put out some kind of non-internet news release, explaining to those people who, understandably, ARENT plugged into the gaming community? a sort of warning

"this guy doesnt know what he's talking about. he's nearly been disbarred in florida, and is generaly regarded as a self-aggrandized moron. You know what some people think of Al Gore? Well, Jack really is like that, x10."

 

[PurpleRain]

I hate that guy nearly on the same level as I hate the pope. Sometimes I wish for some sort of vigilantie to come and make this world a better place. That or fully blown anachy but then people might wreak my stuff.

Whats Ratzinger ever done to you?

Not any pope in particular, just the pope in general. Christians say it's not right to be greedy and all that, and they're right. But then struts along Mr Goldernboy with riches all poured all over him who lives all high and mighty in his tower of jewels. Anything he says goes as well. He's anti-homosexual and anti-abortion and I dn't think he's made contribution to foundations like cureing canser and saving rainforests. I just don't like what he stands for.

 

[stubbmann]

My only problems with the pope are that he resembles Emperor Palpatine and was in the Hitler youth.

Jack, though... that's a whole different kettle of fish. Willful ignorance and stupidity, frankly, belong in the Darwin Awards, not the political arena. If you're going to rage against something, actually get to know what you're raging against. Oh, and learn to argue like something other than a tired toddler ("You shut up!" "No, you shut up!").