Jack Thompson Given Freedom Award

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Jack Thompson Given Freedom Award


Jack Thompson has been given a Freedom Award by GamePolitics [http://www.freedomfestival.org/] says "ignores a troubling list of negatives that stretches from Orem to Salt Lake City."

Thompson, described in the Body Count [http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700240140,00.html?pg=1] track "Cop Killer" removed from stores "worldwide," and for forcing Howard Stern off public airwaves.

"For 21 years I have opposed the criminal distribution of adult entertainment to children because Jesus said if any of you should cause one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for you that a millstone be tied around your neck and you be cast into the uttermost depths of the sea," Thompson said in his acceptance of the award. He added that despite the persecution and ridicule he has faced in his life, he would do it all over again with even more fervor than before.

But as Dennis McCauley of GamePolitics [http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/07/03/editorial-jack-thompson-curious-choice-freedom-award] points out, Thompson's Freedom Award overlooks aspects of his life and career including being found guilty of 27 offenses, among them knowingly making false statements and engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, for which he has been recommended for a ten-year disbarment. Thompson also inclused of gay pornography in his court filings and called for the impeachment of the Utah Attorney General when it was suggested a videogame bill Thompson authored would be unconstitutional.

"There seem to be two possibilities here. One is that the selection committee did not conduct due diligence on its nominee," McCauley writes. "The other is that they didn't care. Perhaps the committee was aware of Thompson's issues but chose to believe that they are part of some vast cultural conspiracy against him waged by liberals, the videogame industry, the Florida Bar, Florida Supreme Court, U.S. District Court, gays, shock radio, Blank-Rome, various judges, the Alabama Bar, etc. But at some point the idea of a conspiracy that vast becomes silly. What's happening to Thompson now seems more like a judiciary consensus on the man's conduct."

Sources: Daily Herald [http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700240140,00.html?pg=1]


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Lvl 64 Klutz

Crowsplosion!
Apr 8, 2008
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...words escape me, give me a moment.

Now I know how Lewis Black felt when he saw those two Starbucks. I mean, an organization with the word "Freedom" in the title giving a man an award for advocating censorship? Gigantic WTF
 

Anton P. Nym

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Sep 18, 2007
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I'm reluctant to look at the "Freedom Festival"'s web site on this system, as I might end up having to explain why to an amused or angry sys-admin. However I suspect it's targeting the same audience that eats up buzz-words like "freedom" and "homeland" while demanding that everybody do as they say or get out.

-- Steve
 

irishdelinquent

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Jan 29, 2008
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Wow, talk about ironic. Jack Thompson gets the freedom award for stopping video game companies from expressing their freedom of expression. Interesting conundrum.
 

RetiarySword

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Apr 27, 2008
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Argh!! What the fuck! OK! THIS IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO! Get all the gamers together and we make an award for him, also get the backing of Rockstar games.

The award can be called the STFU award! A trophy with a massive STFU with jewels incrested!
 

sammyfreak

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Dec 5, 2007
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I actualy admire Jacko's determination and values, even if his practices and idea's aren't the best.

Good for you Jacky!
 

sunami88

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Jun 23, 2008
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They do know he submitted porn (gay porn none the less) in a publicly available court document [http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/09/26/185247], right? And that he bullies people [http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/05/04/1925214] around?

Methinks someone didn't do their research... Or they just wanted free publicity by backing a loony... either way.

What's he done that warrants and award for shaping history and changing the world for the better, toward freedom for all [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Award]? Aside from try to ban a couple of video games and rap albums? The guys pro-censorship, if anything he wants us all wired with chips in our heads to make sure we don't see or hear anything he deems "inappropriate". Freedom indeed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_state].
 

PedroSteckecilo

Mexican Fugitive
Feb 7, 2008
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Ah yes, a "Freedom Award" to the man who wants to limit others "Freedom" of expression, who wants to give people the "Freedom" to agree with his opinion. Freedom has become a serious exercise in DoubleThink lately.
 

DamienHell

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Oct 17, 2007
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I`m not surprised by this at all, come on its obvious why this happened! HELL HAS FROZEN OVER! First Uwe Boll wins a directors award, now this! Next I`m going to start attracting women and making money! Get used to it people, till global warming kicks in, shit like this is here to stay!
 

Larenxis

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Dec 13, 2007
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I thought this was just someone using the title to get attention, and it would end up being some lame review. I was disappointed.
 

666thHeretic

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May 26, 2008
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When did the people responsible for choosing the recipient become retarded? Winston Churchill, Elie Weisel, they make sense. Then suddenly we get McCain and George Bush Sr. (McCain wants to stay in Iraq, HW Bush is responsible for letting Saddam live after Desert Storm ended). And now Thompson.

Next year's winner: Adolf Hitler! And then Joseph Stalin!
 

sammyfreak

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Dec 5, 2007
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What is up with you people? A conservative organisation gives a conservative lawyer an award for something they se as positive and you guys talk about it like it is the end of the world. Im glad that the internet is filled with open-minded people who can respect others.
 

sandswipe

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Nov 28, 2007
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Okay, wow. Wow. The irony has already been restated enough times, but seriously, do these people even know how incredibly self-defeating they're being? Should we tell them, or is it like telling a cokehead that the spiders aren't real where it's safer to nod while dialing 911 when they're not looking?



Oh! I get it! Thompson is an incredibly INCOMPETENT censor, so all he's ever done is unite gamers in FAVOR of free speech while giving them something to hate. This is actually genius.
 

Usnota

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Jul 3, 2008
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This BS, i've always wanted 2 throw jack thompson into E3 and see how long he lasted, lol
but on a more serious note, he is a goddamn liar, he made false statments, and he is discredited as alawyer, not 2 metion he is being disbarred I guess some things do work the way they should
 

qbert4ever

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Dec 14, 2007
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I was going to write a long-winded post about how Jack Thompson getting a Freedom Award is almost as crazy and stupid as Turkish Star Wars, but the I remembered: Nobody gives a damn about the Freedom Awards anyways.

I mean really, when was the last time you said to yourself "gee golly wiz! I better hurry up if I'm to make it to Utah to see who wins the next Freedom Award!"
 

Sylocat

Sci-Fi & Shakespeare
Nov 13, 2007
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If Yahtzee, Winston Churchill, Dr. House, Groucho Marx, Oscar Wilde, and Mark Twain all got together and had a brainstorm session, they MIGHT be able to come up with some insults strong enough to be worthy of this.