Media Blames Videogames For Wannabe Bomber's Actions

vansau

Mortician of Love
May 25, 2010
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Media Blames Videogames For Wannabe Bomber's Actions



A man who was plotting to bomb George W. Bush's house liked watching videos of games, which means news outlets are blaming them for his behavior.

A Saudi national was recently arrested for plotting to blow up a number of targets in America, including former President George W. Bush's home in Texas. The man, twenty-year-old Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, plead not guilty to the charge of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction when he was arraigned last week. While trying to blow up buildings may not be a common pastime for young adults, videogames are, and Aldawsari has been identified as a gamer. Naturally, certain media groups are starting to blame games for his plot.

According to The Daily Mail, Aldawsari maintained a blog where he wrote about how much he liked the Resident Evil games. In one post, he wrote the following statement:

Finished watching the Resident Evil Remake game on youtube today and I am glad to watch it because I like the Resident Evil games and this is not my first time to watch the gameplay on youtube; in addition to Resident Evil Remake, I watched Resident Evil 3, Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 5, and I am now watching Resident Evil Code Veronica.

It should be noted that this doesn't actually reveal that Aldawsari enjoyed playing videogames, just that he enjoyed watching YouTube videos of them. However, that hasn't stopped the press from eating it up. The Daily Mail ran a headline that reads "Evil resident was hooked on Resident Evil: Saudi terror suspect loved ultra-violent video game". The New York Post, in turn ran a similar headline: "Alleged Saudi bomb plotter pleads not guilty, inspired by violent video game".

Aldawsari, who was a business student at South Plains College near Lubbock, TX, was arrested last week after he attempted to purchase a large amount of phenol from a company in North Carolina, which flagged his order as suspicious and alerted authorities. After law enforcement groups started surveillance on him, he emailed himself a list of targets that included nuclear power plants, a number of dams, and the Dallas home of former President Bush (which he identified as "Tyrant's House").

Aldawsari's believed he was waging a one man "jihad", according to articles that cite the young man's journal entries. Apparently he was planning to use a series of chemical-based improvised explosive devices that he would hide in dolls and backpacks to carry out the attacks. <a href=http://www.richlandchronicle.com/news/college-student-targets-north-texas-bush-residence-1.2021432>The Richland Chronicle also quotes a journal entry where the young man explains how he planned to use his scholarship money to fund his attacks.

Speaking as someone who was directly affected by the 9/11 attacks, I'm extremely relieved that this guy was stopped before he could hurt anyone. However, I think claiming videogames inspired him is some incredibly irresponsible journalism, especially since there's no direct evidence showing that he actually played them.

I'm starting a betting pool on how long it'll take Fox News to start claiming the Resident Evil games teach people how to make bombs. Any takers?

Source: <a href=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1360298/Saudi-man-arrested-George-W-Bush-bomb-plot-emails-calling-jihad.html?ito=feeds-newsxml>Daily Mail, <a href=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/alleged_saudi_bomb_plotter_pleads_wky1LwkQUWpMnbhVTmvYOI>New York Post, <a href=http://www.sify.com/news/saudi-jihadist-accused-of-plotting-to-kill-bush-had-passion-for-violent-video-games-news-international-lc0nuhddege.html>Sify via <a href=http://www.gamepolitics.com/2011/02/26/saudi-man-accused-targeting-former-president-pegged-039gamer039>GamePolitics

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Daemascus

WAAAAAAAAAGHHH!!!!
Mar 6, 2010
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This is really pushing it. Now just watching video games on youtube is enough to turn you in to a mass killer? I think there are much bigger issues here than "ultra violent video games".
 

Antidrall

New member
Mar 16, 2010
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This makes as much sense as if some guy decided to rape a woman because he HEARD about Avatar.
 

therandombear

Elite Member
Sep 28, 2009
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When does RE teach you how to make bombs?
I have only played RE:5 so please tell me if I am dead wrong.
Granted the villain use chemical warfare, but you don't make bombs in the game, the "thing" you make, in RE:5 atleast, is better medicine and reload a gun, but never assemble bombs =/
 

9NineBreaker9

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Nov 1, 2007
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"Take this rocket launcher - it's especially useful against living things."

*takes of sunglasses*

Dear God. It's been there all along.
 

somonels

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Oct 12, 2010
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I blame the gunpowder plot and a lacking american educational system, also, purple opossums.
 

theonlyblaze2

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Aug 20, 2010
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I don't think Resident Evil had ANYTHING to do with bombs, bomb making, presidents or their houses. I might be wrong, I never got the secret endings.
 

Woem

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May 28, 2009
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I'm pretty sure all those people have a bunch of other hobbies as well. For instance cooking, or line dancing. Does that mean that turned them into lunatics as well? "The Line Dance Killer", doesn't sound all that bad.
 

Laurie Barnes

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May 19, 2010
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Rather than betting on how long it takes for Fox-Spews to take up this cause, how about we all mail angry letters to those jokers who imply there is some connection between a terrorist's actions and video-games that have failed to turn a lot of sane people into psychopaths. Seriously I need a link so I can email these bastards.
 

se7ensenses

New member
Jun 10, 2009
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The media blames videogames for wannabe bomber's actions? How about blaming Dubya's presidency for his actions. Throw another shoe & this time HIT HIM!!!
 

sylekage

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Dec 24, 2008
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I'll give it 3 days. This is ridiculous. Talk about taking things out of context. God Dammit.
 

Nova Helix

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Mar 17, 2010
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So it's video games that he WATCHED? But watching movies are fine. Reading books are fine. Looking at paintings are fine. Performance art is fine.

I think it was because he was a male. It's the only reasonable explanation, after all there was a 100% correlation between having a Y chromosome and the 9/11 attackers.
 

FallenRainbows

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Feb 22, 2009
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Veldie said:
I cant possibly facepalm any harder from this.
I dented my face.

Laurie Barnes said:
Rather than betting on how long it takes for Fox-Spews to take up this cause, how about we all mail angry letters to those jokers who imply there is some connection between a terrorist's actions and video-games that have failed to turn a lot of sane people into psychopaths. Seriously I need a link so I can email these bastards.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/feedback.html
 
Feb 9, 2011
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I love playing Resident Evil games. I guess that means I should start bombing buildings and whatnot. I mean, their stance is bulletproof. It's all the fault of violent video games! /sarcasm.

Seriously, I can't wrap my head around how they don't realize how asinine they sound making those accusations with NO proof to back it up. My brain cannot understand their thinking...it can't... *brain hurts*