U.S. Senator Says Violent Games Are "Practice Simulators"

[Andy Chalk]

U.S. Senator Says Violent Games Are "Practice Simulators"

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein says violent videogames give budding mass-murderers the opportunity to practice their craft.

Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein is back in the news after saying on MSNBC's Morning Joe yesterday that violent videogames are essentially trainers for killers. "I think the really violent videogame becomes a kind of simulator to practice on. And it enables the individual to become much more familiar with that depiction of death and blood," she said. "Of course it's not the way it is in real life."

The comment builds upon statements she made last week during an address in San Francisco, where she issued a thinly-veiled deranged gamer [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/123118-California-Senator-Wants-Fewer-Guns-in-Games]" who was trying to rack up points for a "score sheet."

If the term "murder simulator" rings a bell, it's likely because it was a favorite landslide [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/80969-Jack-Thompson-Releases-Grand-Theft-Auto-IV-Statement] with more than 62 percent of the vote and setting a record for the most votes cast for a single candidate in one election.

Source: GameSpot [http://www.gamespot.com/news/violent-games-can-enable-would-be-mass-murderers-say-ca-senator-6406843]


Permalink

 

[Tyranicus]

What this another "aging" out of touch with modern times senator? Shocking!

 

[Jaden Kazega]

Birds fly, fish swim, politicians hate violent videogames....



"I think the really violent videogame becomes a kind of simulator to practice on. And it enables the individual to become much more familiar with that depiction of death and blood," and "Of course it's not the way it is in real life."

Am I the only one who thinks these two statements seem to conflict each other? Am I reading this wrong or misunderstanding what she's trying to say, or did she just contradict herself?

 

[mattttherman3]

Guys, you have nothing to worry about in my opinion, in terms of legislation against video games. In this case, EA and Activision are your best friends. No way they would stand for it. Not to mention gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry now, and we all know the USA is most definitely a corporate state. So, make sure the minority of people that say this drivel don't get away with it, but also keep calm. No way it happens.

 

[PunkRex]

Damn old'uns today, don't remember they were born! *waggles candy cane*

 

[Andy Shandy]

Oh yay.

Another day, another daft statement from a politician about video games.

 

[cynicalsaint1]

Meh just old and out of touch like most of our country's lawmakers.

 

[Zombie_Moogle]

Feinstein is a popular Senator, winning her most recent election campaign in a landslide [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_California,_2012] with more than 62 percent of the vote and setting a record for the most votes cast for a single candidate in one election.

Hope she enjoyed it, cuz she just lost a lot of votes

This ain't the 80's; gaming isn't a niche thing anymore. Remember Colleen Lachowicz? Her political opponent criticized her for playing WoW. He lost, hard. (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/120540-World-of-Warcraft-Candidate-Wins-Election)

Maybe I'm too optimistic after seeing that & things like the SOPA outrage, but I'd like to think our community remembers things like this; then again, she's a senator from California & they also elected Leland Yee, so who knows


Edit:

Guys, you have nothing to worry about in my opinion, in terms of legislation against video games. In this case, EA and Activision are your best friends. No way they would stand for it. Not to mention gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry now, and we all know the USA is most definitely a corporate state. So, make sure the minority of people that say this drivel don't get away with it, but also keep calm. No way it happens.

This is true. Thanks, I feel a bit better now

 

[Lazy Kitty]

Really?
Another one who thinks games can be used as a simulator for using guns?

I vote they put everyone who thinks so into an institution. Both the politicians and the ones who would try to use it like that.

Also... Am I the only one who thinks she looks like professor Umbridge?

 

[Chemical Alia]

I dunno...I shot some real guns when I was in the army, and I've played a few games with guns in them (even worked on a few!). I wouldn't consider them comparable experiences. At all.

 

[LysanderNemoinis]

I wouldn't worry about anything. As soon as video game companies start giving buckets of cash to liberals like Feinstein and doing everything they can to push that agenda (like the movie and music industries), we'll start hearing about how all these same politicians play Call of Duty in their spare time.

 

[Johnson McGee]

If video games should be restricted why not restrict other training tools like the hundreds of hunting preserves, shooting ranges, classes on gun handling, etc. that exist in the U.S.?

Because the vast majority of people who use those things aren't mass-murderers in training? Because they employ lots of people? and those two points aren't applicable to video games as well?

 

[TheLazyGeek]

Mhmm. Okay. Right. I see where she's coming from, but the problem is that where she's coming from is some bizarre alternate reality where teens don't have sex until they marry, children only play with letter blocks, and the internet is a bunch of poppycock that could never work and could only lead to 'bad things'.

I'd like to visit one day just out of sheer amazement but sadly we don't have a Holly Hop drive or any other similar device.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

No games on Sundays.

 

[Agow95]

Games teach me as much about using a real gun as they teach me about fractional integration, that is, not at all. Can we please make it law that these people can only discuss matters that they are actually informed upon, or at the very least, make them play a game, any game, and ask them if they genuinely feel moving some analogue sticks and pressing buttons have taught them anything at all about guns, general weaponry, and war.