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

[Elf Defiler Korgan]

I should put this on my resume.

I'll have you know I am practiced in murder with all forms of weaponry, genocide organisation, Roman, medieval, Japanese and modern battle tactics, crime and the running of criminal enterprises, deep space exploration and creating the perfect idyllic wonder city/state/country/civilisation.

Employ me today!

 

[meatshield]

Anyone at all surprized that people in our gov are completly cluess?

 

[BOOM headshot65]

You know whats funny? Feinstein had said that games were fine and shouldnt be banned because "Its all about the gunz!!!1!"................Then the senate killed her assualt weapon ban. It was too unpopular even with the general population, and many senators will be up for re-election next year and they dont want to risk getting ousted by Republicans because "I'll make sure you can keep your AR-15! *crowd cheers" And now that her ban is dead again, NOW she starts screaming "THE GAMES! ITS THE GAMES!!" dispite having said it wasnt not that long ago and she supported them.


As for games being "practice simulators" for shootings, I will say the same thing I have always said, and will say to the nation if I ever go into politics: "If Call of Duty has taught me anything about how to preform a mass shootings, it is that:
1) If you put a scope on your gun, then it will sway like you are standing on a ship,
2) Your gun will have no recoil whatsoever unless you are some something with an absurdly large caliber
3) If I walk over a gun lying on the ground, I will instantly get more bullets even if the caliber is different
4) I will always carry enough magazines for every single bullet
5) If I get killed by someone, I will just respawn on the other side of the map and get back in the game."

I cant even do mass shootigns in VIDEO GAMES, let alone in real life. If I am playing games like GTA or Saints Row, I WILL NOT target civilians and any I kill are on accident (I also have a self imposed challenge of "no shooting the cops unless the game forces you to"). So apparently, this "simulation" is not working.

EDIT: Or if Violent Videogames are murder simulators, then every single politicitan in existance must play Sim City every day now.

 

[Malkav]

When I read "[...] believe the shooter was a "deranged gamer" who was trying to rack up points for a 'score sheet'.", then it makes me think of those old Atari games and arcade consoles when scoreboards were all the rage.

These people with their tiring accusations try hard to make it sound like they overlooked the past 20 years in gaming evolution. I brutally executed more NPCs than Hitler killed jews, and I can't even get mad and yell at my cat without wondering what beast I have become and how to make up for it. Games never prepared me for that shit! Yelling at chikens, yes, I trained that on Skyrim, but cats? Will the guilt ever wash away?


captcha: cats and dogs. wut?

 

[Jennacide]

As a resident of California, I would like to speak for my state and apology that we continue to elect this idiot. She went into office when her competition was a raving lunatic, and now we can't get rid of her. As you know, the incumbent wins far too easily, and nobody had really hard of Elizabeth Emken, and I think a lot of votes went for Feinstein just because she's technically a Democrat, even though she doesn't follow most of their usual politics.

 

[Strazdas]

Can we please just start a movement so that nobody who has ever been involved in politics ever gets to be elected again? Most of them are complete morons, and the equally stupid masses will continue to vote for the familiar name 80% of the time.

we sorta do. partly. a same person cannot be elected 3 times in a row, after 2nd time he cannot be elected again, well he can be 4th time technically, but that only happens on those locations where same two candidates been pushing back and forth for 30 years and such. Though i would agree with a limited TOTAL of times one person can be elected. like 3 times total and tnhe thats it your out of those career, at least this post (like Senate).

 

[Grape_Bullion]

I know this is a very passionate issue for many people, on both sides of the argument. Please stop bringing it up. At this point the dead horse is horse-pate. Sections of society aren't going to look at violent video games in a positive light. They never will. They will blame terrible occurrences on video games any chance they can. Sections of game enthusiasts will always say the opposite. Since there is nothing proving that there is a link between violence and violent video games (no proof which shows absolute statistical proof and is accepted by any national government entity), there is nothing that can be done to video games. There is nothing game enthusiasts can do to get the target symbol off of gaming's back. This isn't on point with the article, so I apologize if I "missed the point" others were trying to make. It's rather annoying seeing this article pop up in one form or another, all the time, and people getting all hot and bothered. This issue, for the moment is in a stalemate that most likely won't end for some time. Please stop posting articles like this, for the sake of everyone's sanity.

 

[Madman Muntz]

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

Has this silly bint not heard of the America's Army Game Project? All right Senator Feinstein, if violent video games are evil, then maybe you should start with cleaning up shit in your own backyard and stop your own military from producing them. I guess using games as murder simulators is fine when you are teaching people to kill for king and country, but not random individuals.

 

[Lightknight]

So, does that mean playing a lot of Arkham City qualifies me to be Batman? AWESOME!

Yep, your degree of Batmanness is directly proportionate to the number of hours spent in the batman simulator.

 

[Virgilthepagan]

Which is why the massive plurality of Americans who play games are all barely functional psychopaths. I'm so very disappointed in Senator Feinstein. On other issues she's so much more rational and less daffy.

 

[Lightknight]

When I read "[...] believe the shooter was a "deranged gamer" who was trying to rack up points for a 'score sheet'.", then it makes me think of those old Atari games and arcade consoles when scoreboards were all the rage.

These people with their tiring accusations try hard to make it sound like they overlooked the past 20 years in gaming evolution. I brutally executed more NPCs than Hitler killed jews, and I can't even get mad and yell at my cat without wondering what beast I have become and how to make up for it. Games never prepared me for that shit! Yelling at chikens, yes, I trained that on Skyrim, but cats? Will the guilt ever wash away?

Her argument seriously fails to accomodate for even teenagers having the clear ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy. If they cannot do this, then there is something mentally wrong with them. I've also gamed all my life and have yet to find myself in a fist fight.

What's more concerning is that the Senator doesn't realize how the desired conclusion of all this nonsense is to censor a legitimate form of free speech. I can think of a number of writings that have been used (sometimes incorrectly and sometimes correctly where interpretation is conceened) to do great evil. Keep in mind that my second degree was a scholarship based degree (not faith-based) in Religion specializing in monotheistic religions as well as Tibetan traditions. The Qur`an and the Tanakh are particularly harsh offenders in this area and have been responsible for wars, let alone terrorist actions. So I fail to see how this Senator thinks there is any grounds to demonize something like this. Ignorance can make you do and believe crazy stuff, I guess. Those same books have been also been used to establish order where chaos ran rampant and to do great charity as well. It's all about what hands these things end up in and that's not my responsibility or burden to give up my right for.

 

[Treaos Serrare]

Isn't this the same dumbass who wanted federal gunregulation, in videogames?

 

[CrystalShadow]

Ah, sweeping generalisations...

Here's one for you:

Politicians are lazy, corrupt, morally bankrupt people that would pander to any demographic, that is either large enough to keep them in power, or rich enough to pay them off for whatever cause happens work out well for them

Never mind what it does to a country, or indeed the world... As long as you get to stay in power for another few years.
No, don't worry about what effect this has on anyone else, if it has side-effects that are worse than what you are supposedly trying to solve... Which vulnerable minority groups you slander (as long as they're not big enough to sway the vote much, who cares right?), no.
All that matters is that you get to sit on your ass for a little while longer doing little of any practical use to anyone, while pretending you're important, and that your outrageous salary and expenses claims are something you're entitled to, while trying to make everyone else feel bad for even wanting to have food to eat...

Yeah, I'm sorry, but I'm a bit fed up with politicians... Does it show? XD

 

[Madman Muntz]

Ah, sweeping generalisations...

Here's one for you:

Politicians are lazy, corrupt, morally bankrupt people that would pander to any demographic, that is either large enough to keep them in power, or rich enough to pay them off for whatever cause happens work out well for them

Never mind what it does to a country, or indeed the world... As long as you get to stay in power for another few years.
No, don't worry about what effect this has on anyone else, if it has side-effects that are worse than what you are supposedly trying to solve... Which vulnerable minority groups you slander (as long as they're not big enough to sway the vote much, who cares right?), no.
All that matters is that you get to sit on your ass for a little while longer doing little of any practical use to anyone, while pretending you're important, and that your outrageous salary and expenses claims are something you're entitled to, while trying to make everyone else feel bad for even wanting to have food to eat...

Yeah, I'm sorry, but I'm a bit fed up with politicians... Does it show? XD

Yes. It does show. Does this mean I think your comments are invalid or unjustified? No.

 

[Eldritch Warlord]

Just remember all you left wingers and anti-gun supporters of the escapist.....after they take our guns....the only thing left is our games.

It's a rare thing for any American (even anti-gun left-wingers) to be in favor of taking guns. Right-wingers really need to stop conflating universal background checks and registry with "gun grabbing".

 

[FiveSpeedf150]

The same people who would attack the second amendment would attack the first when the opportunity presents.

This should not surprise anybody.

Just remember all you left wingers and anti-gun supporters of the escapist.....after they take our guns....the only thing left is our games.

It's a rare thing for any American (even anti-gun left-wingers) to be in favor of taking guns. Right-wingers really need to stop conflating universal background checks and registry with "gun grabbing".

Americans will not lose gun rights in a single act. The process is truly death by a thousand cuts, and we successfully fended off at least one light blade today.

 

[dystopiaINC]

OH god not HER again. this is the same woman you wants to implement a gun owners registry, yeah like the sex offender registry but for gun owners this lady is crazy.

here is some more about her from right around late December
http://www.examiner.com/article/feinstein-gun-ban-creates-registry-and-requires-fingerprinting-gun-owners

 

[Mrkillhappy]

Video Games as a serious form of training. Seriously how did someone such as this get elected to office.