Comments on: Grand Theft Auto and violence: Your honest opinion

By: TC R

TC R — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:15:12 +0000

if somebody wants to kill somebody, they dont have to have a gun to do it. A gun just makes it faster and easier. People have been killing people since a long time before guns came along. Take guns away and they'll use rocks, sticks or their own bare hands if necessary. But if someone comes at ME with the intention of hurting me or mine, I am going to use MY gun to make sure he doesn't. Carrying a gun is a lot easier than trying to carry a cop, and it won't take 10 minutes or more for it to get there, either. Gun control is hitting what you aim at. The first step to confiscating weapons is to register them, then all they have to do is show up and take them away.

By: TC R

TC R — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:08:41 +0000

total nudity at an appropriate age is acceptable. Graphic sex scenes should be reserved for those old enough to understand it without being an instructional experience. Why ruin something beautiful before they even know what it is?
Violence? Read the book "Ender's War". Having kids play these violent games is just like training them to go do the actual thing. Subjecting young people to violence or sex de-sensitises them to it. Playing those games trains their minds and muslces to work together and react autmoatically in those situations. Period.

By: pointlessmatters

pointlessmatters — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:48:37 +0000

So wait. "many parents have checked out" … so it's a videogame's fault that these parents aren't bothering to take an interest in their own kids?

If a videogame causes someone to do something stupid because their parents never taught them it wasn't real… that's the parents' fault, not the game's.

By: pointlessmatters

pointlessmatters — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:44:33 +0000

My parents have never played a videogame in their lives. Yet my mum constantly asks me if I should be playing such violent games. I pointed out that no gun is shaped like an x-box controller, so it's not like they're actually going to be much use if I DID want to go out and be violent anyway.

By: pointlessmatters

pointlessmatters — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:40:58 +0000

Last I checked GTA was an 18 game. Now, this is the thing. Once you reach 18, you should have a grasp of reality, no?
If your parents knowingly give you the game before you're 18, and it has an effect, it's probably because they haven't raised you properly.
And if you don't know the difference between reality and a game by 18, again, it's probably your parents' fault.

It just saddens me greatly, that parents and the media use videogames as an excuse for bad parenting :\

By: anonymous guest

anonymous guest — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:14:52 +0000

I think it depends on the society's structure. If from the very beginning it' s been suppressed (like some Arab nations, and certain dictatorships), the separation of fantasy and reality will be misconstrued.
As for the western societies (U.S.A. and its similar countries), their exposure to fantasy and fiction has been ingrained that normally people (and specially kids) have a basic idea of what is real, what is condonable, and what is appropriate for every situation.

To individuals who would argue that entertainment/media made them do it, it's just their way of finding a scapegoat and taking responsibility with their misguided views/actions

By: sand_jedi

sand_jedi — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 02:05:29 +0000

The only people who impose this kind of violence on others are those that are already predisposed to it. They might mimic something they saw in a movie or video game, but the desire and emotional wreckage has to already be in place. A video game never has, nor will, inflict the desire for violence on someone that is not previously ready to be violent.

By: Caleb

Caleb — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:45:31 +0000

i agree with djhayman. My country (Japan) is not allowed to have any firearms what so ever. it is completely illegal to own a gun. cops here don't even use their guns here! the law is that you never shoot in any circumstance unless it is absolutely necessary. they only have 1 bullet in the gun too.

By: Blanca

Blanca — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:02:52 +0000

Hi Rob,
I agree with you 100%, The games of today involve to much killing, way to much violence and like you said is not little martians anymore. They look like real people,real guns,blood and guts. It is ok to gun down anyone. Like you I would rather see my son looking @ some naked woman in a magazine than teach him that is okay and fun to kill people.

By: shudadudle

shudadudle — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:16:00 +0000

i played gta and i have to admit i have killed someone

By: shudadudle

shudadudle — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:16:00 +0000

i played gta and i have to admit i have killed someone

By: gregasus

gregasus — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:09:00 +0000

I recently read an artikel about GTA bieng commented by various (not to mention independent) experts from the field of psychotics.

They said that this is the same thing as Elvis and his hips, new medium, old generation who fears it.

Shielding your children from violence doesn't make it go away, when do they start to realize that.

You have to learn them how to deal with it, if you don't and they get trown in to the big game of life they'll be confronted with it anyway and they basicly become birds for the cat.(Belgium saying)