TheTrenchcoat Chronicles

I've posted about Dr. Jerald Block before. He's a psychiatrist from the Oregon Health & Science University who theorizes that the cowardly scumbags Harris and Klebold went on their rampage because they were both denied access to their computers in the days prior to their attack. While I don't agree 100% with Dr. Block's theory I do think that is does have a lot of merit and may have been the breaking point.

However I'm not here to talk about Dr. Block's work. I'm here to talk about what in my opinion is lazy journalism.

In this article from UPI they editorialize while paraphrasing Dr. Block...

Prior to the shootings, both teens spent a significant amount of time playing first-person-shooter computer games. Block suggests that these virtual worlds became essential for the teens and that Harris and Klebold may have been unable to distinguish the boundaries between their virtual lives and their real lives -- in effect mixing the two.

That seems to imply that Dr. Block thinks that games like Doom were the main cause behind Columbine.

However in this article by WebMD, who Dr. Block actually spoke to, he says no such thing.

Before the attack, shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold spent "more and more time with their computers, to the point that they may have been unable to distinguish the boundaries between their virtual lives and their real lives," says Oregon Health & Science University psychiatrist Jerald Block, MD.

"Then, as they got into trouble with school authorities, limits were put on their use of the computer. This made them react with homicidal rage and suicidal depression," he tells WebMD.

Does that sound like Dr. Block is blaming video games? Not to me. Personally it doesn't even sound like he's blaming computers or the internet.

He is basically giving a warning to parents to not let their kids immerse themselves wholly into any of these things. Yet the UPI article never mentions that at all.

There's nothing wrong with editorializing, that's what I'm doing right now. Editorializing in what's supposed to be an informative article is just bad journalism.

(Cross posted at CrimeNe.ws)

Animal lovers may not want to stick around for this one...

Spray-painted kitten found near Greenfield put down:
Reason to blow up the world: What fucking mutant thinks that was funny? I'm no PETA member but I love animals. Anyone who would torture a 3 month old kitten like that deserves to be put down themselves. Link via FARK.

Sisters abused 'viciously,' constantly, documents say:
Reason to blow up the world: Pick any reason out of that story. In cases like this there should be instant executions.

Affidavit: Mom says spider was 'sign' to drown kids:
Reason to blow up the world: The fact that psychopaths like this are allowed to have children in the first place. Link Via Freedom Of Thought

Tennessee Sniping Incident Draws Video Game Suit:
Reason to blow up the world: One, the fact that God forbid these kids should take responsibility for their own actions. Two, the fact that the parents didn't do a better job of keeping their gun secured. And Three, someone loses the rest of their life and these kids only have to spend time in juvenile hall until their 19.

Grand Theft Assclown II:
I said it and someone must have been listening. Let me quote the article...

The family of a slain motorist has filed suit against the maker of a video game that two teens claim inspired them to shoot at passing cars on a Tennessee highway.

So the family of the victim is suing the makers of GTA because of two assclown kids that went on a shooting spree after playing it. If these kids had watched a movie would they be suing the movie company? If anybody should be sued it should be the dumbass parents. According to the article a September 2000 Federal Trade Commission report says that parents are present at and involved in the purchase or rental of games 83 percent of the time. And where did these kids get the gun? Michael Moore probably thinks that they got it at their local Circle K. These kids obviously had something wrong with them to begin with and the video game is not the root of the problem.

As always it was your pleasure.

Teens Plead Guilty to Highway Shootings:
Thanks to zombyboy for bringing this one to my attention. So these two assclowns in Tenn. aged 14 and 16 decide to shoot up I-40 with a .22 because were bored and decided to shoot at tractor-trailer rigs, just like in the video game, ``Grand Theft Auto.'' At what point did both of them think this was a good idea? What makes this worse is that as juveniles they can only be held until they're 19. A man is dead and they'll walk free in 3 to 5 years with their records expunged probably. Now, let's get to the point where I ask and what kind of parents allow their kids to play GTA. This is a game for adults. Any idiot can clearly see that by looking at the box. Having sex with hookers and then killing them and taking they're money is not something that should be played by 14 to 16 year olds. Obviously another case of parents not getting too involved with their children. Not to mention why they didn't keep the guns locked up. As far as I'm concerned the parents should be up on charges too but God forbid people actually take responsibility anymore.

How long before someone sues Rockstar Games? Anyone?

As always it was your pleasure.

Games and Murder Bedfellows Again?:
This is why most people think lawyers are scumbags. Some jerkass attorney from Florida is defending an Ohio teen accused of murder so he can prove that violent videogames caused him to kill. The victim was stabbed multiple times and had her skull fractured. I can't think of one game where that's an objective. If this defense actually works it will open the floodgates for lawsuits. And that would be just as bad as the fatasses who sue McDonalds because they're fat. And responsibility dies another death.

As always it was your pleasure.

I read this article today about some of the families of the Columbine shooting victims are suing video game manufacturers. They are singling out the popular game "Doom" specifically. As usual I will preface this by saying again my heart goes out to the victims' families. Not a day goes by where I don't pray for them. But I think their latest efforts are misguided. Suing the video game manufacturers for the billions they're asking for just seems a little too much to me. The video games are not to blame. To me the blame lies squarely on the parents of Harris and Kliebold. For those of you who may not know in Doom you are a "space marine" and you go around shooting aliens with big guns and the aliens bleed red blood. It is a pretty violent game. I've played it a few times myself. This is not a game for kids or teens. When I first played it the game was clearly rated "M" for mature. Meaning only 17+ should play the game. If I caught my son playing this game he'd be grounded until his wedding day. The game did not make these kids killers. School harassment and inattentive parents did. If they should sue anybody it should be the parents, which they already did and won, or the retailers who sold them this game, or whoever bought it for them. I hate to say this but suing the video game manufacturers looks like some ambulance chasing lawyer whispered into their ears. It looks very opportunistic. That's why I never sued the Washington comPost. I did not want to seem like I was trying to make a buck off of a national tragedy.

As always it was your pleasure.