Well it seems the idiots attacking violent games never stop, do they? On the heels of the idiotic study into so called violent games "effects" on kids set up by Senator Jay Rockefeller, We have my state trying to start the same old nonsense again. A politician in MA has decided that it would be a good
idea to start a biased study to study the effect of games on kids again.... Right after MA stalled their bill aiming to restrict violent games so they could not be bought by adults. These "studies" popping up everywhere get to me. Because just like all of the other game attacking studies, these
are bound to be biased, and engineered to show a certain result. A lot of other studies are funded by the Center for Successful parenting, a group that has this in their mission statement "We aim to motivate leaders of <insert tons of industries here> to change culture so violence is not shown to
children" basically meaning "ban violent games", because changing the culture of violence can only done by removing the violence.
The current studies by Rockefeller and this idiot in MA are troubling. The Rockefeller study, has language in it's text that tells that the studies can find whatever results they want, because it asks if the violent games have any "new" effects on kids. After the brief but stupid moral panic
surrounding child molestation and it's nonexistent link to violent game playing, spurred by that
Preacher Boykin and Ralph Nader, I wondered if they could use the vague language in the study to find that violent game playing leads to child molestation and pedophilia. To see what the Study in MA does I looked at the text of the study closely...
I got the text from this source:
"That a special commission is hereby established for the purposes of making an investigation and study relative to video games as a form of media and as a training tool. Within that context, the commission will focus upon video games that allow the player to simulate severe battery or killing (“killing games”). The commission will study, investigate, and provide conclusions regarding: (i) the social benefits, impacts and implications of video games in general and killing games in particular, comparing the impact on youth with the impact on adults; (ii) the use of video games as military training devices, educational devices, and other training applications; (iii) how video games compare to other forms of media in terms of their ability to recreate a realistic experience, to desensitize the consumer, to train the consumer to accept certain ideas, and to teach the player new skills or capabilities; (iv) the addictive quality of video games; (v) any connection, including any exposure t or imitation of behaviors exhibited in video games, between killing games and actual violence, including rampage killings that have taken place since 1990; (vi) the reasoning and conclusions drawn in the majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association, as well as other freedom of speech considerations relative to the regulation of video games, in light of the conclusions drawn by the commission pursuant to (i)-(v); and (vii) the anticipated cost of any proposals to regulate video games. The commission members will play or
observe killing games directly during the course of their investigation."
So this study wants to see if games are an effective training tool. We've been told BS in the newspapers from the hack psychologists that violent games are being used in the military to break down the inhibition to kill. But this blog, written by a military trained
soldier debunks the whole thing. I quote:
"I'm not aware of any military unit that uses video games to break down the inhibition to kill. In fact, this breakdown really only occurs in one place:
Boot camp.
Boot camp doesn't even specifically concentrate on the inhibition to kill. Rather, they follow the CIA training manual for brainwashing almost point by point, in order to instill in recruits 'instant and willing obedience to lawful orders' - that is what they do. The assumption, of course, is
that these orders may be to kill; But they could be to drag a wounded child to safety, or set up a bunker in 100 degree weather, or pull night watch after being up for a 36-hour convoy.
The inhibition to kill can only be broken down by, wait for it . . . killing.
When we were parked on the outskirts of Fallujah and watched as night fell and the Iraqis came out onto the streets, even though our orders were much more liberal than the current Rules of Engagement, there was still hesitation. And this after our convoy had turned around after taking fire at the front.
When we got ambushed, it was actually unfortunate that my extensive game-playing hadn't prepared me at all for the sheer confusion, excitement, fear and horror of those moments.
If you think America's Army is anything but a half-decent game and a lame recruitment tool, you've never run an obstacle course, or been 'quarterdecked'
by a DI.
If you think Halo can help you learn how to shoot, you've never tried to get ten in the black from 500 yards with the piece-of-shit M16A2, with your elbows getting ground by sand trapped in your cammies and the sun causing sweat on your forehead which drips into your eyes.
Video games, or things resembling games, are being used in some areas of the military.
During training ops higher ups often pit virtual countries against each other, but these are basically pushing pieces, simulating battles and using the troops to set up comm architectures and run test flights.
Some first-person-shooters are used by infantry troops to plan out tactics - but these are mostly for higher-level planners; Games will never, ever take the place of constant, demanding, mind-numbing repetition. Proper execution of maneuvers rely on muscle memory; Drill, in boot camp,
forms the introduction to this doctrine.
Rainbow Six may let you breach and clear, but this doesn't translate to the motions or related actions: Which direction do you break? What targets are you responsible for? Who can declare a room 'all clear'? Did you check your overhead?
Flight simulators seem like video games, though I'm sure those responsible for both maintaining and operating them see them more as necessary steps to save billions of dollars worth of equipment from inexperienced hands.
If you want to know how to make a person prone to suggestion to kill, look here.
If anyone would like my breakdown of how boot camp uses the steps for Interrogation of Resistant Sources, just let me know.
The only way, then, I would even consider the argument that violent media makes for violent children is if it could be proven that those children who have been violent were denied any sort of balancing social forces. That is, if you took a child and locked him in a room
and forced violent images day in and day out and brought them to the level of an infant and replaced their language with one of your own devising and had them progress their violence on increasingly complex organisms -- THEN, and only then, would I be willing to entertain that the media was
a factor. And even then, it was not the cause. The cause was you, the sick fuck that provided no guidance other than a violent outlet.
That's how fascists work. They replace free social exchange with their ideas, they re-form language to their own ends ("Quite apart from the suppression of definitely heretical words, reduction of vocabulary was regarded as an end in itself . . . "), they make natural human sexuality taboo, they declare the War on Some Drugs, they attempt to regulate and control every aspect of human growth and exploration. They embrace stagnation of society and the mind."
The fact that the studies author is bringing this nonsense claim up to the Government is proof that the the government is trying to ban violent games again, IMHO. It must be stopped before it gets to the 90 day phase (see below), or we could have a MA ban on violent games to adults. Not to kids.
"The commission shall consist of: the Governor or a designee, who shall chair the commission; a member of the general public appointed by the Governor; 3 members of the Senate, chosen by the Senate President, 1 of which is a member of the minority party; 3 members of the House of Representatives that are chosen by the Speaker, 1 of which is a member of
the minority party; 1 constitutional lawyer who specializes in freedom of speech; the Massachusetts Attorney General or a designee; 2 psychologists or psychiatrists, at least one of whom is a mental health professional specializing in addiction; the Secretary of Education or a designee who is an educator; a member of the military who engages in military training; a representative of the video game industry; and a representative of the law enforcement community."
At least one of the people involved has a bias against violent games if I am right. They mention "a member of the military who specializes in military training". This fits one of the Hack Psychologist to a tee. Another Hack Psychologist could be in it too if I am right, "1 constitutional lawyer who specializes in freedom of speech" sounds a lot like a retired anti-game activist everyone
in the community hates to me. They also mention how they need to study the impact of the proposed regulation on free speech, probably as a cheap way to see how they can make a constitutional law that causes violent games to not get in the hands of adults, such as the Oklahoma tax on 1% of all property every time someone in OK played, stored, bought and otherwise consumed violent games.
They also want to study how violent games have caused mass killings like columbine (I assume). Whats to stop them from not believing the nonsense spread by the idiots in the government, the media, and unknown parties that says violent games influenced Harris/Klebold/
Lanza, etc? Such things include the Doom will become reality hoax and similar "tidbits of information" that seem to make it look like mass killers played violent games but this info is badly written at the least, and is outright lies at the worse.
"Legislative appointments shall be made not later than 30 days after the effective date of this resolve. The chairperson shall meet with the full commission not later than 90 days after the effective date of this resolve. Members shall not receive compensation for their services but may receive reimbursement for the reasonable expenses incurred in carrying out their responsibilities as members of the commission. Upon appropriation of sufficient funds, the commission shall engage professional "advisors as needed to accomplish its purposes.
"Not later than 270 days after the effective date of this resolve, the commission shall report to the general court the result of its investigation and study and its recommendations, if any, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry its recommendations into effect by filing the same with the clerk of the House of Representatives. "
We have 90 days to stop this, gamers. I want every gamer in MA to write their Representatives, using this message:
"Dear Representitive.
I am your constituent, and I am alarmed by the study our senate has started dealing with video game violence and the whole idea that the effects on kids and how violent games are a training tool for the military needs to be studied. For years studies like this have been done and many are methodologically flawed, using cheap ways to say violent games lead to violent behavior or aggression, such as subjecting the violent game playing kids to electroshock therapy. It's very important to note that any evidence that violent games cause real life crimes has to be doubted. There are many hoaxes going around and media fabrications that make it seem like violent games cause real life violence. If you do a google.com search for the "doom will become reality hoax" you will find a blog debunking a
claim that was used to "prove" eric Harris was influenced by the video game Doom while shooting up the school. This claim is a hoax, a fake website said "doom will become reality" and the FBI proved the site was not Eric Harris's real site. Also many claims are spreading that violent games break down the inhibition to kill. These are false claims spread by 2 anti-gaming activists in the 90's and the below linked site debunks them totally. The site is a blog ran by a Soldier in IRAQ, telling how violent games could never break down the inhibition to kill, and only Boot Camp obedience training does this.....
http://designsynthesis.blogspot.com/2005/03/training-our-kids-to-kill.html
I find it disgusting that the government would spend millions of tax dollar money on a bill that would
have restricted violent games to minors so adults could not buy them. There is no reason to study
the false connections between violent games and Real life killings, all invented by the media and anti-gaming groups. The hoax mentioned above was used as "evidence" against the industry in an Anti-Gaming Group's Amicus Brief. This group is from the Midwest, they are called the Eagle Forum, and they are pro-religious zealots who think violent games should be banned to adults and gamers should all be dealt with somehow. They were trying to fool the Justices in the SCOTUS to think this evidence is real and not a hoax. One of the people championing the break down to kill "theory" is a zealot former lawyer who once said on the gamepolitics forums that all gamers need to get the Death Penalty. If you plan to study these things, you must be sure NOT to be swayed by these types. For they tried to sway the EMA vs BROWN Case and others..... I just don't think this study is a good thing because it looks like people like these kinds of people are on the group conducting the study.
I don't like the idea of fake evidence being used to sway any people to believe this nonsense is real.
A study like this is almost impossible to be Not swayed by people like this. I am against
it for this reason, and I hope you are too."
Send this message to your Representatives, gamers. Maybe we can get them to stop this now... If it doesn't work, I urge people to resend it over and over again, till they stop the study. Flood their Inboxes over and over again, till their network slows down, if they
fail to listen. It's important to stop nonsense like this.
