FoxNews Video: Jack Thompson on NIU Shooting

Jack Thompson interviewed on Fox News and blames video games for the NIU shootings. Compares a case to do with Counter strike.

[InMyOpinion]

I blame the american society.

[permutated]

You know, I agree with Thompson on his policy of not selling games to minors, but this bashing BS needs to stop.

There is no evidence that the kid even plays videogames, but he likes to make assumptions to make himself sleep better at night.

Oh, and F*** Fox News. Bunch of Cu*nts.

[fenderputty]

Mr Jacko is that he spends all his energy doing the wrong sh1t. I mean ... if he spent half of his energy trying to put together education programs for parents about violence and sex in video games or, he tried to come up with a parental control for games or, he just started attacking shops that sell to minors, he would be MUCH MUCH more effective in his mission. He wouldn't look like a douche either.

[jaja1434]

I don't particularly want to see one of my 8 year old cousins playing GTA either, but to make it illegal would be unconstitutional. As such any law that would try to do so would also be illegal and earn my instant disapproval.

Rather, I would like to see parents start to act like parents...

[masterg]

Man this Ahole cracks me up.
If computer games is to blame, then why is this an American phenomenon.
I mean we have never had this happen in Asia. We have seen 2 couple of European shooting in the last 10 years or so.

America 30-40: World 2-4.
Makes not sense Jack.

[DeadlyFire]

Jack needs to be beaten to death.

Sex, drugs, and violence on TV does nothing to our brain, but if its in a Videogame it eats away at us and makes us go out take drugs, and rape and kill anyone we see. The logic behind this is utter BS.

Jack Thompson will get a beating from me IF I ever see and reconize him on the street. I have been playing videogames like GTA since I was 12 and watching R rated movies and even porn. None of this has changed me in anyway what so ever.

[pwnsause]

oh god, not again.

[LightningPS3]

I think defending video games from him is totally cheesy.

I think this guy offers the greatest compliment to video games.

[gaffyh]

Lol that is so true, he actually promotes games when he says they are violent. Most of the people watching the news probably didn't even know about GTA until he talked about it.

[Salvadore]

Violent videogames shouldn't be sold to minors and I fully agree on that subject, but to start making crazy assumptions using a shooting which happened 12 years ago is fully unacceptable. He made similar assumptions regarding the Virginia shooting, but police reports suggested that the killer never owned or played any videogames in his college dorm and I am still waiting for his reply regarding his allegations.

[xhi4]

its people like Jack Thompson who make people want to kill.

[mariusmal]

here we go again.

[thedude17655]

then don't say anything. i hate reading these things and randomly someone says something stupid like you. say something intelligent not"oh boy here we go again"

[NegativeCreepWA]

And flaming someone for no reason is?

Here we go again. Video games are going to be bashed again by people like you. For no reason.

[Archaeox]

"bbb but, they had guns and so did counter strike!"

[DiabloRising]

Wasn't the shooter 27? I don't know how that constitutes a "child" any more. And not to get too political, but I love how no one points out the common thread in all these shootings.

Race? No.
Medication? No.
Age? No.
Mental Health? No.
Criminal Record? No.

The goddamn guns are the only link. Try fixing that first before you blame everything else.

[kr0n0s187]

blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah........

[ben806]

ban the sale of guns and keep video games and see if this still happens?

[thedude17655]

i think everyone has the right to bear arms. its unfortuante that people do these things but you can't prevent people from purchasing firearms if they qualify for them.

[RecSpec]

Actually if you gave everyone guns you might have a better chance. Banning guns just means that less law abiding citizens would have guns. People would still get guns if they were dealing in shady business.

[masterg]

Then why do we have so much less crime in Europe where people just don't go out and buy guns?

Here in Denmark people who rob the local convenient store rarely have a gun. (Not that it happens often)

[ben806]

im just saying last year was a bad year for this type of gun crime and personally i dont think video games are the problem,

[rofldings]

I blame the fact that he wasn't taking his meds, but what do I know?

[Panthers]

I think video games caused the Romans to kill Jesus.

[Marceles]

lol Counter Strike...he just heard about that game today I bet

[name]

Sensationalism like this is what keeps progress from happening in any society. People attach their petty agendas onto serious, and often tragic situations in order to benefit themselves. Everything that could possibly be done about adult content in entertainment has already been done.

Jack Thompson truly is a hateable man. If he approached this subject in a dignified and respectable way, people within the gaming community would be politely debating with him. Contrary to that, he chose to use tragedies and other people's death and misery to slander video games for God knows what reason. Hopefully the next GTA really makes him look more like a jackass. If that's possible.

[Premonition]

Im not even going to watch the whole thing, this guy is a fat head, they already proved the killer of VT didnt kill because of video games but yet he acts like he didnt get the memo, this guy needs to just be kicked off air for good with the same old garbage.

[jadenkorri]

Man, i was watching his mouth the whole time looking for sh*t to come out..Training on video games...my god...I've been playing shooting games since I can remember. I've never held a gun before but with all my training i should shoot dead on, considering I can get a head shot in counter strike source with the hand gun, that a sniper would normally be using for the distance...anyways Jack you are a douche with a major load of crap...may i suggest Exlax... a drug taken to induce bowel movements, most often taken to treat constipation or even verbal diarrhea...

[Kami]

Now im expecting them to say that terrorism, 911 and Bush happened because of videogames.

[Silellak]

I was in college during 9/11, and I remember the whole "Terrorists vs. Counter-Terrorists" angle in Counter-Strike (which I played daily on the school network) seemed a whole lot darker for a few months afterwards.

The annoncement "Terrorists win!" may as well have been followed by "...AND AMERICA LOSES".

[Silellak]

I'm offended!...

He could've at least blamed CoD4. I mean, Counter-Stike? Really? Did the school shooting take place in 2001? Did the kid bunny hop around during the shooting? Did someone shout "AWP Whore"?

[Gish]

ok that was damn funny

[name]

List of things that Fox News hates:

Immigrants
Minorities
Liberals
Democrats
Muslims
Homosexuals
Orange Juice
Butterflies
*Video Games

[Silellak]

You forgot "Truth", "Honesty", and "Journalism".

[masterdebator]

Since 3,of the things on your list,host shows on fox news. Very intelligent.

[nomad117]

They play violent video games to train. Games don't make them go crazy it's probaly there social life or what there parents did. NOT THE GAMES!!!!

[jinn]

thank god thompson isnt running for president

[Yi-Long]

... to use these still warm dead bodies of these innocent kids, as a means to spread his lies once more.

Kinda sickening and pathetic. Especially since CNN mentions it's a kid that was on meds and stopped taking them, making this the last in a long list of mass-murderers with a history of mental-instability, and medicine-use.

This is Jack and Fox-'News' abusing dead kids to spread their anti-gaming propaganda BS. I feel the big gaming companies should unite and just sue the hell out of them and their consistent and unjustified slander against their business, which brings lots of joy and entertainment to many MANY millions of people (young and old) world-wide.

[RecSpec]

He has a point, Pixeljunk Monsters made me want to chop down trees and turn them into flamethrowing towers and Cannons to destroy spiders.

Honestly though, there is a hell of a lot of irony here.

All these people bashing Fox News are no different from Jacky boy bad-mouthing video games. Honestly, look at your comments. Is there really a difference? You just take a general misconception about something and run with it. Just like Jack Thompson. Prove me wrong.

Is this story absurd? Yes. Why does everyone here take what this guy says so seriously. I think people here think that this guy can actually do some damage here. But if you had a little bit of common sense, he's no different from any other of the nutjobs out there. Common sense people.

[Yi-Long]

... unlike videogames 'being the cause of violence and shootings', which has never been proven, it HAS been proven that Fox'news' is constantly lying, exaggerating, propagandizing(sp?) etc.
They have a very rich history of LYING to it's audience.

[tony]

did Hitler play video games? no. how many people did he kill? millions.
a wacko is a wacko. video games is just an excuse not to approach the situation in a neutral way.

does jack Thompson has a solution to this problem? no. why not? cause changing video games shooters is not going to stop any of this psychos.
this are people with no hope.

[Yi-Long]

... and frequently visited church!?
Throughout history, the Bible (and other holy books), and religions has very often been the cause of hatred and killings.
Why not ban The Bible, or at least not allow people to read it, or visit Church!?

Ow no, wait... you cant say THAT, cause THAT would be 'ridiculous'(!)

Videogames arent the problem. It's people like Jack Thompson and channels like Fox'News' that are consistenly ignoring the REAL problems (failing healthcare solutions to people with mental instability, med-use, a working arms-law, medical checks, social control, the whole mindset of this American society, etc etc) that are part of the problem.
If you're LYING about the cause, you cant fix the problem.

But yeah, blaming videogames, or movies, or rock-music, or comicbooks, or whatever, is just alot easier than actually having an indepth look at the problems, plus it makes for more interesting soundbites.

-sigh-

[PiXeL_eYeZeD]

Jack said something about him wearing something videogame related? Is this true?

[ISA_Scum]

One of these days somebody's going to grow some balls and point out the impact that film, television and music have on the same people that play videogames. Our culture as a whole is the cause of this and if FOX is so intent on ending it they can stop producing some of the most violent shows currently on television and any rated R movie they make. F_cking hypocrites.

[Ricdog]

Last time i checked people in colleges were adults, so i dont know why u keep saying that the victims were kids.

And i dont believe that minors should be banned from video games because i have been playing mature games since 7 it didn't make me wanna take a gun to school and start blasting some students.

Oh and Thompson can please follow this rules:
1. buy gun

2. buy ammo for gun

3. load gun

4. point gun to in throwt

5. pull trigger

[ShiftyLookingCow]

what a dikc head

[peacefulpony]

Idiots like Jack will always exist, and he's entitled to voicing his own opinions. But FOX knows full well that he presents only one side of the argument and that his credibility is very low. Yet, that doesn't stop them from bringing him out every time to use him to sensationalize a tragedy.

[Gish]

I am getting a little sick of the "bash fox" posts. I am 28, a gamer and couldnt believe the idiotic segment about Mass Effect. This came down to a producer behind the scenes wanting to sensationalize something. It is totally their fault for having a half assed panel on there, but one thing i was glad to see is that the actual anchor didn't seem to be as critical as the rest.

All things said, there is no perfect news channel. If you want to know what's actually happening in the world, you need to monitor many different news sources since none give you the full truth. So stop with the "fox this, fox that" crap. It can be said for all media. (By the way, the Liberals are the ones that want to ban guns and limit video games. See: Lieberman) Leave the guns and games alone.

[masterdebator]

First intelligent post comes number 39

[kg7310]

Im tired of this .... you know what.. u can go F*ck yourself Thompson !

[velaxun]

Has anyone here ever played Counter Strike: Half Life? Sounds kinda fun

[Fox01]

we have just exactly the same games here in france and yet, we don't go around shooting people...

[clrlite]

wacky jacky as i call him now because i cant stand his name anymore, has become kind of a laughing stock on the internet and i'm not sure any of his comments are taken very seriously by intelligent people. There are some parady videos of people making fun of him on youtube if anyone wants a good laugh.

[Caliber]

They introduced Jackie boy as "someone who has studied campus shootings", as if he actually did investigate it and came to the conclusion that video games are responsible.
In reality Jackie made up his mind about video games long ago and tries to find as many bad things as he can to blame on video games. No wonder this is on FOX, Jack & FOX really deserve each other.

What really makes me sick is how that scumbag uses this tragedy to push his own propaganda..

[ar]

How about starting there? The fact that he had access to firearms isn't a problem?
This reminds me of a piece from Eddie Izzard's show "Dress to Kill":

"There's all this National Rifle Association and everyone in America is - I mean, 13 year olds keep going out and they get hold of weapons from their grandfather's arsenal! 'I'll borrow the Howitzer, the M16 machine gun, the Uzi…' What the f-ck's the grandfather doing?! This kid down in Arkansas just helped himself to a ton of military weapons, and went and blew away his school! And the National Rifle Association says that, 'Guns don't kill people, people do,' but I think the gun helps, you know? I think it helps. I just think just standing there going, "Bang!" That's not going to kill too many people, is it? You'd have to be really dodgy on the heart to have that… ( imitates gunfire noises ) I think they should just try that, you know. "

[JAKESPLACE_]

stupidity at its best!!! dont quit ur day job u douche