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REPUBLICANS

67% of Republicans Polled Say Video Games Bigger Threat Than Guns

Look to entertainment and mental health issues, they suggest

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by Dain Fitzgerald

Staff Writer t

Image: geektyrant.com

Two-thirds of Republicans believe video games are a bigger source of violence than guns, reports Talking Points Memo.

67% of Republicans surveyed think the violence in many video games is more dangerous than firearms, while only 14% say the reverse. This according to Public Policy Polling, a group that some claim harbors a left-leaning bias. The findings are an indication of the effort by conservatives to re-frame the national discussion over recent school shootings, TPM notes:

While most Democrats in Washington continue to push for new laws governing the sale of firearms, Republicans have sought to shift the debate away from gun control by drawing attention to violent video games and mental health problems.

Via Talking Points Memo.
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Comments (view in Forum)

  • stepped_in_it
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    @Polusalo "Son, you live under my roof, eat my food and you'll do as I say" ...."Now, sit down and eat all you veggies" ..(Mom's are pretty much the same all over) LOL
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    Polusalo
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    @stepped_in_it

    Sad to say, my mom never said that. Left when I was young. When I started being around her more, it was more along the lines of "Now get your keys, take this money and go to the gas station to get me some cigarettes."
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  • jessejaymes
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    On come on now. I bet every single lunatic fringe shooter under the age of 30 grew up playing violent video games. This is not US pretending to be the lone Ranger. This is Criminals killing people and getting high scores for it. Have any of you ever actually watched or played Grand Theft Auto? The glorification of crime. The best selling game of it's time. You reap what you sow.
  • Canoochee
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    Hell I still play that one. Never once have I had the urge to do harm to a fellow human being. At least not because of playing the game.

    It is actually when I start reading some of the leftie posts here that I start getting that itch. Maybe if I bought a gun it would make me go ballistic.
  • Fishbone345
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    @Canoochee There are several million people that have played that game and not gone on a rampage. People that can separate reality from fiction. Which leads us to the real problem. Someone that can't separate fact from fiction doesn't have a problem with games, they have a problem with their mental health. Where are their parents? Where is any family who supposedly care?
  • Canoochee
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    @Fishbone345 Youre preaching to the choir bud. I was being sarcastic, though it never comes through on a medium like this. I no more believe violent games, movies, music, etc... leads to violent behavior.

    As far as mental health it is far past time we started institutionalizing those with issues instead of trying to force them into society.
  • Fishbone345
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    @Zazziness I'm aware of the brain's functions. What I said still stands. I can go sit down right now and shoot aliens and not one part of me thinks I'm actually doing it.
    This is just an attempt to get public attention away from guns and onto another source. That 67% is hoping the Government will go after games, gamers and gaming companies rather than guns. Its a redirect, nothing more.
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    Chromalord
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    I recall growing up that virtually every song I heard was about love or had sexual innuendo. For the most part, its still that way today. Funny, I don't see a lot of people going out loving each other just because of that.
  • Medicinebow
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    When I was a kid we simply played outside. There weren't any video games to play. I think playing outside is much healthier for kids.

    For kids in good mental health I believe the danger that the games and their resultant behavior presents isn't an issue. But, to those with mental health issues I believe the games simply place them further away from reality. I don't have anything to back this but it is an educated hunch.
  • Neo_NtheMatrix
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    Don't worry about some Harvard backed study to prove you're right, I agree with you. I think most people with sense would agree with this too.
  • Zazziness
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    I'd add some cautions. Having worked in the industry, I know they time the interval between "thrills" in a game -- a thrill being a tiny release of adrenalin and endorphins. Both of those can be physically addictive, even though they are self-generated. The more you get, the more you crave. While that's one thing in adults, it's another entirely in still-developing children.
  • Keyjo
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    Playing outside: cops & robbers, cowboys & Indians, playing Army, all with toy guns and other toy weapons.
    But at least playing outside provided exercise.
  • Drake_Burrwood
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    What about the rest of the violence that kills more then guns do. Why not deal with the limited number of rogue predators that either inflict the violence or lead those who do.
  • Waynestew
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    @Drake_Burrwood Good idea. But again that's only on area. Furthermore it is OUR society that causes these Individuals to go "rouge." Everyone wants to point fingers in all directions to take the blame off of ourselves.
  • texas_cutie75
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    I have 2 issues with video games. The first being less active time for kids, it is a factor in childhood obesity. The second is the games tend to desensitize people. Fact and fiction need to be reiterated to kids. Some of the games in the market are incredibky graphic.
  • John_Matrix
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    They're also rated accordingly just like movies are. You can't blame the videogame industry for kids playing violent videogames.
  • wonka45ACP
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    @John_Matrix the libs are blaming law abiding citizens for all mass shootings might not be directly but the end results are the same!!
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    Hireman
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    The idea is that kids get desensitized to violence, so their hesistation to perform it on innocents is lessened. Their belief is that video games create dysfunction and that is the greater threat than the tool they use.
  • wild_turkey6
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    @wonka45ACP This reminds me of the debate a decade or so ago about the violence in cartoons. I don't recall any kids dropping anvils on the heads on classmates.
  • Fishbone345
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    @wild_turkey6 For some reason I'm always trying to arrange my furniture evenly to Russian melodies in the background. (Tetris ;) )
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  • Zazziness
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    While I believe it's good that video games are rated, they don't really account for our violent ways. Japan love violent games just as much if not more but they don't have these massacres. There is more involved.
  • GmanGSW
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    I'm adding that it is up to the parent(s), as with video games, what is watched and/or played, at least to the best of their ability.
  • wild_turkey6
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    @GmanGSW Yep. The only regulation on games and media needs to begin and end at the parent. I don't need the government how to tell me to raise my kids. I pay attention to them.
  • GmanGSW
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    @wild_turkey6
    Good for you! If they are mature enough to play, go for it. If not, you don't allow it. You seem like a responsible parent to me!- But it is NOT UP to me, like the govt is trying to tell you, almost DIRECTLY, whether or not you are raising your children "correctly," or not! You are the parent, they are your children! Equaling, I agree with you, as denoted. ;^)
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    OhWiseOne
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    @wild_turkey6 Good for you. However, too many irresponsible people are having kids and not looking after them. Left alone and w/o anyone to look after them they pretty much do what they want. This is why we have flash mobs assaulting people left and right.
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  • 890popbox
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    Almost everyone plays a video game or has played one in their life
    And out of the shootings that have been going on were not a result in video games
    There are millions and millions of video game players and have been for years decades and centurys to come
    Yet not everyone out on the street is stealing cars holding hand guns and blowing up places
    I wonder how that can be since apparently these games are altering our minds
    Dripping in sarcasm
  • 890popbox
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    Amazing enough
    You are not gonna believe this reps but
    The ones who are aren't a result of video games
    Video games reflect life and try to be more realistic
    Life does not reflect video games
  • Zazziness
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    They don't alter your conscious mind but they do work upon your subconscious. Remember when Doom first came out? The military said they could tell when their people had been playing. The military trains soldiers to go into a hostile area, pick a target and shoot it until it doesn't move. Doom, OTOH, trains you to shoot once at each target in the room, then go back and pick off anything still moving -- when soldiers started using that technique in training scenarios, their commanders caught on to where they were getting it.
    First-person shooter games continue to reward that strategy. I remember how horrified I was when the Columbine shooters used exactly that technique to horrible effect.
  • Zazziness
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    @890popbox You're mistaken. We are a highly imitative species and our brain is not nearly as aware of the difference between real and artistic images as you think it is.
  • Superm2475
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    @Zazziness your mistaking . Just because u feel your limited and can't tell the difference don't put that on everyone else!!
  • Zazziness
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    @Superm2475 Actually, I'm basing that on science. There are all sorts of experiments that show large parts of the brain don't know "real" from a drawing. For instance, when they put a person in an MRI machine and scan their brains, the same portions light up when the subject is shown a real apple as light up when they see a drawing of an apple. And that's not interactive. When you play a video game, the good ones are very immersive. That's what makes them fun -- and powerful affecting.
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    Khajiit
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    you know there are the same games we have in other countries, and wasn't it in the 80s when they said it was music, then it was movies. heck everything has a rating system, including games, someone should raise awareness to parents about ratings and try to discourage buying the more violent games for kids.
  • Zazziness
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    @Neo_NtheMatrix You're still stewing just in your own juices. If you believe things like you just said about liberals, you're wrong and basing all your life on big mistakes in judgment. If you don't believe what you just said, it's wrong to be throwing stuff like that around.
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    thatgirl
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    @Zazziness The only way some folks can feel better about themselves is to denigrate broad swaths of other people they dont even know....theres a psychiatric term for this behavior.
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  • Canoochee
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    Just goes to show that on average a Republican is just as big of an idiot as anyone on the Democrat side. Sometimes more so. See Broun from GA.
  • cat2009
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    Don't think so . But do reality shows and other shows that are hosted by gay and lesbian host's contribute to the attitudes about their sexuality.
  • wonka45ACP
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    If this country would just take an honest poll!! you might see that the numbers were far greater than 67% ever noticed when a poll is taken, its taken like this, 100,000 person
    survey, the question was do you think something should be banned?? your options are
    yes,, no,, or I don't care,, if 50% say yes, then the consensus is half of americans agree. this is a total lie and dishonest poll. isn't the population of america a little more than that?? or are those the trumped up numbers the bleeding heart libertarians need
    to push their agenda. ok the repub's do it also. but not as bad..
  • Zazziness
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    @DARSB Naw. Because I remember when I was a kid, greed was considered a vice. In fact, it was one of the seven deadly sins. "He's greedy" was not a compliment. I think it happened millions of years after the planet cooled and the "Greed is Good" 80s struck us.(Not coincidentally, that was also the "Coke is Good" era. You know -- just before lots of people started dropping from addiction and/or being thrown in jail for ethics violations.)
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