Grand Theft Auto
 

The 60 minutes presentation of the video game "Grand Theft Auto" got me thinking a bit.

This operator of the game is a criminal and he is permitted to blow away as many police officers as he can in his attempt to evade the law.

The game was featured on 60 minutes because one kid, who killed three police officers inside the police station, is said to have been influenced by the game. He, apparently, spent many hours using the game prior to his heinous act.

What intrigues me about this scenario is whether to prevent the video game manufacturers from producing such a game.

At first glance, a law to ban such a game would appear to be heavy handed behavior by the government.

But, the law would benefit the law enforcement community and might result in less violence toward law enforcement personnel. So, would enactment of such a law be a "conservative" position and would the "right" support such a law.

A typical conservative position is that the person using the game bears responsibility for his actions and the manufacturer of the game should not be restricted in producing the game because of what the user of the game might do. This is very similar to gun control laws.

So, what say ye?

Should any restrictions be placed on such a game?

If you ban the game, next will be that best selling novel, then goes a TV show or a movie. Where do you stop? Crime such as this cannot be prevented, at least not in a modern society.

And by the way, video game is big in Japan. Yet you don't see the same type of violence in their society.

This sort of thing is old news...

...the case was made against rap lyrics that glorified gang violence, (including against police), and there have been a few cases whereby incidences against cops were directly traced to the perps admitting to listening to such rap songs prior to the act...

...60 minutes did a piece years ago on a case where a teen committed suicide, despondent over having "a crippling curse placed on him" during a heated Dungeons and Dragons" game.

Once again, if these cases force rulings against the manufacturers of the games/songs/products, then we might as well go after gun manufacturers as well for creating weapons that could potentially harm or cause death to others!

Sad thing about it is that this is exactly what the states have done. Financially crippled some manufacturers, Colt firearms included.

The answer could lie in how this child obtained a gun...from his parents? I don't recall hearing about RockStar including a glok with their games...Also, the NC-17 rating actually means something i would think. I wonder if Howard Stern playys these games ;)

I have spent many hours playing GTA2, 3, Vice City, Hit Man, Golden eye, and pretty much every violent video game around. The new ones out are amazing. Video games are entertainment, if you are crazy you are crazy it doesn't matter what you do.

So if I kill someone with a meat hook in Hitman will that make me want to kill someone? :rolleyes:

I have ran down more cops then I can count in GTA, you get a Cop Killer award if you get enough of them.

Video games, the 21st Century alibi for not taking personal responsibility . . . replacing swing music, jazz, rock & roll, television, movies, heavy metal, nihlistic punk . .

lefties will argue your god given freedom to be a criminal...suport terrorism...be an A&&hole . Anything but having the right to be a christian publicly. You can be a witch...A muslim....a Pagan....but heaven forbid you be a christian.

You forgot Beavis and Butthead.

I thought Beavis and Butthead was a pinnical of the generation.....plenty dumb but funny in a sick sort of way.

I often think of BHD as a pinnacle of sorts . . .

I am the Anti-clinton.....

Surely there's never been any deaths in the name of Christianity before, oh wait... Well, with the exception of the Crusades it's been smooth sailing.

In my opinion, Christians are better at killing people verbally and socially.