As I'm writing this on August 5th 2019 there were several shootings over the weekend and there are several people, including President Trump, pointing the finger at video games. Now to be fair, they aren't just pointing it at games but they didn't forget to bring them up. I have been gaming since I was about 5-6 and some of my favorite games are violent ones. We live in a time were these shootings happen on the regular and it's kind of hard to believe it but that is the current state of America. People die everyday to disease, drug related violence, suicide, and accidents. These shootings are different to me because they are taking place in churches, retail stores, movie theaters, and concerts. So I wanted to talk a bit about my opinions of people blaming games and entertainment in general for these things and I also want to touch on my thoughts about banning AR type guns. So if you aren't in the mood to read that, I totally get it, but I wanted to share my thoughts.
Let's start by talking about just how violent some video games are in 2019. They're violent, some are extremely violent and they are indefensibly so in some cases. In GTA V there is a mission you are forced to tourtue someone and that involves waterboarding. In the Gears of War games you have a weapon with a chainsaw attached to it and you saw people in half with it. Granted the enemies in the games are not human but you can play as them in multiplayer and you are the ones killing humans there. I'm currently achievement hunting in the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot and it's a super violent game. There is a finishing move that has Lara take her assault rifle and shoot a dude from stomach to head putting about 10 rounds into him. So there are some games that are very violent and I can totally understand how some are turned off by them and won't allow kids to play them. Having said all that though, this violence is meant to be fantasy. Most of the stuff I described is so over the top and that's on purpose. It's not meant to emulate real life but give players a sense of "Oh, I'm in this power fantasy setting" and it's there as entertainment. Some of the stories that games tell now can be very serous and when dealing with serous topics it's necessary to deal with real violence. A game like The Last of Us needs that gritty realism to tell a story. Yeah it's gruesome but it's that way with a purpose. Some have thrown around that Fortnite could be to blame that those opinions can fuck off! That game is so tame and aimed so that literally any age can play it!
I want to go into movies and tv for a bit. I get that some movies/shows are violent but this is a different thing to me. Cause video games often put a power fantasy in play, movies are often going for realism. I get that movies like 300 and most Quentin Tarantino movies don't but movies like Saving Private Ryan do. And if we start to talk about toning down violence in stuff that goes over the top then it has to be toned down for everything and I am not for that at all! A recent example is Netflix taking out the suicide scene at the end of the first season of 13 Reasons Why. I get why they did it but that show lost it's soul to me after they did that! The show was revolved around that person and that moment and it was taken away.
So what do I think about blaming all the shootings on violent media? I get why people on the outside looking in would want to blame stuff like that but it's ultimately the wrong place to point a finger in my opinion. Games/Movies/TV Shows are made as entertainment and are made to be enjoyed as such. If someone plays a violent games and then goes and shoots bunch of people then they were probably going to do that anyway. There is a ratings system in place and each thing tells why it's rated the way it is now. I would say that these people blaming games have probably never played a game like GTA before. We have a much bigger problem than blaming entertainment for all these issues in the world. To me, we have a gun and mental health problem.
I get that one side is all about blaming mental health and the other is all about blaming the guns but I very much think they are both to blame. When someone who has these thoughts of committing these mass shootings gets a high powered gun in their hands, it's not good nor should it be something that we allow to happen. I think assault rifles should be banned in this country, all of them! We have had too many things like this happen to not. I have been to a few gun shows in my life and they have been there to purchase and they shouldn't be. But in the same vein, to act like some of these people don't have something mentally wrong with them is the wrong approach as well. That aspect of it is a lot harder to fix. Cause I don't think we should ban all guns and they can still get handguns, shotguns, and hunting rifles to shoot places up without AR guns. I'm a big enough person to admit to not knowing how to fix the mental side of the issue but there has to be one out there.
This is probably going to be an extremely unpopular opinion but I really think we should use the death penalty on these people who are responsible for these shootings. No locking them up and giving them a trail, just old fashioned hang them! There should be things that people can do that forfeit them constitutional rights and shooting up a retail store should be one of them! I get that's harsh but putting them in prison isn't good enough in my opinion!
Before I wrap this up I want to talk about one more thing. I don't like to get political but I will for just a bit here. I did not vote for Trump, I hate some of the things he says and stands for, but blaming him for these shootings is just as stupid as blaming video games to me. Yeah some of these people that have committed these things have went out of their way to make sure we know they are Trump supporters. The last guy even took all of his guns and spelled out Trump with them on his social media, and that was very much on purpose. These people want your attention and that's a damn good way to go about doing it, and it obviously worked! Cause we have so many talking head and blue checkmarks on Twitter blaming the president for these saying he is aligned with white supremacy. If you feel that way then that's your option and I'll respect it to an extent but just think about this for a second: Why have killers traditionally called out public figures right before doing things like this? Attention, and they have all gotten it.
So those are my thought on the whole thing. It's cool if you disagree and I welcome you to do so. It's what makes this country what it is. Just make sure to open your mind and make sure you aren't just following the mob mentality. Think for yourself, not how your favorite celebrity thinks. If your opinions line up with them then cool, but if they don't then that's fine to!
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