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Trump Meets With Video Game Industry, Watchdog Groups to Talk Gun Violence
President Donald Trump met with video game executives and watchdog groups on Thursday at the White House to talk about gun violence, one of a series of meetings planned by the White House in the wake of the Parkland, Fla., school shootings.
The meeting started with the showing of a series of particularly violent video clips, according to two participants who were there, Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center and Melissa Henson, program director of the Parents Television Council. Both are media watchdog groups.
[...] "This is not a simple thing," Bozell told Variety. "This is not to say that the video game industry is the alpha and omega of the problem, but they have to be part of the discussion."
[...] The White House released a statement afterward. "The conversation centered on whether violent video games, including games that graphically simulate killing, desensitize our community to violence." They also released the video that was shown.
The White House posted the video to YouTube. As of this submission, it's got 53 kilodislikes.
After industry meeting, Trump highlights alleged game violence effects
If game industry representatives hoped their meeting with President Trump today would help change his mind after recent statements of concern over violence in video games, they came away sorely disappointed. In a statement following that meeting, the White House said that President Trump "acknowledged some studies have indicated there is a correlation between video game violence and real violence."
"During today's meeting, the group spoke with the president about the effect that violent video games have on our youth, especially young males," the White House statement reads. "The conversation centered on whether violent video games, including games that graphically simulate killing, desensitize our community to violence. This meeting is part of ongoing discussions with local leaders and Congress on issues concerning school and public safety and protecting America's youth."
The White House statement goes against the overwhelming consensus of the research community, which has shown wide agreement that exposure to violent games in youth has little to no relationship with violent outcomes later in life.
(Score: 2) by Virindi on Wednesday March 14 2018, @10:02AM (16 children)
It is not at all surprising that taking away rights prevents crime. Of course it does! Locking every person in a cell would also prevent crime. But we don't do that, because it goes against things we value.
But perhaps there is some way to deal with the problem that doesn't involve further constricting the rights of the population? Like, say, if the media didn't cover every school shooting as if it was the most amazing news ever....playing right into the hands of the attention-starved teenager.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @10:27AM (1 child)
Looking at countries with no rights, such as the Middle East, it would be very surprising that anyone can come to the conclusion that taking away rights prevents crime.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday March 14 2018, @03:30PM
Yeah, 'cause there's no guns in the Middle East!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday March 14 2018, @01:47PM (3 children)
So apathy then?
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday March 14 2018, @01:57PM (2 children)
It's called no-platform-ing. You should be intimately familiar with the concept.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday March 14 2018, @03:12PM (1 child)
I am not so I looked it up. Wikipedia:
Rationalwiki:
Are you advocating media censorship or are you talking about something else?
(Score: 1, Redundant) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday March 14 2018, @03:18PM
I'm not advocating anything, just attempting to clarify what's going on.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday March 14 2018, @07:14PM (4 children)
Here's an idea: enforce the fucking laws we already have on the books and close the goddamn loopholes. One schmuck having a bad day can go a to a gun show and...well, fill in the blanks.
How about this: regulate guns as strictly as abortion. Seems fair, right?
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday March 14 2018, @07:52PM (3 children)
There's a literal order of magnitude difference between the number of gun deaths (all of them, including suicides) and abortions per year in the US. You reckon we should regulate abortion down to the point where the numbers are equal?
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday March 14 2018, @08:00PM (1 child)
No, O Sultan of the Peoples' Republic of Dipfuckistan. I mean parental notice, waiting periods, and just for the hell of it, making potential gun owners run gauntlets of protesters calling them murderers.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday March 14 2018, @09:17PM
Ah, you want the regulations similar rather than the death toll. Roger.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @11:59PM
Fetuses are not life. Perhaps when they feel and have brainwaves (third trimester maybe). So in your world don’t count all abortions.
Freedom of religion and my religion says no souls exist. And it is my body. Not yours.
But you also probably like harming babies too with circumcision. Well the males. You at least wait to harm the females til the abortion choice.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @07:59PM (3 children)
Somebody explain this US gun madness to me. What good does it exactly do to have a gun? Who do you want to kill?
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday March 14 2018, @09:19PM (1 child)
Nobody. Only seriously fucked up people actually want to kill other people. Wanting to and wanting to have the option to be able to should need arise are not even remotely in the same ballpark though.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by aristarchus on Thursday March 15 2018, @01:54AM
Except, they are, you George Zimmerman, you!
(Score: 2) by Virindi on Wednesday March 14 2018, @09:40PM
Nobody. When I get mice in my house I can't stand to kill them, I trap them and release them in the woods. I carry spiders out to the yard. I dislike the idea of hunting except for by people who actually do it for food. I find the idea of killing any creature distasteful.
Guns have absolutely nothing to do with wanting to kill. Instead, it is about wanting to be able to protect yourself. While civilization does a decent job of protecting you, the police cannot be everywhere at every time, and ultimately in the unlikely event that the unthinkable happens you are on your own for those minutes before someone can arrive to help.
If I am physically the kind of person who is easily overpowered, all that I have that can level the playing field is tools...weapons. If I have none then I am easy prey.
In prehistoric times when the only weapons were sticks, I would have been someone's property and I couldn't fight back. Without weapons, the strong rule the weak.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @08:20PM
There. FTFY.