News Stephen King defends video games

[CardJoe]

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/04..._video_games/1

In a piece written for Entertainment Weekly, Stephen King has come to the defence of video games, slamming American politicians.

[liratheal]

Holy hell.

Some common sense?!

Perhaps there is merit to his crazy guy after all.

[will.]

This makes up for the 2 hours wasted watching that film about aliens in peoples arses.

[Shadow_101]

Originally Posted by will.

This makes up for the 2 hours wasted watching that film about aliens in peoples arses.

I vaguely remember that film, dream catcher it was called or something?

[cjoyce1980]

I the uk they dont blame it on games when they have been a gang shooting. there shocked that they have been able to get a gun in the first place

no NRA, no gun crime..... at least stephen king shows that there is one american with a brain

[Mentai]

Yeah but Canada and Switzerland don't have (much) gun crime either, and their laws are similar to the US.

[DougEdey]

I think it's more down to the news.

UK: Danger everywhere!
Canada: Danger everywhere else!
Switzerland: We're fine!
US: That guy on your left wants to rape your children, sell pictures, murder you, torture your wife and then steal your stuff! Oh and everything you eat/drink will kill you!

[Tyrmot]

But Canada and Switzerland have very low-density and relatively non-urbanised populations.. Gun crime is more of a problem in large cities with higher poverty levels (again, not so prevalent in Can & Swi).

It is laughably hypocritical of the people who criticise games and not the crazy gun ownership laws in the USA.
To America: George III is long gone and we have no interest in invading your country - you really don't need all those weapons any more you know...

[Flibblebot]

Originally Posted by Mentai

Yeah but Canada and Switzerland don't have (much) gun crime either, and their laws are similar to the US.

The Swiss mindset is totally different to that of the US, though. Yes, Swiss law allows people to have guns, but the Swiss also have a form National Service, so guns are seen as a military tool rather than anything else. Switzerland also has much lower (virtually non-existent) levels of poverty and social deprivation compared to the US, so there is none of the gang culture in the cities. More here.

I think part of the US problem is that people believe it is their *right* to own a gun, so God help them, they are going to own a gun. Regardless of whether they actually need one or not.

That's the difference between the US & Canada. I'd expect that Canadians don't expect a God-given right to own a gun, so the only people that own guns are those that actually need them - for hunting etc. I'd imagine that the amount of gun ownership in large towns and cities is actually quite low. Also the fact that Canada has far fewer major towns and cities than the US. I could be wrong, but that's just the idea I get.

[mmorgue]

It would be nice to see how King's approach to this is taken by the political realm in the US. His point about the nutcase kid who manages to get hold of 9mm weapons should be the defacto, number one priority on legislators' minds -- not foul language, dirty video games or magazines or the media.

[mmorgue]

Originally Posted by Flibblebot

That's the difference between the US & Canada. I'd expect that Canadians don't expect a God-given right to own a gun, so the only people that own guns are those that actually need them - for hunting etc. I'd imagine that the amount of gun ownership in large towns and cities is actually quite low. Also the fact that Canada has far fewer major towns and cities than the US. I could be wrong, but that's just the idea I get.

Speaking as a Canadian, yes, that's very very true. I'm not saying Canadians are better than Americans -- I'm not opening up any can of worms here!

But yes, guns aren't viewed as "your God given right" as they are viewed in the US. Sure, we do have them for leisure and sport and of course, we have gun crime as well, like any country that allows such firearms. But there is a very distinct difference in mindsets when it comes to guns, gun laws and views on guns between Canada and the US.

Maybe it's the remnants of the "cowboy" era still in the US psyche...? Maybe it's a huge portion of media and social convention that perpetuates gun views in the US. All i know is, I grew up surrounded by guns as my dad collected them and felt I should know how to be safe using them/storing them, etc. But no one ever thought, "Wow you have guns, cool!" or ever thought that just cos people were calling you names, go get a gun. I dunno.. it's just.. 'different'.

[CardJoe]

Dreamcatcher was awful, but he has made some good stuff. Cujo and Shawshank are awesome, as is The Mist. His book The Mist was also the inspiration for Half-Life 1.

King has long been a hero of mine -I'm actually reading On Writing by him for the fourth time right now. It's part writing guide and part auto-biography and all excellent.

[scarrmrcc]

well, that is not an american view "that you are cool because you have guns"

look at how many people we have in America. we have wayyyyyyy more sane people in america, that don't do crimes...than in England, Canada ect.. can't look at that can people...gotta just say that we have more crazies....well we have more people so of course we have more crazies. but we also have more good people, too..

but people only focus on those select few, those less than 1% that do things, and then say that Americans are warped.


the way i see it, all my friends and i love video games, some of us own guns. and never have any of us thought of even pointing a gun at another human being (a deer now.....we think about that... what good is all this open land...full of good animals to eat, if you can't hunt them? there is something really satisfying to eat something you bagged, skinned, prepared all yourself...rather than just going out and buying it from a store...)

[naokaji]

Originally Posted by Flibblebot

The Swiss mindset is totally different to that of the US, though. Yes, Swiss law allows people to have guns, but the Swiss also have a form National Service, so guns are seen as a military tool rather than anything else.

in switzerland the military is obligatory and once you finish it you take your gun home with you, thats why so many have guns there. switzerland btw also got one of least restrictive gaming laws, yet they have almost no crime involving guns, so its pretty obvious that neither is the cause for crimes. they do have their share of other problems though, like ridiculous expensive obligatory health insurance or a weirdo tax system and almost no jobs for people who havent been to university.

anyway, its always good to win a prominent name in the fight against game bans.

[[USRF]Obiwan]

Originally Posted by CardJoe

His book The Mist was also the inspiration for Half-Life 1. t.

I thought it was the other way around. Thats why I was like "damn those things walking in the mist looks like a Half life!"

Now i know why. Did not even know the Mist was a SK novel. (shame on me)

Loved The Stand, Longeliers, IT etc

[DXR_13KE]

"Cho used it in a rampage that resulted in the murder of 32 people. If he'd been stuck with nothing but a plastic videogame gun, he wouldn't even have been able to kill himself."

i disagree on the last part....

as for guns in USA.... well.... i have seen documentaries that show that there are some places that have chosen to have almost no gun law and then they saw a decrease in gun crime.... apparently criminals weren't to eager to enter other peoples homes thinking they could get a chest full of lead....

[Faulk_Wulf]

Originally Posted by DougEdey

I think it's more down to the news.

UK: Danger everywhere!
Canada: Danger everywhere else!
Switzerland: We're fine!
US: That guy on your left wants to rape your children, sell pictures, murder you, torture your wife and then steal your stuff! Oh and everything you eat/drink will kill you!

*US: Danger HERE!

---

Am I just that much more patient and understanding, or am I just ignorant of the rift between the three countries? I don't claim to know everything. So I am asking this as an honest question: Why the tension?

I see posts that practically imply that we're asking to be shot. Sure, the mentality that guns are a good way to defend yourself + media paranoia is a horrid combination. But we aren't all 'tards, and certainly no one wants to die anymore then anyone else.

Yes in the US we have easily obtainable fire arms and it is an issue. But that flaw doesn't instantly make us all lunatic cowboys. (Political leaders asside.) We as individuals are quite rational, but when viewed as a group/whole/through-media-eyes its hard to see it. Between spin and the vocal portion of our population being bloody idiots, I can see how that perception can be born but I am surprised that there isn't any sense of doubt lent towards the case.

[airchie]

I don't know what's scarier, his novels or his picture...

[Yemerich]

Well i am no fan of SF novels (too childish), but i think the man got a point there. A really good one btw!

To me looks like the incompetence for the government to reduce violence urges it to elect a culprid, the video games of course!
I see much more violence credited to soccer games than to video games. Strangely, the penalties for these gorup of people are VERY light...

[C-Sniper]

Originally Posted by DougEdey

I think it's more down to the news.

UK: Danger everywhere!
Canada: Danger everywhere else!
Switzerland: We're fine!
US: That guy on your left wants to rape your children, sell pictures, murder you, torture your wife and then steal your stuff! Oh and everything you eat/drink will kill you!

And if it doesn't kill you it will give you cancer (at least in the state of California)

i am glad that there is a person, a well respected person that speaks out at all the misnomers that video games are the reasons kids go postal. I think that the NRA has a bit of persuaion on the situation ("we should give all the kids guns to protect them selves") and that their lobbying is causing some of this.