CO Shooting

[Evil Creamsicle]

This guy Greg Block is cited at the end of the article as believing that the killer is likely a video gamer.

That was my guess as well, going by the Dave Grossman material I have studied.

According to Dave, the price of fake violence in video games is often real death, because it provides a source of uncontrolled, undisciplined operant conditioning. I would frankly be shocked if this guy isn't a classic case of it.

As I've suggested to you before, though, there has to be other factors involved than just this. Citing myself, an avid gamer for years, as an example. I have played with and known many people over the years who I have played these games with, yourself included, and the approximate number, in percent, of them who are murderers is, factoring in a margin of error, zero.

Not trying to discredit the research you've done, but I also don't want someone googling this thread, seeing only that statement, and then trying to ban video games...

 

[DrTodd]

As I've suggested to you before, though, there has to be other factors involved than just this. Citing myself, an avid gamer for years, as an example. I have played with and known many people over the years who I have played these games with, yourself included, and the approximate number, in percent, of them who are murderers is, factoring in a margin of error, zero.

Not trying to discredit the research you've done, but I also don't want someone googling this thread, seeing only that statement, and then trying to ban video games...

No worries, the issue has already been dealt with:

http://techland.time.com/2011/06/27...games-qualify-for-first-amendment-protection/

 

[WilDChilD]

The Department of Homeland Security is currently testing (in an 'undisclosed location' in the Northeast) a system they call 'Future Attribute Screening Technology', FAST, which will scan a person as far as 50 feet away for changes in body temperature, respiration, heart rate, eye movement and other factors to determine if they are acting in a suspicious manner. Agents watching the scanners can then direct ground agents to arrest the person befoe they can commit an illegal act. Early tests utilizing DHS employees who were told to act a certain way indicated hat the machine was 70% accurate in detecting persons who were told to act suspiciously.

DHS is going to utilize FAST in airports and public areas/venues nationwide to figure out who is nervous or acting suspiciously--the FAST system utilizes retina scanning, infrared, x-rays, pulse and respiration monitor, so someone out of breath with pulse pounding and eyes shifting around rapidly is certainly about to commit an illegal act. If you have a machine that tells you that someone will commit a crime, then you can arrest them and put them in jail before they commit that crime, which could serve to wipe out most obvious types of crime right away. FAST can be used on buses to predict which passengers will cause a disruption and transportation officers can meet the bus at the next stop, taking the potentially disruptive passenger away to jail; can be used to tell which businessman walking into a diplomatic session will be carrying a briefcase bomb. There will be no more chances for assassination plots like 'Operation Valkyrie' and of course no more 9-11, unless the one committing the illegal act has trained themselves to act normal and can control their physical responses enough to appear calm and beat the scanner. After all, the scanner has 70% accuracy!

I saw this on a comment section for msn. I dont have any idea the accuracy of the info but how crazy are some people for thinking this way? Hopefully the person wasnt late for their plane so they were running and now have slowed down to look for their gate, might get arrested for a crime you havent commited yet.

 

[HKcarrier]

I have played so many shoot em up games over the years... and I have to say I love video games. Especially with the advent of multi-player online games where you can play against human opponents has greatly increased my enjoyment of said games. The intelligence and wileyness of gamers makes the experience much more challenging and exciting. I definitely like to kick some virtual ass...


But I must say... in all those kills... all those head shots... all that blood and gore... I"ve never once been confused by it, thought it was real, thought reality was a game, or thought that the games were anything more than a glorified game of tag.... clearly SOME people may have trouble differentiating between real life and fantasy, but as with anything, those people are so far and few that there is no way to legislate against them without removing the rights of millions.


Once again, why people think that passing a law against 99.9999999 percent of innocents is a good, fair, or right thing to do is just beyond me.

 

[Michigander]

I don't believe anyone here has suggested that violent video games get more tightly controlled than they are now. Nor are there in any way shape or form the votes available at the state or federal level for it to be an issue. The point was what might have caused the shooting, not what laws might have prevented it.

It's the price of admission for a free country. It is a shame that the issue isn't better understood though.

 

[Evil Creamsicle]

I don't believe anyone here has suggested that violent video games get more tightly controlled than they are now. Nor are there in any way shape or form the votes available at the state or federal level for it to be an issue. The point was what might have caused the shooting, not what laws might have prevented it.

It's the price of admission for a free country. It is a shame that the issue isn't better understood though.

I understand this, and don't debate it. We have talked at length about the issue.

...my comment was merely to mitigate stray Googlers. It is an issue that gets attention even outside of the realm of gun advocation.

 

[DrTodd]

Interesting theory, and one which I have no real knowledge on.

Can you suggest any research material?

Here's a start:

http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/2000-05-16-School-Shootings-Psychotropic-Drugs.htm

 

[Michigander]

Thanks for the link. It's definitely good information. I'm reading it now and taking notes.

ETA: It's an interesting issue to me, because I got diagnosed by 2 inept doctors as having ADD when I was a pre teen. They suggested ritalin, to which my parents resoundingly refused.

Fast forward 15+ years to my mid 20's, and I finally figured out after much aggravation with useless doctors and vitamin experimentation that I have Hashimoto's disease, which presents identically to ADD at the early stages, and yet never gets brought up by doctors who prescribe ritalin and other such garbage. As with others who have Hashi's, a couple vitamin pills daily and the symptoms are utterly gone.

It's been established that well over half of ADD cases can be cured via diet alone. And instead this country loves to pump children full of low quality food and amphetamines to "fix" them.

This facet of the societal violence dynamic is something I'm glad to now be conscious of. Thanks.

 

[DrTodd]

Thanks for the link. It's definitely good information. I'm reading it now and taking notes.

ETA: It's an interesting issue to me, because I got diagnosed by 2 inept doctors as having ADD when I was a pre teen. They suggested ritalin, to which my parents resoundingly refused.

Fast forward 15+ years to my mid 20's, and I finally figured out after much aggravation with useless doctors and vitamin experimentation that I have Hashimoto's disease, which presents identically to ADD at the early stages, and yet never gets brought up by doctors who prescribe ritalin and other such garbage. As with others who have Hashi's, a couple vitamin pills daily and the symptoms are utterly gone.

It's been established that well over half of ADD cases can be cured via diet alone. And instead this country loves to pump children full of low quality food and amphetamines to "fix" them.

This facet of the societal violence dynamic is something I'm glad to now be conscious of. Thanks.

Interesting story. I do disagree with your "over half of ADD cases can be solved by diet alone", though. In my 20+ years of experience, there are a multitude of behaviors that can be termed as indicative of ADD... but also a multitude of other "diagnoses"...anxiety, for example, that exhibit many of the same behavior. Also, I think that although SOME problems could be solved by diet alone,that number would be small. The oft-forgotten component of treatment for those not as a direct result of something hormonally based is BEHAVIOR. Children and young adults are given medication and that is usually it. Family doctors and even Psychiatrists write scripts and then move on to the next patient.

 

[Michigander]

Yeah, I suppose I put too much certainty in my words on the ADD vs diet issue. I have read about this and other studies, http://www.nwncr.com/index.cfm/page/931DC3D3-CB36-927A-1D0AE0DD095DC484/

and generally found through my own experiences, as well of those of a few friends that ADD is often greatly reduced or eliminated upon dietary adjustment. (Gluten for example can be a huge issue, as it is in my case because it triggers my auto immune response) I suppose apart from the factors of me not being a scientist and not having a huge sample of people that I know, there is also the fact that the people I am speaking of are all in their 20's or early 30's.

I do firmly believe that diet is a key factor in mental clarity and efficiency. But yes, not the only factor, because in my case I also need vitamins. And regular exercise. And happiness, because strangely adrenal problems can be triggered for hashi's cases when depression sets in. Without all of these things, the problems can return. Overall health and happiness is pretty crucial to well being, and I'd imagine most of the different mental/learning issues that are common have that in common, and that is definitely going to correlate some to your point on behavior...

The bottom line is that the rush to chemical treatment can be a huge mistake. That much I've believed for a long time, and the info you linked me to sure seems to agree.

 

[DrTodd]

I guess someone there could have "eliminated the problem"... his vest was not "bullet proof" (sic)

http://claytonecramer.blogspot.com/2012/07/not-bulletproof.html

 

[stainless1911]

quote from the link

It would still have been a hard shot to make in a dark and crowded theater. I mean, with all those people running around, someone might have gotten hurt!

:banghead::banghead::banghead:

 

[Super Trucker]

It would still have been a hard shot to make in a dark and crowded theater. I mean, with all those people running around, someone might have gotten hurt!

:banghead::banghead::banghead:

Whoever said that must have never heard of surefire and crimson trace.

 

[stainless1911]

Or simple practice.

People were already getting hurt:banghead:.

 

[griffin]

It would still have been a hard shot to make in a dark and crowded theater.

Theaters aren't that dark, especially when the movie is showing. Here are eyewitness accounts and a drawing of what happened. There were times when people were behind this guy and no one did anything.

 

[stainless1911]

Just to be clear, I didnt make the statement, I quoted it

 

[jjorgen]

I have played so many shoot em up games over the years... and I have to say I love video games. Especially with the advent of multi-player online games where you can play against human opponents has greatly increased my enjoyment of said games. The intelligence and wileyness of gamers makes the experience much more challenging and exciting. I definitely like to kick some virtual ass...


But I must say... in all those kills... all those head shots... all that blood and gore... I"ve never once been confused by it, thought it was real, thought reality was a game, or thought that the games were anything more than a glorified game of tag.... clearly SOME people may have trouble differentiating between real life and fantasy, but as with anything, those people are so far and few that there is no way to legislate against them without removing the rights of millions.


Once again, why people think that passing a law against 99.9999999 percent of innocents is a good, fair, or right thing to do is just beyond me.

+1

 

[griffin]

Just to be clear, I didnt make the statement, I quoted it

I know.

 

[Haman J.T.]

What could of been done to stop this idiot by the armed "good" guys depended on a lot of factors that were specific at the time of incident. However, having several armed people in that theater could of provided an opportunity to take this guy down early enough in a spree.

With the movie playing there was enough light to hit your target.Any hit on a bullit proof vest is like being hit with a sledgehammer(disabling),a head shot through a gas mask(not bullit proof) would most likely kill(or disable),and Unless he wore total body armor there would be plenty of flesh to connect with(disabling)!IMO!CARRY ON!

 

[Haman J.T.]

Always remember to be effective one must not become fodder. Thinking it out makes you potentially more effective. Oh and youth does not make ones thoughts less than those of someone older. You have earned respect already for standing on principle. In combat there is fodder and thinkers, and more times than not it is the thinkers that triumph over evil. Protecting ones family is always first because that is our responsibility. I go armed enough for actual combat because of past experiences. If I am to die for a cause, I want the evil to leave this world with me. It's the least I can do.

Also training is a must.When You go into an adrenelin dump,of which I've personally gone through several times,You do what is instinctive(training=instictive actions)! Thats a Fact!CARRY ON!