The Politics Thread...

[dobermansrule]

Originally Posted by River

Wait folks, we got this all wrong. It's not assault rifles, it's not the lack of adequate mental health care in this country, no, the violence is not caused by anything except....

Video games.

That's right, you heard it here first. We now need to spend millions on a study to see if violent video games are the root cause of all problems in society. And then we need to get the government to spend more money that it doesn't have in enforcing bans on violent video games. Instead of you know, putting that cash towards a solution that might actually do some good, like increasing mental health care services instead of cutting their budgets all the time. Quotage:

"Recent court decisions demonstrate that some people still do not get it," [Senator Jay] Rockefeller said in a statement. "They believe that violent video games are no more dangerous to young minds than classic literature or Saturday morning cartoons. Parents, pediatricians, and psychologists know better. These court decisions show we need to do more and explore ways Congress can lay additional groundwork on this issue. This report will be a critical resource in this process. I call on my colleagues to join to me in passing this important legislation quickly."

Dear Congress: you don't need a study. They're already done. The ratings are on the boxes. Just put out an advisory to tell parents to grow backbones and police what their own kids watch and play. The government doesn't need to nanny the entire under 18 population. Thanks.

Indeed. We need more laws. Laws solve everything.

hey, try to spin this positively. Laws boost the economy. You need somebody to take legislation and turn it into law. You need somebody to enforce the law. You need somebody to defend law breakers and somebody to prosecute law breakers. You need people to babysit the incarcerated law breakers. You need social workers to counsel law breakers. You need probation officers. You need people to cook meals for incarcerated law breakers. You need paper manufacturers to print the laws. the list goes on.

[GingerGunlock]

Ah yeah, the video games argument. That one comes up a lot. I play shooters. I read classical literature. I read books, fiction and non, about serial killers. Guess what I'm not? Oh, that's right. A spree killer! None of my gamer friends are either. A couple are retired military at this point as well.

[greenkouki]

I think poor parenting is to blame for A LOT of the problems in our society today. People do not have values, manners, or respect anymore.

[dobermansrule]

Originally Posted by GingerGunlock

Ah yeah, the video games argument. That one comes up a lot. I play shooters. I read classical literature. I read books, fiction and non, about serial killers. Guess what I'm not? Oh, that's right. A spree killer! None of my gamer friends are either. A couple are retired military at this point as well.

you just haven't encountered the code word taht makes you snap yet...

[GingerGunlock]

Originally Posted by dobermansrule

you just haven't encountered the code word taht makes you snap yet...

True story. If you play Halo, you're totally in a sleeper cell now

[River]

Originally Posted by GingerGunlock

Ah yeah, the video games argument. That one comes up a lot. I play shooters. I read classical literature. I read books, fiction and non, about serial killers. Guess what I'm not? Oh, that's right. A spree killer! None of my gamer friends are either. A couple are retired military at this point as well.

Ditto here, but you know what I did have? A mother who believed that she needed to be a parent first, last, and always. Can I tell you all how much I respect and appreciate what my mom did for me when I was a kid? All these years later and I still credit her for making sure I turned into a responsible adult. Anytime that I need to gain any sort of understanding of the word 'sacrifice,' I just look at my mom. So much respect there.

Parents aren't their kids' friends first and parents second. It doesn't work that way. It really can't work that way, not if we want to raise responsible human beings.

[GingerGunlock]

Originally Posted by River

Ditto here, but you know what I did have? A mother who believed that she needed to be a parent first, last, and always. Can I tell you all how much I respect and appreciate what my mom did for me when I was a kid? All these years later and I still credit her for making sure I turned into a responsible adult. Anytime that I need to gain any sort of understanding of the word 'sacrifice,' I just look at my mom. So much respect there.

Parents aren't their kids' friends first and parents second. It doesn't work that way. It really can't work that way, not if we want to raise responsible human beings.

Bold mine.

I agree with that. Parents are supposed to be guardians, both in a physical and ethical/responsible sense.

[adhahn]

More laws and/or banning stuff is seldom the answer to anything. Many things do need to be objectively examined as to how they affect or influence people. What (if any) effect both prescription drugs and video games may or may not have on people is not something that we should ignore.

How many hundred times can a mentally disturbed person immerse themselves in this role playing before it becomes a significant influence within the brain?

VideoGame

[GingerGunlock]

Really, this might be one of those cases where correlation does not equal causation. Do violent video games prompt people into increased violence, or are people who are prone to increased violence drawn to violent video games?

I can really only speak for my own experience, and the people that I know, that people who engage in role playing (be it video games, cowboys and Indians, dressing up like an elf to hit each other with foam weapons of a weekend, or rolling dice at a tabletop game) do not tend to actually and actively be more violent and prone to harm others than people who do not engage in these activities (the rules that those foam swords people have!)

The studies that have been done on video games increasing aggressive behavior are interesting, though I have not read nearly enough of the literature on the topic. However, "aggression", is one of those words on Doberman Talk, n'est-ce pas?

[adhahn]

We know for a fact that various forms of media influence people.

Exhausted Soldiers or a sports team feeling defeated can be motivated to victory by a speech.

Patriotic songs and films can rally the populace to a common cause.

A movie can prompt millions of people to dress, talk or act like their favorite movie characters.

Bazillions of dollars are spent on advertizing because it increases sales.

And all this works on normal, mentally stable adults!

Yet for some reason we as a society refuse to consider that mentally disturbed people (or children) may be influenced by hours and hours of violent, realistic role playing.

[dobermansrule]

Originally Posted by GingerGunlock

Really, this might be one of those cases where correlation does not equal causation. Do violent video games prompt people into increased violence, or are people who are prone to increased violence drawn to violent video games?

I can really only speak for my own experience, and the people that I know, that people who engage in role playing (be it video games, cowboys and Indians, dressing up like an elf to hit each other with foam weapons of a weekend, or rolling dice at a tabletop game) do not tend to actually and actively be more violent and prone to harm others than people who do not engage in these activities (the rules that those foam swords people have!)

The studies that have been done on video games increasing aggressive behavior are interesting, though I have not read nearly enough of the literature on the topic. However, "aggression", is one of those words on Doberman Talk, n'est-ce pas?

the variable is mental illness. Not all video game/role playing game players have a mental illness and most are able to step in and out of fantasy world without losing touch of reality.

More is out in the news about the Lanza kid. He was becoming more withdrawn - the mother recognized a problem and she started to push him a little to get outside into the world and interact with people. He had become totally reclusive and played these games for hours on end. It would seem he got to the point where he couldn't distinguish reality from fantasy and he found a way in the games to act out his anger in real life.

[GulfbeachBum]

Originally Posted by monicaei

"I am Adam Lanzas Mother" is viral on buzz feed today. Please do the courteous Internet thing and CITE THE SOURCE YOU GET THESE THINGS FROM. Trying to pass it off as your own is simply poor form.


Liza Long is an author, musician, and erstwhile classicist. She is also a single mother of four bright, loved children, one of whom has special needs.

Republished with permission of The Blue Review, a nonprofit startup based at Boise State University, publishing scholarship and journalism on politics, cities and the environment from the Mountain West. The original post can be found here.

Just an FYI : It was a cut and paste in it's entirety from an email that I had received that I found interesting and at no point did I state that I was "trying to pass off" anything. So feel free to put your high horse back into it's stall. Unless of course you happen to be on of the local internet police in which case feel free to issue me a citation for poor form and I will in turn feel free to tell you where to place your citation.

PS: And that there was what is commonly referred to as a joke, so now feel free to un-bunch your panties

PSS: Oh never mind ... If I need to explain it further you wouldn't understand anyway...

[Dictator]

10 years later, the real story behind Columbine - USATODAY.com

Columbine was April 20, 1999 during the Assault Rifle Ban.

[GingerGunlock]

Originally Posted by Dictator

10 years later, the real story behind Columbine - USATODAY.com

Columbine was April 20, 1999 during the Assault Rifle Ban.

That was a good read, thank you for posting it.

[GRAYGHOST]

Just want to take time out to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

We are celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, so please honor him by doing a kindness to someone in need. Our family will gather on Christmas day to honor family, and to eat good Southern food, but most of all we will thank Jesus for his many blessings on our family, and on America.

This Christmas season we have tried to honor our Lord by helping others; among other things one of our granddaughters, with her 4-H Group, gave out presents at a childrens hospital, and my wife gave the cost of a present that she wanted to a family in need, and our Church has helped several people in America, and elsewhere. I am not bragging, but if everyone did just a little just think about how many people can be helped.

[GRAYGHOST]

I am running a little late, but I just wanted to say Happy New Year.

Please pray for America in the coming year as the economy can not help but get worse with the lack of leadership in Washington. The real cost of Obummer Care will hit your wallet with new taxes, and Obummer will really feel free to continue destroying the Constitution, and remaking America into an anti-Christian, socalist/communist country.

[falnfenix]

sorry, but this whole anti-Christian crap annoys me.

this nation is made up of people from all religions and all walks of life. Christians may have created it, but they certainly are NOT the only people living in it now.

we have:
Muslims
Neo-Pagans
Jews
Buddhists
various native religions
other religions i don't even know how to categorize

we don't all have the same belief systems, nor do we all worship the same deity, so calling this country a Christian country really doesn't fit anymore.



that said: everyone in Washington needs to be fired, and the people we hire in need to be paid something close to minimum wage so they understand the difficulties normal people face. they need to reduce the amount of foreign aid they hand out to countries that already hate us, and they need to focus on actually resolving our problems before they try to fix political issues elsewhere.

[melbrod]

Fiscal Cliff Deal: $620 billion in revenue (why can't they call revenue by its proper name--TAXES), $15 billion in spending cuts

including $12.1B in Tax Credits to Wind Industry

'nuff said.

[VZ-Doberman]

The movie industry got a special perks, too.

[River]

I read what I wrote and deleted it because I shouldn't post after I've had more than a couple of beers.

The snark was too much in this post.

Carry on.

[RottenVonSpotten]

Originally Posted by River

I read what I wrote and deleted it because I shouldn't post after I've had more than a couple of beers.

The snark was too much in this post.

Carry on.

I almost always regret the post-beer responses. I'm sure I would have enjoyed your post though

[falnfenix]

Originally Posted by River

I read what I wrote and deleted it because I shouldn't post after I've had more than a couple of beers.

The snark was too much in this post.

Carry on.

dang. i agreed with what you said. not all Christians are bad. i know plenty who are perfectly fine human beings. it's the loudest who really cause problems.

[VZ-Doberman]

The problem is that our politicians have an elevated view of themselves. Once they hit DC they forget all about who put them there. They need some average joe to have time on the floor of congress and explain just how out of touch they are. They vote themselves raises, they only show up to vote on occasion, when the country is in dire straits they leave. They approve "fact finding junkets" for themselves, their families, their hangers on and who ever else they want to tote around all on the taxpayer. If they don't show up and work then their paychecks should reflect their absence. You only work 1/2 the time you only get 1/2 your paycheck. In the midst of this looming fiscal cliff our wonderful congressmen enjoyed a movie. Gee, I wonder how much that cost us besides taking time away from what they should have been concentrating on.

Their priorities and their overinflated opinions of their importance is mind boggling.

We need to fire them. Set term limits on everyone. Teddy Kennedy and some others spent waaaaay too much time in DC.

Muck the stalls and start fresh. Every state should begin recall notices on the SOBs who have held this country as prisoner to their political and personal whims.

[River]

Originally Posted by falnfenix

dang. i agreed with what you said. not all Christians are bad. i know plenty who are perfectly fine human beings. it's the loudest who really cause problems.

Thanks, I do appreciate it.

But I am trying hard to be more respectful in my tone. That doesn't happen when I have a couple of beers and then read something that turns on the snark.

I know it's just the vocal Christians who are causing problems. I think what I wrote made it sound way too much like I was talking about all of them.

And that's just not fair of me.

[dobermansrule]

Originally Posted by melbrod

Fiscal Cliff Deal: $620 billion in revenue (why can't they call revenue by its proper name--TAXES), $15 billion in spending cuts

including $12.1B in Tax Credits to Wind Industry

'nuff said.

The "Wind Industry" is politicians and my emissions after a good pizza