Facebook, Twitter, radio and television talk shows have lit up with thousands of people giving their opinions on what measures need to be taken to prevent acts like this from ever happening again.
Thus far, I've heard plenty about gun control which has seemed blatantly obvious since Columbine. However, politics has reigned king on this one and may continue to do so. I've even read a few more militant solutions which call for more guns in the form of security guards and policeman in schools and in other public places.
And then, similar to the anti-cigarette lobby, Hollywood was vehemently attacked for making R-rated films that glorify blood, guts, and killers that all suffer from severe psychological disorders with access to guns.
As for me, I've begun to realize that a different culprit lies in the shadows at places like Best Buy, Gamestop, and Target. And that's where you can find games like Halo and Grand Theft Auto. Despite the warnings on their labels about being appropriate for older children, many parents buy them for their pre-tween and tween boys.
I know this seems trite and an easy solution to explain away these violent acts, but let's look a little deeper and under the epidermis of these mass killings. The recent shooter in Newtown was found wearing a military vest that held significant ammunition, as well as several guns, including an assault rifle. In the mall shooting in Oregon the gunman was wearing another load-bearing vest which is a military style garment meant for carrying heavy equipment. The shooter at a movie theater in Colorado was wearing a helmet, vest, leggings, groin and throat protector. It was then that I remembered seeing a recent ad for the latest version of "Halo," and then the picture became even clearer.
Let me share a few stats with you. The game Halo is currently in it's fourth generation. The third version did $170 million in sales on it's first day, and Halo 4 surpassed that number with $220 million during it's debut. In total, these games have now made $3.4 billion for.....Microsoft, maker of Xbox.
Just ask yourself why deranged killers that walk into movie theaters, malls, and schools need all this weaponry and equipment to fight against defenseless patrons, teachers, and school children. F
irst, there isn't a threat. So no one's going to fire back. Masking yourself is also a fruitless exercise because in an abundant number of these cases, the shooter kills himself afterwards. Therefore, they're hiding from no one. The weapons themselves have predominantly been those used by the military and not civilians leading me to this solitary belief:
THESE KILLERS BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE IN A VIDEO GAME THAT DOESN'T REALLY EXIST
So, what can we do to stop it? Can you stand in front of Microsoft in Seattle and demand answers? Can we force Bill Gates or Steve Ballmer to invest enough money into the anti-gun lobby to move the needle? Will they ever stop making games like this?
Here are the short answers to the test. NO, NO, and NO.
But here's what we can do:
1- If you have a child that borders on having any diagnosed psychological condition, particularly those that are on medication, you should not be allowed to legally or morally purchase these games.
2- If you legally own a handgun, rifle, assault weapon, or whatever, you should be on a list and be banned from owning this game or those like it.
3- This one is for Hollywood. Do not make any more movies about Halo or any facsimile video game.
4- If your child exhibits violent tendencies, or is on medication to curb any behavioral disorder, it is the parents' responsibility to keep him out of any movies that glorify gun violence.
You need more proof of the connection? The killers are all male, and are all in their early 20's. They just had several years in front of their X-boxes and their movies watching how to execute. Studying, learning. These kids must be taken away from these screens. Not tomorrow, but today. Very few people decide to pick up a hobby like violent video games and movies in their 20's. They had years of practice. So, by the time they're of age, the guns are loaded and ready.
I don't know how to make this point any clearer. We can scream from rooftops, blast social media with our desires, solicit our congressman and we'll barely move the needle. But take children away from a world of fantasy where you kill for points and you'll make a difference.
Like most things in life, change begins at home.
I know this seems trite and an easy solution to explain away these violent acts, but let's look a little deeper and under the epidermis of these mass killings. The recent shooter in Newtown was found wearing a military vest that held significant ammunition, as well as several guns, including an assault rifle. In the mall shooting in Oregon the gunman was wearing another load-bearing vest which is a military style garment meant for carrying heavy equipment. The shooter at a movie theater in Colorado was wearing a helmet, vest, leggings, groin and throat protector. It was then that I remembered seeing a recent ad for the latest version of "Halo," and then the picture became even clearer.
Let me share a few stats with you. The game Halo is currently in it's fourth generation. The third version did $170 million in sales on it's first day, and Halo 4 surpassed that number with $220 million during it's debut. In total, these games have now made $3.4 billion for.....Microsoft, maker of Xbox.
Just ask yourself why deranged killers that walk into movie theaters, malls, and schools need all this weaponry and equipment to fight against defenseless patrons, teachers, and school children. F
THESE KILLERS BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE IN A VIDEO GAME THAT DOESN'T REALLY EXIST
So, what can we do to stop it? Can you stand in front of Microsoft in Seattle and demand answers? Can we force Bill Gates or Steve Ballmer to invest enough money into the anti-gun lobby to move the needle? Will they ever stop making games like this?
Here are the short answers to the test. NO, NO, and NO.
But here's what we can do:
1- If you have a child that borders on having any diagnosed psychological condition, particularly those that are on medication, you should not be allowed to legally or morally purchase these games.
2- If you legally own a handgun, rifle, assault weapon, or whatever, you should be on a list and be banned from owning this game or those like it.
3- This one is for Hollywood. Do not make any more movies about Halo or any facsimile video game.
4- If your child exhibits violent tendencies, or is on medication to curb any behavioral disorder, it is the parents' responsibility to keep him out of any movies that glorify gun violence.
You need more proof of the connection? The killers are all male, and are all in their early 20's. They just had several years in front of their X-boxes and their movies watching how to execute. Studying, learning. These kids must be taken away from these screens. Not tomorrow, but today. Very few people decide to pick up a hobby like violent video games and movies in their 20's. They had years of practice. So, by the time they're of age, the guns are loaded and ready.
I don't know how to make this point any clearer. We can scream from rooftops, blast social media with our desires, solicit our congressman and we'll barely move the needle. But take children away from a world of fantasy where you kill for points and you'll make a difference.
Like most things in life, change begins at home.
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