Southington will no longer be destroying videogames to raise awareness on gun violence.
The United States' reaction to the school shooting at Sandy Hook was a familiar one. Not so long ago, when the Columbine shooting occurred, politicians and parents directed blame at Marilyn Manson's music. Now, the same people who once had their eye on violent music are scapegoating violent videogames.
Last week, Polygon reported that Southington, a town in Connecticut not too far from Newtown, was planning on holding a drive to collect and destroy videogames. SouthingtonSOS, the community holding the drive, claimed that their goal wasn't to attack videogames, but to try and prompt discussions between parents and children. However, should parents be unable to hold a discussion with their children about violent videogames, then the group encourages the parents to bring the games to the drive and destroy them.
Now, Polygon reports that SouthingtonSOS has decided to nix its drive, which was to be held on January 12.
"We succeeded in our program," said SouthingtonSOS spokesman Dick Fortunato. "Our mission was to create strong awareness in Southington for parents and families and citizens and children. And we accomplished that. Our other objective was to promote discussion of violent video games and media with children and with the families at the home. And we've accomplished that in spades."
Fortunato also stated that the drive's trade-in program, which would allow parents to trade in violent media (videogames were specified, but other forms of entertainment could be traded in) for gift certificates for other, more family friendly forms of entertainment, would be a logistical problem. However, the program will honor giving out gift certificates to parents that have opened a discussion with their children. The details on how that will work out is still to be determined, although it'd be interesting to see how parents will provide proof that they initiated any sort of talks with their children.
How did they decide the goals were attained, anyways? Some sort of "Mission Accomplished" banner? There is no reference to any data collected and processed to indicate that.
This is a gun-based culture. Guns are not regarded only as tools, they are almost worshiped. That is not going to change anytime soon, so it is not a question IF the next massacre will happen, just WHEN and WHERE.
Even the best videogame does not stand a chance when compared to any movie in terms of realism. Maybe they should have started with their TV sets. Not to mention the insane amount of media coverage given to these lunatics, turning them into some modern-era public figures.
Trying to get extra free space on Dropbox.
I'm also wondering how this kid focused system would have stopped the 20 year old that sparked this "initiative".
And all this gun-banning BS... look at numerous lunatics chopping up 25+ people with knives/axes in China... what now we have to ban everything sharp? Ban fertilizer? Ban household chemicals? Anyone thinking that "banning" anything will fix any of these people from future massacres is a naive fool.
The similarities between the United States today and the beginnings of tyrannical dictatorships of history are quite disturbing. People think that dictators barged their way in, in a way they did but the people cheered for them and praised them as saviors when they first came into power.
you can stfu. one of those little girls uncles is my grand parents neighbors that loved coming out to his lake house in the summers and picking flowers and vegetables with my grandma in her garden.
Because there is no other way to commit mass murder besides taking a gun into a public location. It's amazing how other countries like Britain which have VERY strict anti-gun laws don't have any mass murders. Nope, never happens. Nobody puts cyanide gas bombs in subways in Britain...Nope, homicidal maniacs ONLY use guns.
Someone that is actually PARENTING. Hmmm who'd of thought this might be the solution
Good job mage182
Huh... Someone actually Parenting. Who'd of thought this might be the solution...
Good job Mage182 glad to see some people are still doing it
Because you're reading it and posting to the article about it. DUH!!!
Violent people will seek ways to act violently. Anything can inspire a violent person to act violently. Murder has existed as long as humans have. Blaming music, movies which are new relative to span of human existence, and games which are even newer, is at best misunderstanding the basis of the problem. I happen to think that guns are likewise not the primary culprit. But we better think about limiting guns way before we start limiting games, movies, and music. A crazed person may still find a way to kill, but it's a lot harder to go on a killing spree with a knife than it is with a gun dumping out dozens of rounds in a few seconds.
If children can't distinguish between reality and their games, then that is a parenting issue vice an entertainment (games, movies, etc) problem.
Lol.... You mean that knife attack that killed no one.
Yea, not a good idea to bring that up while defending guns.