Hillary Clinton: Video games "major threat"

[basso]

Hillary lies down with the dogs...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-1543329,00.html

--
Hillary opens up morality war on violent video games
John Harlow in Los Angeles and Sarah Baxter in New York
VIOLENT video games such as Grand Theft Auto, in which players peddle drugs and steal cars to become top gangster, have been condemned by Hillary Clinton as a “major threat” to moral health.

“Children are playing a game that encourages them to have sex with prostitutes and then murder them,” the senator and former first lady said. “This is a silent epidemic of media desensitisation that teaches kids it’s okay to diss people because they are a woman, they’re a different colour or they’re from a different place.”

Clinton, who is expected to seek the Democrats’ presidential nomination in 2008, has teamed up with two archconservative Republican senators, Rick Santorum and Sam Brownback. They want President George W Bush and Congress to launch a $90m (£48m) investigation of the impact of electronic media on children’s “cognitive, social, emotional and physical development”.

Clinton has been declaring her shared values with Republicans on issues as diverse as abortion and the war on terrorism. Her campaign against video game violence has alarmed right-wing opponents of her expected bid for the White House.

L Brent Bozell, president of Parents Television Council, an influential conservative watchdog, said: “Hillary’s would-be Republican competitors had better take notice. She is successfully outflanking them on a hugely important issue she intends to make her own.”

Clinton’s attack was delivered at a childcare symposium hosted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, which studies children’s leisure habits.

Its latest research shows that daily use of computer and video games by children has virtually doubled since 1999 to nearly two hours. Violent games are a favourite with teenage boys.

Researchers from the University of Oklahoma recently found that two-thirds of school fights were instigated by regular video game players, but only 4% were started by children who had never played such games.

Other studies showed that violent games would not cause serious problems in healthy families, but could do so in families where children were left alone for many hours.

Dick Morris, an adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton in their White House years, said that Hillary was following a playbook he had devised with her.

Polls undertaken for her had shown that women were perceived as better than men on issues involving children and education, while men led on foreign policy.

She was “using that stereotype to help her candidacy”, Morris said, by pursuing family issues while becoming “hawkish” on defence.

[MR. MEOWGI]

“This is a silent epidemic of media desensitisation that teaches kids it’s okay to diss people because they are a woman, they’re a different colour or they’re from a different place.”

diss?

[wouldabeen23]

OH JESUS....Hillary....LAY-OFF!! This parental advisory thing has gone to far, ask Tipper Gore!

Somebody, post a pic of Dee Snider during the conressional hearings



Gotta love this bit:

Researchers from the University of Oklahoma recently found that two-thirds of school fights were instigated by regular video game players, but only 4% were started by children who had never played such games.

Do you think it's reasonable to assume that there are only about 4% of children who DON'T play video games?? :D

Look, I'm a Liberal--really more libertarian than anything but I can call out the leaders of my party out for being IGNORANT...ridiculous

[RocketMan Tex]

:eek: go the Republicans.

:D

She's just positioning herself for 2008. When she wins, it'll be back to the same old Hilary. W used this strategy to success in 2000. Remember "Compassionate Conservatism"? A misnomer that ranks up there with "military intelligence".

[Severe Rockets Fan]

Oh cmon that's ridiculous.

[SamFisher]

Idiot.

[bigtexxx]

I'm not sure that she's right on her point about video games encouraging people to have sex with prostitutes or kill people, but I think video games do in fact have a negative influence on kids through other means. I think there's probably a positive correlation between video game usage and obesity, and probably a negative correlation between video game usage and students' grades in school. In my opinion video games are a complete waste of time, unless purely viewed as entertainment. If the games are substituting for physical activity, schoolwork, or social interaction, then they are very harmful to children. When I have kids I will steer them towards more productive activities than playing video games - like sports, reading, and selective tv watching.

[RocketMan Tex]

Originally posted by bigtexxx
I'm not sure that she's right on her point about video games encouraging people to have sex with prostitutes or kill people, but I think video games do in fact have a negative influence on kids through other means. I think there's probably a positive correlation between video game usage and obesity, and probably a negative correlation between video game usage and students' grades in school. In my opinion video games are a complete waste of time, unless purely viewed as entertainment. If the games are substituting for physical activity, schoolwork, or social interaction, then they are very harmful to children. When I have kids I will steer them towards more productive activities than playing video games - like sports, reading, and selective tv watching.

Do you think violence in video games makes kids grow up to be more violent?

[insane man]

Originally posted by RocketMan Tex
Do you think violence in video games makes kids grow up to be more violent?

i for one definitely do. of course there are limits but showing violent images to kids repeatedly has to have an affect on their comfort-levels with violence no?

[Oski2005]

Ugh, the games are clearly marked as being for mature players only. Boo to you Hilary. Why don't we burn every copy of the Godfather because the children might learn that it's ok to murder etc?

This kind of pandering to the "moral" "majority" I can do without. I guess she believes you need to be a Joe Lieberman Demopublican to win.

[glynch]

What is next for Hilary? Coming to TExas to partake in the joy of watching lethal injections?

[JayZ750]

Originally posted by bigtexxx
I'm not sure that she's right on her point about video games encouraging people to have sex with prostitutes or kill people, but I think video games do in fact have a negative influence on kids through other means. I think there's probably a positive correlation between video game usage and obesity, and probably a negative correlation between video game usage and students' grades in school. In my opinion video games are a complete waste of time, unless purely viewed as entertainment. If the games are substituting for physical activity, schoolwork, or social interaction, then they are very harmful to children. When I have kids I will steer them towards more productive activities than playing video games - like sports, reading, and selective tv watching.

Midway Games is a $900 million market cap company. Activision - nearly $3 billion. Electronic Arts - $16 billion. Sega employs over 10,000 people.

You may think it is useless, but it is a big industry (though what industry isn't big...if it's gotten to the point where it can be described as an industry, it's big), where a lot of people can be extremely successful.

This is not a comment on the benefits of sports, reading, etc. When I have kids, they will likely be more comfortable in the outdoors than they will be at home playing video games, as well. But I'm sure there is a way to raise physically and mentally healthy and active children who also really like video games.

[ricky-retardo]

I have played a lot of video games in my time and I have never thought about having sex with a prostitute and then killing her. I have however briefly thought about taking off on an "insane jump" but then realized that I was in a real car. It was at that point when I started to slow my Grand Theft Auto time down.

[PhiSlammaJamma]

I'm a proponent of television and games. Let me tell you why.

1. TV + Video = Fat Lazy People = Invent technology + die alone = Improved Gene Pool
2. Invent Technology = Better Athlete = Natural selction of better athlete = improve gene pool athletically
3. Add more TV and Video Game = more Fat Lazy people.

So you can see by the equation. If you keep adding more and more TV/video games you will end up with an Athletic/dumb/highly technological society. Intelligence becomes irrelevant.

The cycle continues.

The cycle breaks down for people with no TV or video games.

Let me explain.
1. No TV/Video Game = Thin Woman (Eating disorder) and Gay Men.
2. Women who are depressed do not have sex with gay men
3. Population dies.

It's as simple as that.

Think about the equation and see if it applies. The equation always holds true mathematically.

Take an example. The American Basketball player has become dumber and dumber and every year they get bigger, jump higher, and run faster. They have more gadgets, do more social good, and prosper off fat people technology. They make more video games for fat lazy people. Cycle continues. The Evolution of the dumb american basketball player is inevitable. You cannot fight evolution and natural selection.

[gotoloveit2]

Originally posted by Oski2005
Ugh, the games are clearly marked as being for mature players only. Boo to you Hilary. Why don't we burn every copy of the Godfather because the children might learn that it's ok to murder etc?

This kind of pandering to the "moral" "majority" I can do without. I guess she believes you need to be a Joe Lieberman Demopublican to win.

I bet your kids, skipping their homeworks, sit in front of your tv watching Godfather over and over again. :rolleyes:

[Oski2005]

Originally posted by gotoloveit2
I bet your kids, skipping their homeworks, sit in front of your tv watching Godfather over and over again. :rolleyes:

:rolleyes:

When did I ever say I have kids (I'm a college student)? Even if I did have kids, what the hell does that have to do with anything and how exactly does your post relate to what I said? Read my post again, genius. I said "the games are clearly marked as being for mature players only." Was that too complicated for you to understand? I guess it was because here I am spelling out my point. Mature meaning for players who aren't children. Are you starting to see how illogical your response was yet? My point was that these games and movies are meant for adults, children aren't supposed to be playing them. How in the hell do you see that as me saying they are ok for kids? It's up to the stores who sell the games and the parents to keep them out of the hands of children. Now, I forgive you for your moment of intense stupidity, at least I hope it was a moment and not just you being yourself.

BTW, I bet you are one of those parents who are too lazy to raise your own kids, so you pawn off all of your responsibility on everybody else. "I'm too lazy to keep tabs on what my kids do, so if I bitch enough to get all adult things eliminated, I won't have to do jack sh*t."

[Invisible Fan]

Hillary is becoming a political Madonna. Her views are becoming closer and closer to Orthodox Jews. Joe Lieberman shouldn't be bitter. He should cash his ticket on the bandwagon.

Now for 20 more years of lousy mass marketed politics.

[gotoloveit2]

Originally posted by Oski2005
:rolleyes:

When did I ever say I have kids (I'm a college student)?

I said "the games are clearly marked as being for mature players only."

My point was that these games and movies are meant for adults, children aren't supposed to be playing them.

How in the hell do you see that as me saying they are ok for kids? It's up to the stores who sell the games and the parents to keep them out of the hands of children.


OK! Let me say if you have kids, I bet they sit in front of your tv watching ....... Does that make you feel better now? Please learn not to take every statement so literally. You might be able to think more clearly if you stop smoking those weeds of yours in your dormitory. By the way, a college student can have kids too, just in case you don't know.

My point was these types of games are much more ADDICTIVE and harmful than watching movies like Godfather. I am sure you have seen many kids watching Godfather over and over again, duh. Hey, may be you used to be one.

Never said you said that kind of games was ok for kids. How ON EARTH you would have read it that way. I guess it must be those weeds of yours again. :rolleyes:

If it's easy for kids to get a hold of cigarette and alcohol in this great society of ours, what makes you think it would be tougher for them to get a hand on those games. Oh, oh I forgot it's all their parents' faults, just like all those bad kids growing up in the projects. Damn all those parents who lost control of them. :rolleyes:

[FranchiseBlade]

This stance is ridiculous. The serial killer from Kansas was an active leader in his church. I don't see people saying that being an active church leader leads to serial killing.

There are violent video games in numerous other cultures that don't have the same problem with violence.

Video games can be a problem if kids aren't taught fantasy from reality. But then again so can history books, great books of literature etc.

[Invisible Fan]

ESPN's broadcast of Texas Hold'em Poker has led to a lot of betting in this topic....

[Band Geek Mobster]

This is just Hillary trying to position herself with closer to the center (arguably right of center) for her presidential campaign. Just about every public announcement/statement she has made since November has been a conservative nature. She probably doesn't even really believe what she says, she's just making a statement to appease the conservative leaning center. This is just modern politics at its worst.

[Oski2005]

Originally posted by gotoloveit2
OK! Let me say if you have kids, I bet they sit in front of your tv watching ....... Does that make you feel better now? Please learn not to take every statement so literally. You might be able to think more clearly if you stop smoking those weeds of yours in your dormitory. By the way, a college student can have kids too, just in case you don't know.

My point was these types of games are much more ADDICTIVE and harmful than watching movies like Godfather. I am sure you have seen many kids watching Godfather over and over again, duh. Hey, may be you used to be one.

Never said you said that kind of games was ok for kids. How ON EARTH you would have read it that way. I guess it must be those weeds of yours again. :rolleyes:

If it's easy for kids to get a hold of cigarette and alcohol in this great society of ours, what makes you think it would be tougher for them to get a hand on those games. Oh, oh I forgot it's all their parents' faults, just like all those bad kids growing up in the projects. Damn all those parents who lost control of them. :rolleyes:

People in Jr. High can have kids too, that doesn't mean it's a good idea. I pointed out that I was a college student because it is the REASON why I choose to not have kids.

Your argument is so swiss cheese it's not even funny. Have you ever heard the same people who advocate the banning of adult games going after cigarettes and alcohol? Yes, some kids get their hands on this stuff, but that hasn't led to the similar call to ban either.

"If it's easy for kids to get a hold of cigarette and alcohol in this great society of ours,what makes you think it would be tougher for them to get a hand on those games."

This is the point I'm trying to make. I'm saying the stores need to do a better job. There's no violent video game dealer standing on corners and selling games to kids. They have to buy them from stores. The onus is on the stores to not sell the games to children. Nothing is 100%, you can't prevent every single child from getting their hands on this stuff, but how is that the fault of the people who make it? Drugs are illegal, yet people of all ages still buy them. So of course it's possible for cigararettes, alcohol, and adult games to end up in the hand of underage people, but that doesn't mean you ban all of these things. Kids aren't supposed to drive cars, but sometimes people under 16 manage to get behind the wheel. Should we ban cars?

A game doesn't even need to be violent to be enthralling, either. If a kid plays Carmen Sandiego instead of doing their homework, they may know more about geography, but they still didn't do their homework. Who's fault is that? How hard is it for a parent to check on their kid every now and then to see what they are playing? It takes a minute. How hard is to check on your kids homework, not hard at all. Personal responsibility supposed to be a value of this "great society of ours."

"h, oh I forgot it's all their parents' faults, just like all those bad kids growing up in the projects. Damn all those parents who lost control of them. "

Jesus, did you just say most kids who grow up in poor neighborhoods are bad? I'm not surprised, you accused me of smoking weed just because I'm a college student. You have got some serious problems with stereotyping people. You are free to have your opinion, but my opinion is that your opinions are offensive. I'm guessing your asian, I hope you never meet somebody who thinks like you do and just assumes you are a terrible driver or something. That wouldn't be fair to you, just like it isn't fair for you to assume that kids from poor neighborhoods are all breaking the law or that all college students smoke marijuana. The problems in inner city ghettos and projects are a whole other topic, if you want to discuss that, start another thread and I will be more than happy to grace it with my well thought out opinions.

[Deckard]

*
(Double post!)

Keep D&D Civil!!

[Deckard]

Originally posted by Band Geek Mobster
This is just Hillary trying to position herself with closer to the center (arguably right of center) for her presidential campaign. Just about every public announcement/statement she has made since November has been a conservative nature. She probably doesn't even really believe what she says, she's just making a statement to appease the conservative leaning center. This is just modern politics at its worst.
Well, one might call it modern politics, but I wouldn't describe it as modern politics at it's "worst." Re-districting in Texas? The Supreme Court deciding the 2000 election? Lying to the country in order to go to war against another country that wasn't a clear and present danger to the Untited States? That, in my opinion, is "modern politics" at it's worst.


Agree that she's positioning herself for '08.



Keep D&D Civil!!