Stop Blaming Video Games.

Why am I not surprised. What is it about people in positions of influence that feel compelled to defer culpability to things? Stuff. Inatimate objects or possessions. The tragic, yet all too familiar atrocities committed in Ohio and Texas couldn’t possibly be inspired by elicit ideologies that provoke a misguided hatred towards others? No, it must be because they got a little upset losing their fake money, in a virtual casino while playing a make believe character in GTA. These are the same recycled arguments you hear from politicians and journalists all the time, that can’t accept blame for their own negative influences. This kind of projected ignorance, though not exclusively reserved for the US, only further exacerbates the government’s lack of accountability to address the real underlying issues.

Being a UK resident, since you know, birth, I see similar attitudes towards gaming by our own media. That somehow video games, specifically those with violent depictions are threatening the minds of the most vulnerable. Which has always seemed strange to me considering that the GTA’s and Call of Duty’s of this world are rated 18 or mature. Which means not for kids. Almost as if they’re regulated by some governing body that deems content unsuitable for children. We live in a society where we can blindly accuse, and if said with enough conviction can be considered reasonable testimony. Seemingly truth and fact are easily manipulated. There’s simply no correlation that the tragedies inflicted on those stateside is in anyway being informed by video games that these individuals may or may not have played. It’s like blaming a Hedgehog for climate change, not that such a thing exists in the twisted mind of Trump.

Mass shootings, particularly in schools is almost entirely representative of the United States facilitation of gun culture. Its a way of life there that I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable with. Access to firearms is inhibited by laws here in the UK, and it isn’t a coincidence that gun crime is significantly lower than those across the Atlantic. I don’t pretend to know all the answers, I’m not in any way a political analyst. But you can’t tell me that it’s entirely coincidental that a country with limitations on accessing guns, doesn’t suffer from gun crime? The US second amendment clearly stipulates the right to bear arms, for the purposes of defence, not mass murder. So much like religion, interpretation is used to conflate an individuals proclivities, not to accurately enforce what was written.

If there is anyone that’s indirectly liable for allowing such devasting occurances to persist, other than the parents, its the United States government, not video-games. Donald Trump, the literal embodiment of “Old man yells at cloud” has deflected responsibility from his own explicit intolerances, regularly flaunted on social media that only creates more division between people who should be unified against these horrific attacks. He, along with others have made it acceptable to endorse such a vile and inflammatory rhetoric, that has no statistical basis outside of the warped, bigoted little mind of a man full of pomposity and bluster, but has frankly achieved nothing during his administration. There’s no rigor. No diligence. No measurable ounce of complicity or accountability. Yet sadly people, similarly motivated feel encouraged by his remarks. That these ingrained discriminations they’ve been quietly concealing for years are now tolerated views. They’re not.

Video Games don’t hate. They don’t victimise players or incite violence. They don’t rally people to exploit genders, sexual preferences, skin colour or nationality. They certainly don’t advocate the radicalisation of individuals to buy weapons and use them against another living person. Donald Trump, and his obstinately loyal entourage should be no more threatened by video-games than rational people are by logic.

Video games don’t kill people, guns do. Get your priorities straight!