More GTA “Copy Cat” Crimes
Nassau County police had a busy night on Tuesday reigning in what are being described as “video game inspired crimes”. Six youths went on a bit of a spree, allegedly mugging a man outside of a super market, attempting a car-jacking, and damaging vehicles with a variety of weapons, including a crowbar, a bat, and a broomstick. The mugging began the string of violent behaviour, as a man waiting for the bus at the end of his night shift was kicked, punched, and beaten severely before the gang made off with a small amount of cash and a cell phone. They then blocked a road, menacing a BMW driver with their makeshift weapons and made for a car-jacking…they got some cigarettes and that was about it, before the woman drove off and called police. The driver of a van was also victim to the pointless rampage, having his van bashed with a bat. Police suspect there might be other, unreported incidents. All were rounded up and charged as adults (the majority with first degree robbery) on Thursday. Two of the teens also have prior records, suggesting that this isn’t necessarily a case of the pure and innocent suddenly becoming corrupted by GTA.
I have never, despite growing up through decades of blood and gore, thought to emulate what I saw on screen. My grasp of right/wrong and reality made even the thought sound incredibly stupid. I hardly think that I was so special and mature to be alone in that thinking. So what about these kids in particular makes them unable to separate the two? I know this latest crime spree is going to ignite another round of anti-video game sentiment, but I’d like to look at it from another perspective…rather than actually thinking that these kids are copying Niko’s antics in the game, do these people ever think that they’ve given naughty kids a very, very convenient path to explain, rationalize, and excuse their behaviour? With all the media fervour, there ain’t a gamer out there that isn’t aware of the controversy, and kids are a heckuva lot smarter than a lot of adults give them credit for. Do something illegal and get caught? Or want to rebel and do something illegal. Blame it on a video game in order to generate some righteous indignation, through attention off of you and what you’ve done, and sit back to watch the circus spin. It’s a very easy out, and though you’re still legally responsible for your actions, you’ve just created a defense and a whole new lawsuit of your own to start. Awesome.
The only thing that they don’t really take into account is the damage they’re doing to the reputation of the gaming industry, and the hard-working people that create this entertainment for us.
As an aside, I think the whole think is actually the Red Hot Chilli Peppers fault..clearly. Check out the Newsday link below to see what I mean.
Tags: Gaming, grand theft auto, GTA, rocktar, video game violence, video games, violenceRelated Stories
POSTED IN: News
1 opinion for More GTA “Copy Cat” Crimes
Anna Peterson
Jun 29, 2008 at 6:55 pm
If kids are going on crime sprees because they’re bored…..I don’t think video games are the source of the problem.
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