A fresh new contraversy!

[pumba]

Greetings all and welcome to pumba's corner, where anythign may be discused and everyone's input is welcome!

(How was that for a first line)
Now on with the rant!

I spent about an hour on the phone the other evening with a well known and very nice lady in my comunity. She is one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Unfortunately she and I were discusing an issue that I have a hard time with and she was pushing. To give a bit of backgruoud, she is the leader of the "Christian Coalition" in our little community. By the way, this is not a problem to me because of my religous belief but rather because it is another instance of people trying to govern morality, which in my opinion is between whoever and God. In fact I did attend the same church as she at one time. By the way, the Christian Coalition is the folks that go to the City Council meetings when issues like outlawing the sails of Pornographic movies and mags, and selling alcohol on Sunday are on the table, and of course they oppose these things.

Any way, the new agenda is video games. We have a small business in our town that is not only an ISP but they also have a lan center. They have about 12 computers on line that whoever in the area can go in and for $4.00 an hour play games, stay off the streets, not drink beer, and not smoke dope. They also have PS2 and X-Box. Anyway, I am sure you have all seen the issue with the game Grand theft Auto on the news. This is what spawned their problem with this lan center because if you are at least 18 years old, you can rent this game there and play it on the PS2. The games that are mostly played are Battlefield 1942, Counterstrike, Half Life, Battlefield 2, and other war simulation games.

THis bunch is now starting a thing trying to get the City to outlaw this game center. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS FUN!!!!!!!!!!!! What in the world is this. She told me during her quest to make me think this place was evil and needed to be abolished, that "Ted Bundy was a nice man untill he saw a Playboy magazine" and that is what made him kill all thoes people. She also told me that she read that a young boy was adicted to video games and this made him go out and kill 8 cops... And on and on and on and on!

What is this world comming to. Is there a direct link between killers and things like porn and video games. Maby, but not only thoes things, and thoes things coupled with other indicators are only personality charicteristics of thoes who are killers. Acording to her, these kids playing these games are going to start killing people all over the world. I tried to explain to her that any one of them things are not the cause of the bad behavor, but say someone who wets the bed, burns things, torchers animals, and plays violent video games or watches porn is probably someone who will do very bad things. She couldn't grasp the concept that they are BAD, and thier being bad brings them to embrace the above listed things, and not only one of them things, but multiple, and usually all of them.

Why in the world in today's society, do we insist on taking personal responcibility out of every bad thing that someone does, and finding blame somewhere else. Why is it that it is always someone elses fault that a dirt bag kills someone rather than just because he was an evil sadistic person, and will always be that person. This is no diferent that the lady that sued McDonalds because she spilled hot coffie on her lap and they had the odasity to not have a warning on the cup that the contents were hot. ARGGGGGGGGG! What did she think the coffee was cold. Was it usually cold. I always thaught coffie was served hot. How in the world did she win that. Or like the guy that sued an elderly couple because there dog bit him on the leg. He won millions for pain and suffering. (Stop before you side with that man for a moment) In this case this man sued from inside the walls of a prison, and was bit by the dog while he was breaking into their house!! HE WON!

It wasn't the lady's fault she was a bit clumbsy that day and burnt herself with coffee, it was McDonalds because they didn't label the cup.

It wasn't the fault of the dirt bag who broke into a house and got bit,,,NOOOOOO it was the fault of the elderly man and woman, they shouldn't have had the odasity to own a dog and keep it loose INSIDE THEIR HOME, heaven forbid someone break in, they might get bit, and we can't have that.

This kind of links back to that Cop thing I posted before, and sorry about this but I am getting tired of people trying to have government legislate morality. I can't help but feel it is the personal responsibility of parents to raise their kids, and of one's self to do what is right.

Like the saying, "It takes a neighborhood to raise a child." HA, that is milarkey, My mom and dad raised me, with a soft hug or kiss and a iron hand, which ever was needed at the time. Personal Responcibility, what ever happened to it? Argggg, Raaaaaaa, ERRRRRRRR!

And that concludes todays episode of Pumba's corner. May you all have a plesant evening, and come back next week when we will discuse whatever comes up. Or even hav a guest speeker........

Cheers
Ray

[tigerlily]

Ray I completely agree with you. It irritates me to no end, that people like that win lawsuits. They should be smacked for their stupidity not awarded tons of money. Responsibilty has gone out the window, and you can blame everything on your upbringing or some elusive mental disease. Bologna. If people were held accountable for their own actions, we might get somewhere but it's not gonna happen anytime soon. Ok, now that you got me all riled up....when's that guest speaker coming?

[Coyotemoon]

[begin sarcasm]Don't ya just love this wonderful country we live in. I just so enjoy others telling me what is morally right and informing me of what I should and shouldn't be subjected to. I'm 32 years old and I'm in no position to make those life changing decisions on my own. I'm glad that there are those that are ready and willing to make them for me.[/end sarcasm]
I think it's a crock. Stupid people piss me off. When are we gonna learn that all these stupid lawsuits, ignorant laws, excessive censorship, and lenient punishments are killing this country? I view censotship as a violation of my rights. What gives someone else the right to tell me what I can and cannot see or hear? I'm not a child. Parents censor their children and teach them what they need to know about the world but damn it, don't censor me. If I want to hear curse words on TV or see sex scenes, that's my choice. Violent video games and movies can't make someone go out on a killing spree. We all have the capacity within us for good and evil. Those with a predisposition for evil can possibly be triggered by these things but for the average person violent games and movies will not cause them to go kill people. I mean if you gonna do away with violent video games then I guess all those games depicting war have to go as well. We don't want people playing them then getting that itch and joining the millitary so they can go over to another country and kill people. Heaven forbid. To all those out there who would try to censor me, I have two words for you - "Bite Me." I'm not gonna go any furture cause I'll go off on a tangent and you'll never get me to shut up. Just remember kids, a little common sense goes a long way.

[rubbertoe]

I know I'm brand-spankin' new here, But I must say I agree with poo-poo on frivolous law suites BUT... as far as the old lady w/ the coffee... She had her lid impropperly placed on the cup by a McDodo tard. It was thier fault it spilled as she sat down in her seat. Also, she had originaly only asked THAT McDodos HELP her with the Dr. bill (22,000) it was an extream burn to a very sensitive area. They in so many words told her to "feck off". She then had no recorse but to sue them. She then only wanted Dr. bills + lawyer and court costs. They desided to drag in 20 lawyers and try to defame her and slandered her in court. Even after her multi million dollar award they spent twice that amount on thier defense and tied up the court system for 3+ years. They should have payed the 22K and this would have NEVER been news. Instead they spent 35+ million to drag this poor lady through the mud. Any-way, I just had to let that out, SORRY!!!!

[PrincessErica]

Pumba: E-mail her this link: http://gr.bolt.com/articles/violence/violence.htm

It's an article about how youth crime has actually declined since all these supposedly "overly violent" video games have become mainstream. Lots of pretty charts and such. It's an interesting read for all these people who are positive that GTA and the like are creating a violent society of displaced youth.

What I don't understand is why they're trying to shut this video game place down if the people who are playing the games are over 18? I could possibly understand if they were letting anyone who wanted to play the MA games, but c'mon, they're ADULTS. The store is obeying the rules by not letting kids play their games, where's the problem?? Are we as adults so incapable of making our own decisions that we need someone who doesn't know a thing about us to be making the decisions for us? I HATE that crap. If you want to live your life that way, by all means. But who the hell are you to say that's the way I have to live mine?! What makes your way of life soooo much better than mine? I can't stand people who think they're better (or more right in their way of thinking) than everyone else. Makes me literally sick to my stomach. RAWR.

[pumba]

I still disagree with the whole McDonalds thing. Back to personal responcibility, if you have a cup with hot contents, keep it pointed upwright unless you are drinking it. This is why people who are drinking coffee in cups with no lids don't get burned. The auspice for the win on that case was lack of warning. This is why if you go there and get coffee, there are warnings all over the cups. Also I realize this is a sensitive area, but commmon, $22,000 in dr bills? If the coffee was at a boil, I could see it, but it aint. I have dumped coffee over on myself before, and it was coffee from McD's, Fresh, (MY fault by the way) and other than a few moments of discomfort, and alot of embarasment, it was over, No blisters, no burns. I ain't buying it. That was a farce for themoney all of the way. I agree that they probably could have gotten away with just paying her origonal asking price for the buy off, but I would have faught that as well. That is just my opinion.

CHeers
Ray

[Strider]

A part from snakes my life is video games pretty much. I hate it when ppl say that video games make you stupid and evil. I am really into the medal of honor series. Playing those games has made me more interested in history cause i want to know what happened at those battles that i play in. I know that sounds kinda wierd but its true.

[frankykeno]

Interesting thread...here's my .02 cents.

As far as the Grand Theft Auto game, it's been pulled from Wal-Mart and from Blockbuster (rental) apparently because of the hidden sexual content. Okay I get that and as a parent I understand that hidden content is unethical. With 4 kids I do appreciate rating labels on games and music and movies to assist in making decisions about what is appropriate. Please note I said assist...not decide for me what or what not myself or my children should be exposed to.

What I don't get is the game was already rated Mature and therefore should not be available for someone under 18 to rent or buy anyways so what was the point pulling it? One of our local rental places that pulled it rents out adult movies. Again I'm confused....I can not rent a video game but I can rent a sleazy DVD that could as easily get into my minor children's hands as a mature game could if I can't be bothered to make some smart parenting decisions.

I do believe in community responsibility but I believe a helluva lot more in parental responsiblity. It ticks me off no end (here comes the soapbox) when society allows and even encourages this whole "poor me I'm a victim" mentality. Let's just blame everyone else for how we act or how our kids turn out...society...video games...movies....music. How sad is it to blame an outside issue like that, when in my mind it's about setting an example in how you live your life for your kid's to see. The world is full of pressures and poor role models, I figure it's my job as a mom to say..."well you will make your own decisions one day, for now I will help you and more importantly show you right from wrong".

None of my kid's are perfect, neither my husband or I are perfect but at least we try and we don't go around blaming this or that when one of our kid's messes up. We went through some tough stuff with our oldest during her early teen years....hard as it was we faced it and more importantly made her face it. No excuses. No blame. No poor me I couldn't help myself. No bad cop picked on me. She did wrong, we helped her stand and face it. I think we all learned something.

So I guess in the end my mind set is....life happens...you deal with it straight up....no excuses. If life did give you a lot to handle or you didn't have the best set of choices....you still have a choice....victim or survivor. I think there's a lot more self-respect in the second choice but that's just my .02 cents.


~~Jo~~

[rabernet]

Actually, on the McDonald's thing, I was listening to Handle on the Law (I think that's how you spell his last name) which is on talk radio. People call in with questions about different legal situations.


He brought up the McDonald's case and said that it was never presented to the public the way it happened. What happened was that the cups that McDonald's was using at the time were not proper for that amount of heat and what happened was that the bottom of the cup fell out and the hot coffee scalded her private areas and he had seen the pictures and they were SEVERE burns.

He is also against frivolous lawsuits, but in this case said that this suit was justified.

I was not aware of that before I heard it. As a result of this case, McDonald's re-designed their coffee cups to withstand the heat of freshly brewed coffee.

[Adam_Wysocki]

I normally don't get involved with threads like this, but I couldn't resist commenting on the ethics of what WalMart chooses to sell and not sell.

Did you know that any kid can walk into any WalMart and for $7.38 (in most places) purchase a copy of the movie "Platoon" on DVD on which they can watch a scene where actors Kevin Dillon ("Bunny") and Charlie Sheen ("Taylor") basically torture a paraplegic, mentally challenged Vietnamese child by shooting at his foot and making him "dance" as well as a scene where a group of soldiers are caught gang raping a Vietnamese girl that is obviously meant to appear under the age of 18?

(BTW, much of the ammunition used in the Columbine massacre was also purchased at Walmart).

But, Walmart won't sell a video game with a "mature content" warning on it because there is a possibility that there are a couple of kids out there that may or may not be smart enough to hack professionally manufactured and copyright protected software and apply an internet download (also a hack not released by the manufacturer) that shows simulated intercourse between 2 digitized characters without displaying genitalia?

I'm certainly not a tree hugger or looking to take long walks in a park with Michael Moore, but .... as a parent, I think WalMart sucks!

-adam