Who's a bigger threat to Video Games

Since the VT shooting, many folks in the gaming industry were bracing for onslaught of finger pointing that tends to go in their direction. This seemed like a good time to review just who really threatens gamers rights and what side of the fence we must watch.

Jack Thompson - Republican Attorney
"We intend to hurt Hollywood. We intend to hurt the video game industry...", “nobody shoots anybody in the face unless you’re a hit man or a video gamer.” [1, 2]

Claims video games are killing simulators designed to help killers perfect the murder rampages and that killing simulators are not constitutionally protected speech.

VT Actions-
Grandstanding on Fox News and any other News program that has airtime to burn. Specifically blaming Counter-Strike for the massacre.

Past Actions taken (many referred from Wikipedia)-

• Filed in federal district court on behalf of the parents of three children killed in the Heath High School shooting in 1997 and gaming industry.
• File a lawsuit in Tennessee state court in October 2003 on behalf of the victims of two teenage stepbrothers who had pled guilty to reckless homicide, endangerment, and assault against Take-Two Interactive (GTA3)
• Supported a campaign to discourage Rockstar Games, from releasing a game called Bully
• File a lawsuit in Alabama in 2005 against Take-Two Interactive
• Sent a letter to Midway Games, demanding they cease and desist selling the latest game in the Mortal Kombat series
• In September 2006, Thompson filed a suit in New Mexico against Sony, Take-Two, Rockstar Games for the wrongful death of three members of Posey's family.
• Threatened to block Take-Two sales, resulting in Take-Two filing in March 2007
• Supported legislation in a number of states that would ban sales of violent and sexually explicit video games to minors (regardless of ratings).

Hillary Clinton - Democrat Senator
"a silent epidemic"

Claims laws should better define and be enforced to protect minors from violent content.

VT Actions-
"It really raises is the need to enforce the laws that we already have and to work with states so that they have the resources and the specific requirements as to what they're supposed to do. "
No comment that I know of about video games.

Past Actions taken-

• Proposed legislation to ban sales to minors of games rated “M” for Mature
• In 2005 requested an investigation be launched into the impact of games and other electronic media on the "cognitive, social, emotional and physical development" of children
• Introduced the Family Entertainment Protection Act, intended to protect children from inappropriate content found in video games. (well, I don't really see how this hurts the industry, but I'm scraping the barrel here)

In Conclusion, it seems that Clinton is a champion out to protect minors from violent media, much how it works for the movie industry, while Thompson is out to end violent video games in all its form. Although I'm a strong believer that both Democrats and Republicans are bad for this country, it would seem its the Christian conservative Republicans that gamers need to keep an eye on and keep out of power.