Classical anti-violence speech. I don't want to reject it automatically, though I think he gives unproven suppositions much often than arguments. But I'd like to reply to that one :

"when I was a kid there were disaffected students, students who felt ostracized … but they didn’t shoot up their schools. Something has changed."

True, but in the 60's, although students didn't shoot up their schools, some of them thought about it, and maybe wanted to do it. How can I say that ? Just read Stephen King's first novel, "Rage", that he wrote when he was a teenager, then published years later under the nickname of Richard Bachman. In this book, a bullied kid kills one of his teachers, takes his classmates into hostages, and ends up crazy.

For info, this book was found in the desk of Michael Carneal, the Paducah shooter. Of course I'm not saying Carneal killed because of "Rage" (or "Doom" or "Basketball Diaries"). But I guess I can understand why he liked this book. And I guess King wrote at that time what a lot of bullied kids had in mind. All they need was one of them to pull the trigger, and that's what happened.

"...when we see so plainly that our society is cruder and our crime rates are rising?"

I can't really say I can "plainly" see this. Classic "begging the question" argument.

Thing is, it's not that violence has increased at all. 25 years ago hitting your son with a large piece of wood was considered discipline, now it's considered abuse. You can't move the goalposts and then complain because the scores have changed.

“…but can we ignore the connection when we have evidence of many who do…”

I hate arguments like this. There are millions of people who play videogames, and how many people who have actually done anything like shoot up a school? Even compared to the overall amount of violence (about 2,500 cases in 1997, so it's probably lower by now), that's not a whole lot.

It's another case of parental responsibility. In the 60's, you could beat the message into your kid. Now, it's illegal.

He doesn't slander the crap out of us, but he ignores the lowering crime rates.

Just out of curiosity: I know that a lot of these critics bitch about crime rates going up, but I keep on seeing articles pointing out that violent crime is actually on the decline. Does anyone have a definite answer about which version is correct?

@vansau
According to a report put out by the FBI (sadly, I don't have a link), violent crime has been going down at a pretty steady rate ever since the PlayStation was released. In particular, violent crime in the 13-17 year old bracket was at an all time low. The report is a couple of years old now, but it still makes an important point.

The stats that more school shootings are happening though, is complete bull. As long as there's been guns, there's been kids bringing them to school to shoot someone. It's just that the advent of semi-auto and full-auto guns that don't require 3 people and a truck make it easier to do MORE damage than those of yesteryear who just brought a pistol to class...

Don't look now, but there seems to be a serial killer targeting prostitutes in the UK. How long until we hear about GTA being the cause?

I bet Jack the Ripper played plenty GTA...

To counter bull that media and others like to tell, that it was my generation(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_generation) that started school killings go here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster

for some more school killings go here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_shooting

Barton R. Peterson loves the post-hoc argument.

So when he was growing up, people weren't shooting each other? What about the fact that back in the 1950's and 1960's the Ku Klux Klan killed as many people as they wanted and got off almost all the time? When they integrated the schools in 1954 after Brown vs. the Board of Topeka, white children treated black children very badly. What about that? What about the fact that forty and fifty years ago, hate crimes against black people were practically allowed. They usually got away with it because, in most cases, their members were the law. So how about all these interesting things that were going on when you were growing up, Governor?

Violence in our society is escalating? That's totally untrue. Violence is down a bunch from when the Klan ruled the south and they didn't just exist in the south. There were some Klansmen in the north too. In fact, in the 1920's, one of their main headquarters was in Indianapolis. Governor, you don't even know the history of the city that you're in. Violence and crime are up? That's a 100% lie. This governor guy is retarded if he actually believes that America is more violent today than it was fifty years ago. He should ask Reverand Jesse Jackson about that. These facts destroy the idea that violent video games are making America more violent.

Maybe there weren't school shootings back then, but, over all, there was a lot more violence and a lot of it was because of racism. Hate crimes and racism are looked down on today and aren't allowed anymore. Violence is going down, not up, so, Governor, why don't you study history and get your facts straight before making a moron out of yourself? Hell, you were alive when America was a very violent place.

What about the break down of the family unit? 40+ years ago the divorce rate was lower, there were a lot less homes where both parents had to work to just get by.... Besides that, I seem to recall there being uproars regarding the Beatles and some guy called Elvis

@ Father Time

I agree with you partially. I agree that violence is in decline. In fact, that's what I was saying up there. People aren't violent and racist like they were forty and fifty years ago. However, I like David Chappele and Carlos Mencia. They rock and they don't make people crude at all, dude. This governor is a loser and he is just another lying politician trying to get votes to win again. If he learns anything from what happened in Louisiana and Illinois, he won't bring any law suits against the industry because he'll lose and then Indiana will owe the video game industry money like Lousiana and Illinois.

didnt the 50-60s have fight clubs where "gangs" or groups of upstanding white males beat the hsit out of each tehr now and then?
bullying was at tis best then "thier jsut childeren"
*shudders*

Mr.Mayor
old one reiter and leave this world for you do not bring anything good with you...

Mr: Peterson,

Please help us with this Tax Problem, we will be losing our homes we are
in a depression right now. i have called marion county office and i asked,
when do we have to pay the taxes for november she said the 13th Nov. 2007, i said is not that to quick? how will we come up with that money so quick please Mr Peterson do some thing about this situation we all be homeless i am dealing with this taxes, and insurance my husband has blood clot and every insurance has turned him down we are at your mercv
plus we cannot afford any insurance Help!Help! Help!

it's not the games that make the kids do violent things!!!! It is the people around them!! every time i have seen a crime on tv about a kid shooting up a school is not because of the games and stuff....it is always i hear of other kids beating on them and no one doing anything about it and it tics me off!!!!!