Tom Brokaw: Airing VA Tech Killer Videos Okay, But Blogs, Video Games "Cancerous"

Tom Brokaw: Airing VA Tech Killer Videos Okay, But Blogs, Video Games "Cancerous"

December 7, 2007
In a radio interview, former NBC newsman Tom Brokaw defended his network's decision to air psychotic, hate-filled video rants made by Virginia Tech killer Cho Seung Hui.

At the same time Brokaw termed blogs and video games "cancerous" in relation to the violence issue. Brokaw's comments came during a lengthy interview with talk radio host Hugh Hewitt:

HH: ...NBC ran the Virginia Tech killer tape on the day they obtained it. Steve Capus, Brian Williams made that decision. Did they make the right decision?

TB: Yeah, they did.

HH: Do you not think it’s going to incite other people to try to do the same thing?

TB: No, I don’t. I think… to get back to something we were talking about earlier in general thematic terms, I don’t think we’re doing a very good job about talking about violence in this country,  either. You know, Virginia Tech went away. We didn’t have any ongoing dialogue in our communities or on the air about the corrosive effect of violence.

It was not what he, what people saw of him on the air that will drive them, it’s what they read in blog sites, and what they see in video games. It’s that kind of stuff that I think is cancerous. And I’m a free speech absolutist, but I think that at the same time, we have to have free speech in some kind of a context. And part of that context is a discussion of the possible effects of it. 

HH: Would it have been better for NBC to talk to someone outside of NBC before they made that decision?

TB: Oh, we talked… I was not part of the decision, because I was out of town, and I got in here late, and learned what they were going to do, and I thought that they, I thought they handled it very well... 

(GP: Hewitt is ready to end the interview, but Brokaw won't let it go)

HH: On that note of disagreement, I want to once again tell people Boom!: Voices Of The 60’s, a wonderful book…

TB: Wait a minute. Why would you disagree with me? You’re… I mean, don’t you want to know, aren’t you a free speech absolutist? Don’t you want to know what’s going on?

HH: Oh, I absolutely do. I just think that to allow someone to manipulate the news that way incentivizes…

TB: But we did it in context. We didn’t put him up there and say this was a great heroic figure. 

HH: He won. And in fact…

TB: We showed how dark he was, and what the reality is. And it put a lot of campuses in this country on alert. And it’s changed… one of the things that I agree with the NRA is that if people have mental health records that are out there, people who sell guns should have access to them. 

HH: The Times of London noted just a couple of weeks ago after the berserk shooting in, I think it was Norway (GP: Finland, actually), that the pictures the man left of himself were eerily reminiscent of the Virginia Tech shooter, and raised the possibility that the NBC decision had incentivized him.

TB: Now that’s their speculation... But I can pick anything that goes on, and say that was a copycat crime of some kind... You’re really indicting a network and saying if there’s some kind of a mass murder, NBC’s going to be responsible...

(GP: ...isn't this what happens to video games?)

HH: Does what appears on television influence people, is what we’re asking, and I think it does, quite decidedly. 

TB: I think it’s not just television. What I said earlier is what we ought to be addressing, the whole fabric of the place of violence in our society...

Comments

So, wait, BLOGS are evil now? Blogs that are generally not controlled by the main media outlets?

Yeah. Right.

Mr. Brokaw certainly tried hard to prove how outdated he is, didn't he?
So it's okay to effectively condone mass shooting, on a national TV network, causing more pain for relatives of the victims involved, but playing a widdle ol' video game in your bedroom on your own makes you evil?

Talk about hypocrisy...
liars, damn liars and hypocrites,

says it all really.




I agree with the interviewer, showing cho is adding validation to his crime, its exactly wat he wanted and should have been avoided.
"I’m a free speech absolutist, but I think that at the same time, we have to have free speech in some kind of a context."

Am I right in taking this to mean: "I believe in free speech so long as it's restricted"?
So, its not thoughts of "hey... I could get the same kind of attention". Its those fucking blogs and those evil video games.


Right.
Sorry for the double post

"We showed how dark he was, and what the reality is. And it put a lot of campuses in this country on alert. And it’s changed…"

BULLSHIT

NOTHING has changed on campuses. You might get a text message saying there is a crazy loose on campus, however any amount of planning by the person can make that warning useless.

Colleges are no more alert, they just gave us one more illusion of safety.
Wait, what? Blogs are cancerous? Blogs?! I mean, in some respects, I can almost understand how some Luddite would think games are "murder simulators" or whatever. But text on a screen?

And, umm, didn't Cho's diary or video (and the Finnish loon) pretty much say he was copying Columbine for the media attention?

*facedesk*
I'm dissapointed with you Mr. Brokaw, but I still think you are a great news caster.
"I'm all for free speech, except in contexts I don't like..."

Yeah. Nice move, brokaw.
"Oh yes, i believe in free speech. As long as it's MY free speech. Because i'm more important and older than you."

I can see why you retired, Mr. Brokaw...
So is he saying that it's ok to show violence but not ok to talk about it?
Brokaw is an idiot. He claims to be for free speech but then goes on to say that blogs should not exist. Basically what he means that you need to be a news outlet before expressing your opinion. He means that ordinary people should not have a public voice.

I agree with chris here. Brokaw is a hypocrite.

I agree that airing the videos of Cho was the worst thing that any news outlet can do. It basically immortalized him and his crime. The news should not give the air time to loons and their loonie videos as that does inspire more loons to follow suit. 15 minutes of fame. Yeah right.

@ Cheeselikescereal

He's a great newscaster? He just proved that he is an apathetic hypocrite. Your still going to let him have some form of validity.
"You know, Virginia Tech went away"

Pardon?
Were video games to blame for massacre? - MSNBC http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18220228/
Nugent: Gun-free zones are recipe for disaster - CNN http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/19/commentary.nugent/index.html
FOX Pulls 'Bones' Episode After Tragedy - Fox http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-foxpullsbonesepisode,0,4937407.story
U.S. Gun Laws Draw Heat After Massacre - ABC http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3050071&CMP=OTC-RSSFeed...

Yep. Bloggers are evil... Video Games evil. You're right. "It was not what he, what people saw of him on the air that will drive them."
"So is he saying that it’s ok to show violence but not ok to talk about it?"

No, he's saying it's okay to talk about violence, as long as it's through major media outlets.

He doesn't like the fact that Blogs are doing the news reporting these days, and doing a much better job at it too.
Mister Brokaw, any and all respect i may have once held for you has disapeared. Barring all of the standard and normal arguments for Video Games at the moment (as you obviously dont believe in free speech), i would like a follow up as to how blog sites are "cancerous" and dangerous to people? Blogging is basically the same as a group of strangers talking 10-ways on a phone, but just saying their mind and hanging up. Besides, its not like we go on congratulating Cho or the Columbine kids. There is honestly no harm in a blog site except the occasional argument over whats going on in a pic or grammer. Please, clarify this asap so that we understand where you are coming from.

Now then... the problem with free speech set in appropriate context is basically why we are afraid to say anything that can be misconstrued as racial. The moment we limit one type of speech, it sets precedents for dozens of other restrictions til the point of a dictatorship. If you limit video games, you will condemn ourselves as the American race to being afraid to say good day without being shot for talking to someone of a different gender or race, since it may be misconstrued as racial or sexist due to your accent or tone of voice. We sould wind up back in England during King George (before founding America as an independant nation), but with more restrictions. So do not do anything to compromise ourselves and think, as you put it, "...part of the context is a discussion of the possible effects of it". Following this, you condemn us to what i have previously stated.
"TB: I think it’s not just television. What I said earlier is what we ought to be addressing, the whole fabric of the place of violence in our society…"

Yeah, as long as it isn't addressing the incompetence of NBC and their news team who decides to show this crap.
Brokaw is no absolutist. If he were, he'd take the context of speech not only the way HE preceives it, but the way OTHERS preceive it as well.

He claims that they showed the dark side of Cho. The Truth is, he preceived Cho as dark, as did others and NBC, and said "we'll show people how dark he is", and showed the world the videos. The only problem is, not everyone preceives what Cho did or his attitude as being "dark". Or even that being "dark" is a "bad" thing.

Evidence? Look at all those individuals who seem to hold the Columbine Massacre as something to be fans of. It doesn't matter if WE find their fanaticism of the event to be rational or irrational. THEY find it rational. THEY find a reason to think it's "cool". THEY find a reason to think it accomplished something "good". THEY find a reason to think the "fame" gained from it is something good.

"I'm going to be famous."

Sound familiar?

Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
Tom Brokaw is a legend...but he is dead wrong here.
"You’re really indicting a network and saying if there’s some kind of a mass murder, NBC’s going to be responsible…"

I seriously almost choked on the hypocrisy after reading this line.

And what does it mean to say videogames and blogs are cancerous? Do they somehow eat away at your body, killing you painfully and stripping away all of your dignity?

As someone who's watched several family members die from cancer, I think this comparison is completely unfair. I don't see the correlation between a disease that kills people and a game that makes 10 year-old timmy hit someone in the head with a dodgeball.

Are times really changing so quickly that these people seem so outdated and out of touch? Or is everyone just that stupid?
stupid.......
Ignore comment sent at 10:05 am, it was done by a drunk friend. My apologies to all insulted... all 3 of you
This guy above me is a idiot.........and so is this guy that the article is about.
This guy likes to blame the internet and videogames for shootings, but when it came to the mass media and TV then he backs off...but yet he still says he is for free speach?????

TOTALL HYPOCRITE!!!!!!
If I'm not for restricting the right of game publishers to distribute an ultra-violent video game, I can't be against the news media saying it's alright for them to put up video of an ultra-violent figure right before a massacre. That'd make me (and anyone here who supports distribution of media regardless of content [pornographic excluded]) a hypocrite.

We either:
1. Believe that media does affect people regardless of content and should be restricted by parents/ourselves.

2. Believe that media does affect people and should (to some extent) be restricted by the government.

3. Or we want some media to be restricted because we think it's bad and not for others and have the high road to be hypocrites and sleep well at night.

Brokaw is doing just that, but it seems some of the comments here point towards that as well.

So you can pick me apart... I think it's completely irresponsible for news outlets to show videos such as the VT Shooter. Also, I think it's completely irresponsible for R* and T2 to release an ultra-violent videogame without significantly adjusting the content (not rendering mechanism to block such content). Both are very tasteless and in the lesser good for the community. Both are my opinion, but I don't think either should have been restricted from being distributed as-is and with whatever slant each distributor wanted to put on it.
They pull stories about suicides because of the copycat risk. One of these days I'd like to ask these guys why it's still okay to flaunt images of killers in the wake of tragedies. Reminds me how the CBC decided not to broadcast the images, or even mention the killer's name in their initial reports, and how much respect I had for that decision. (Then again, they wouldn't stop talking about the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre yesterday, so I guess nobody's got it perfect.)
[...] GamePolitics.com » Blog Archive » Tom Brokaw: Airing VA Tech Killer Videos Okay, But Blogs, Video Games “Cancerous” [...]
@JB - He's a free speech ablutionist when he agrees with what's being said. Or when you're glorifying a killer for ratings. That's okay.
Brokaw is also the guy who has written several books glorifying WWII (which is of course nothing compared to the violence of blogs and videogames...) and thinks that those who fought in WWII are the "greatest generation" you know, except for all that pesky institutionalized racism and sexism that existed during WWII...
So basically what he is saying is, "These damn kids these day!"
And to think, once upon a time, i respected this man .

More proof that wisdom does not come with age like a gift, but has to be aquired through effort. Apparently, Mr. Brokaw doesn't want to make the effort, and would rather remain ignorant and stupid.

Sad.
i can't honestly say anything more eloquent than this: Fuck you Tom Brokaw.
"HH: …NBC ran the Virginia Tech killer tape on the day they obtained it. Steve Capus, Brian Williams made that decision. Did they make the right decision?

TB: Yeah, they did.

HH: Do you not think it’s going to incite other people to try to do the same thing?"

FINLAND! Now go jump in a river Tom, you're a agenda-pushing hypocrite!
Maybe I'm misunderstanding him, but I think Tom isn't suggesting video games create violence, I think he's suggesting that we need to examine the effects of violence in ALL media.. TV, Movies, Video Games, etc. And that's not a bad idea, we should be having that discussion as long as it's all-inclusive, and not just about pointing fingers. After all, our goal in these situations should be to figure out how to prevent it in the future while maintaining our free society, and not looking for a scapegoat. We have ourselves to blame for the violence in this society.
+ to the quote of mine "TB: No, I don’t. "
You have got to be kidding.

Showing that video absolutely was the wrong decision. How could anyone NOT realize that in validating Cho's explicit desire for posthumous publicity for his act, NBC basically said to all the potential shooters out there "if you're really willing to throw your life away in this manner as long as people know about it, we will provide the vehicle for it"?

It was utterly thoughtless and irresponsible. It's not even like they couldn't talk about it without showing the video; this was NOTHING but a ratings grab. Which I realize is the purpose of the television network, but fucking hell, guys, have some sense of social responsibility.

And then for Brokaw to have the GALL to say that "blogs and video games" are MORE harmful?! That doesn't even make sense! This isn't even "dating" himself, it's showing signs of severe senility or complete, utter, wanton disregard for any kind of personal responsibility in the name of covering his own (and NBC's) ass. Disgusting.
Didn't read all the posts so this might be redundant.

With the recent mall shootings in Nebraska and the killers note saying "Now I'll be famous'. Tom Brokaw has no leg to stand on for the simple reason that they showed the VA Tech shooter. It is beyond belief that Tom Brokaw said what he did given the fact that the VA Tech shooter didn't play video games.

Tom Brokaw is a moron.
I love Hipocrites.. FUCKERS!
@ Steve
"Maybe I’m misunderstanding him, but I think Tom isn’t suggesting video games create violence, I think he’s suggesting that we need to examine the effects of violence in ALL media."

No, no he's not. He's explicitly stating that violence in television (explicitly referencing the goddamn Cho tape) is not harmful, but violence in video games and internet blogs...seriously, internet blogs?!...is "cancerous".

"It was not what he, what people saw of him on the air that will drive them, it’s what they read in blog sites, and what they see in video games. It’s that kind of stuff that I think is cancerous."

Where is he even getting this? Everyone in the world who isn't JT realizes that video games had nothing to do with this. He hadn't played Counterstrike in years. His roommates did not observe much in the way of gaming at all, let alone "obsessive" gaming. And blogs? WHAT blog is going to offer publicity that is within a hundred orders of magnitude of what airing that video on national broadcast television did?

No, this was straight up bullshit, banking on the fact that the mainstream audience would be too uninformed to realize it. I refuse to believe that a man who has been a news anchor for as long as he has could be so ignorant himself. It was a willful act on his part.
@lumi

*Punches lumi*

Feeling angry and murderous yet?
Better make that a poke actually..
Blogs and video games? Despite the fact that dude in Finland was totally imitating Cho (oh but thats just their speculation, which is bad, and easily ignored as flawed, but it's alright to speculate about video game violence.) Or the fact Cho's roommates and classmates said he didn't play video games and thought that was strange.

It really is getting popular to blame video games for everything again. As for the blogs... he's just bitter that they're doing a better job than the mass media.
Hypocrisy is the new fashion.
You either have free speech or you do not. There are no ifs, ands, or buts, no conditions, no prerequisites. Free speech is not a continuum or a spectrum.

Free speech is a simple yes or no, and Mr. Brokaw just said no.
@ Steve, Thomas:

Worthwhile thoughts to add in to the usual "f*ck off" comments, but I think there needs to be some mention of what exactly it means to say that a creative work "affects" someone. I would argue that video games, like any other creative medium, certain to affect people. When playing a video game, the player isn't detatched from the game if the game's any good. A horror movie that makes us grip the arms of our seats, a theatrical tragedy that brings tears to our eyes, a hilarious book that makes us laugh out loud and get odd looks from people on the bus - they affect us as well. Art affects us, especially good art, but it's a far leap to say that something "affects" us in a way akin to mind control or brainwashing, which many video game opponents would suggest. The effect is more subtle, I'd say, and certainly mitigated by parents, teachers and caregivers drawing a very clear line between fiction and reality, and instilling a sense of how violence is unacceptable in the real world.
Man, uninformed and hypocritical statements like this really raise my ill humors. It's basically a blatant attack at things he has no understanding about while defending something that was obviously wrong in an area where he does know what he's talking about.

Even with the fact that main stream news reporting has lost almost all its credibility, a blog still doesn't come anywhere near what the 10 o'clock news can do.

I'm not even gonna grace his video games statement with a response, since like airing the VT video, it lends some weight to his distorted view of the world.
Careful Tom, your hypocracy is showing.

@Thomas -- I agree, I personally believe that it really is the discretion of parents to make the choice as to allowing their children to "partake" in violent media. The parents' responsibility also is then to deal with any consequences of doing so (restricting or not). It most definitely is not the government's place to do this. I do believe that media can affect people -- and if someone is "predisposed" with a condition that makes that person more susceptible to that kind of influence, that person needs to develop more self-control and self-regulation.

@Steve -- you make some good points. But, I believe what Tom was doing was a backhanded attack on video games still the same.
It's hilarious how hypocritical these anti-videogame people are.
Blogs are cancerous because he cannot control their content so that they reflect only the news that is wanted to be reflected. That's all, if he claims it is anything else, I would greatly suspect he is lying through his teeth.

He knows the influence that Blogs rea having on the way news is delivered and it scares him, I'll admit that too many people take blogs as 'more true than true', and that, in itself can be dangerous, but then, in truth, precisely the same rule applies to TV News.

Basically, he doesn't want anyone defining the world to people who is outside his control.

As for video games, well, no-one likes to think that this generation might be smarter than mine or my parents' generation (despite the fact we always claim that's what we want for our kids) better to make them out as basement-dwelling geeks with no self-control, it helps some poeple deal with the inferiority complexes I think ;)
"(Then again, they wouldn’t stop talking about the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre yesterday, so I guess nobody’s got it perfect.)"

I think that's a little unfair though. They talked about it, it was the biggest tragedy in Montreal's history so it is a little normal, but to say they would'nt stop talking about it is a bit much. You should notice though that they never talk about the shooter anymore, he's barely mentionned. The media talked about the victims of the tragedy.
I think the funny fact is this...

Government claims that you all have the right to free speech (in the US)

The moment that free speech becomes available to people via blogs etc, however, the general reaction is 'oh.....shit'.

It seems to me what is really being said is 'You can have any opinion you want, as long as you don't voice it in any way, shape or form.'
Well well Tom Brokaw knows who his masters are big media not the news not the truth not the people but big media....
just my ignore list with Rush(as in drugs),Brill'o(brillo its the gift that keeps giving),Hennity(as in banny hen), and various other fools who smoke the fumes from their own arse.
-----------------------
Steve
Wow.....reach much? Sorry he is not thinking deeply on this he is thinking only of the bottom line in ratings for his network, also society has always blamed media for its issues, also you can't do much abotu crazy people being crazy without marking and labeling people creating more outcasts and troubles.

The only way that it could be done is if businesses and schools have consolers in place to pull people from work/class/whatever and make sure they are treated, because this is a minor problem in the ocean of humanity none will take the time to create such a system.

next would making the mental health police...........meh.....I said it once I will say it again...theres not much you can do abut crazy people.
One point of evidence that Tom Brokaw doesn't know what he's talking about; I grew up in Brampton, Ontario... whose school shooting in 1975 predates blogs and Doom by two decades. Unless he thinks it was triggered by Space Invaders and ARPANET?

It's documented, even by the shooters themselves, that it's the notoriety the shooters crave. ("Now I'll be famous.") At the very most video games serve as a surrogate.

-- Steve
So this is a blog about video games? So what type of cancer is GP?

Ayway, he is ignoring the effect of mass media for his own form of income's benefit. This would be like Rockstar saying, "GTA has NO effect on kids!" Both are equally untrue.

Personally, I'm OK with NBC's running the video, because I'm tired of us Americans hiding from the oddballs, the poor, and pretending our existence isn't nasty, brutish, violent, and short. This is life people. Our first breath is searing, screaming pain, and likely so is our last. Once we've accepted this an unavoidable reality, we can make the most of the time we have.

But, you don't see me defending my use of mass media, and then calling out other forms of mass media for doing the EXACT SAME THING.
Does this mean that NBC (and all other news outlets for that matter) will share the spotlight with FoxNews when something stupid is said? Or will Fox (channels) and FoxNews (yes, 2 seperate things) still bear sole responsibility for all stupidity reported?
It's clear that blogs and videogames had better just GET THE HECK OFF TOM BROKAW'S LAWN!
@Zippy
I do sorta agree with you, but in a different way.I still think its the way that old media heavywieghts are finding new ways to attack new media.It all comes down to the loss of market share that old media has been losing as of late.These guy's will use any means possible to try to hold on to the ground that they been losing,even exploiting a tragedy like Virgina Tech.

But I disagree with Zippy about it being a converative heavy only issue.There a still quite a few liberals that slam the game biz(like when Keith Olberman put Rockstar on the worst persons of the world list after the hot coffee scandal).
Thomas: We can believe in a combination.

Videogames, as they are specifically purchased and brought into the home can be controlled by parents/ourselves. Our obtaining them is an active decision on our part. We look at the box, look at the ESRB rating, and (should) make a conscious choice as to whether to bring this into our home.

Media, on the other hand, especially broadcast media, does not give us this choice. We can choose to turn it on or off, but the content that comes into the home is not at the discretion of the individual. If I'm watching NBC because I like watching "Friends" and they come up with a news-flash about some violent killer, that is not my decision. If I am watching the news for some specific content (usually the "lifestyle" article they wind up putting on last) yet in their headlines they plaster some sort of graphic depiction of something, that's not done fairly. The newscaster may briefly mention "The following footage is graphic" a mere half-millisecond before they go into it, but even then, they do not provide any opportunity to know when it's finished. How do I know when it's safe to come back for the lifestyle story?

Beyond that, would you say that anybody who might be offended by some content on television should avoid changing channels? Because when I move from one channel to another, there's no warning that the channel I'm entering might be something against my sensibilities. Yes, I can turn away again, but that's not the point.

The point of this is to demonstrate that videogames and broadcast media are different. The former I make the decision to bring into my home. The latter comes whether I want it or not, and my ability to choose to avoid any exposure to certain things is decidedly limited barring not having the television on at all. For this reason, I don't think it's hypocritical to argue that it is appropriate that some forms of media, particularly broadcast media, should adhere to a stricter standard than other forms.
Omg Video games and Blogs are canercous but homicidal killers are apperently ok to show? I love how thats works I wish that just for once these guys could come up with something other than conjecture and there own opinions when they try to tell everyone else what they should do. Self righteous control freaks thats all they are
@MrSkid
Thats old media works these days; more shock, less substance.All that garbage to sell adult diapers and pills that give you hard ons.
Idiots. They blame blogs and games for some asshole shooting up a school or a mall, yet they should've gotten this guy some help or put him in a mental house. The real problem behind the shootings are not games, but the 2nd Ammendment. That needs to be changed because civilians do not need firearms in this day and age. It's so easy for someone to buy a gun in the U.S.
Wow, we are destroying America! After posting this comment on a blog I might have to go play a video game or two now. I'm sure Tom will be at my door with a shovel soon enough...
Wow... Way to show your elitist colors Mr. Brokaw. I now know you hold the, "We know best so just shutup and listen to only what we tell you and how it's going to be" attitude.

That whole exchange screams that he believes all information should be filtered and ultimately decided upon by the media before the public receives it. Aka we're all dumb and the media knows best.

...wow...

I honestly thought he was an educated individual as many other journalists are. I'm happy to say that he definitely does not represent reporters as a professional group. He's simply representing a generation that just can't seem to embrace change as much as they say they can.

@ GP

Another great article! Keep up the good work ^_^
What a hypocrite

And this is why I think hypocrisy should be outlawed.
Now that’s their speculation… But I can pick anything that goes on, and say that was a copycat crime of some kind… You’re really indicting a network and saying if there’s some kind of a mass murder, NBC’s going to be responsible…

And it's anything *more* than speculation that video games promote violence?

What about movies?
This is known as stepping all over yourself. Brokaw, you are not an absolutist.

@Ken

1) Sadly, 90+% of guns used in violent shootings were obtained illegally.
2) Yes, there are reasons to own a gun besides shooting someone else. Namely hunting, sport, and self-defense.
3) It's the second amendment for a reason
4) He should have been in a mental house, but there was clearly something in his past that led up to this. People do not just flip out because they have a gun.
5) Yes it is easy. In fact, I know a guy on a street corner who could get you guns and ammo for under 20 bucks. But at a store? Not really.
6) Washington DC leads the nation in murders. They also have a complete ban on handguns.
@ Dark Sovereign

I think statistics desensitize us
@Shaesyco

That might very well be true. It could also be that people are by and large stupid, as said by Agent Kay from Men in Black. Hell, it could be something in the link below.
http://www.cracked.com/article_14990_what-monkeysphere.html
However, equating such things as a massacre to just one issue is stupid. Massacres are largely the result of the life experiences of the murderer coupled with whatever temperment they were born with. Each of the child's experiences are caused by said temperment coupled with the above mentioned factors for all of the individuals invovled. It isn't just "if there were no guns, this would be fixed" or "if he had gotten the proper help, it would be fixed". We don't really know why such tragedies happen in full. It is doubtful that we will ever see them go away for ever. All we can do is mourn for those lost.
After his bone-headed decision to air the morbid "manifesto" of the Virginia Tech killer, Brokaw has absolutely no business making judgements on others.

Granted, I'm glad I personally had the ability to see the video, because it answered the question "Why?". But that's what the internet's for, which where I saw it.

Shame on you Brokaw. Shame on you.
@Catch 33

Surely, though, there was a better way to handle it. Maybe just putting it on their website and not reporting it.
"And I’m a free speech absolutist, but I think that at the same time, we have to have free speech in some kind of a context. And part of that context is a discussion of the possible effects of it."

I think a lot of commenters are misunderstanding what Brokaw's saying here -- he's not advocating government censorship, he's merely talking about people thinking about the effect their works may have before releasing them.

Of course, the braindead hypocrisy of it all is that that's exactly what NBC should have done before showing the Cho videos.

Haven't read the whole comments thread, but did notice Hokie's post, quoting Brokaw's "Virginia Tech went away" comment and then trying to prove it didn't...by linking four seven-month-old articles.

Hokie, if the only articles you can find about a subject are seven months old, that means IT WENT AWAY.
@Dark Sovereign

This is something most people around the world, myself included, will never understand about the U.S. It's "gun culture". Looking at your points I can only disagree.

1) Most guns used in mass shootings were obtained legally. Not all the shooters owned the guns legally of course if they didnt a relative did.
2) Guns have a single use. To kill, it can be for hunting, self-defense, etc. but in the end, it's to kill.
3) The second amendment was made many many years ago. Then it was for a reason.
4) People who don't flip just because they have a gun but it's far too easy in the U.S. to get a gun when you flip out.
5) That's again a U.S. things. If guns weren't so readily available everywhere, store included, it would probably be harder to find a gun in a treet corner. I ilve in a city of 3 millions and not I nor anybody I know, knows where to find a gun.
6) The U.S. leads the world in murders. It's the one "civilized" country that doesn't have a nationwide ban or some sort of control on handguns.
@DarkSovereign

That's what I meant by the internet comment. Although, were it to have been my decision, I would have leaked the tape onto the internet and kept it away from anything related to my network.
argh, a gun for an edit button.

After reading those articles posted by Hokie,
Nugent: Gun-free zones are recipe for disaster - CNN http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/19/commentary.nugent/index.html
U.S. Gun Laws Draw Heat After Massacre - ABC http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3050071&CMP=OTC-RSSFeed...

You can see how it's night and day on the belief of the "gun culture" troughout the world.
@Hackangel

At number 5, you're dead wrong. It isn't something you would understand if you aren't from here. It's very easy to smuggle the stuff in here. Those illegal immigrants we bitch about aren't the only thing coming over the borders. On number 1 mass murderers tend to have psychological factors that should be flagged. I'm not saying that the way we do things is absolutely correct, and would personally advocate mandatory psychological test every 6 months to keep your license. On number two, you missed "sport". That wasn't a reference to hunting. 6) Somehow, in someway, I doubt that. Plus, Finland massacre. What about that.
"3) The second amendment was made many many years ago. Then it was for a reason."


Yes, and that reason was to keep a healthy fear of the people by the government. And I don't see how that is no longer relevant. Actually if anything it is MORE relevant.
@Hackangel

I'll disagree with you on some of your points. Its not the guns that are the problem. The problem is an increasing disregard for human life.

There are thousands of responsible gun owners in the U.S., much like gamers, one bad person doesn't color the entire group.
Oh yeah, add-on to my comment (really, edit button):

It's also doubtful that anyone from another country could understand US culture in general. What you get outside of this nation is a great big mess of our loudest members, not a good view of the US in general. I could try to explain, but I don't know if I could get it across properly. Especially since there is no "US in general". Those murder rates don't just suddenly spring into being because we have guns. There are other factors out there, and what few people ever question is why people use those guns. Why would somebody feel compelled to take another's life? Stress seems the most likely answer, but that is a general term, and has many factors beneath it.
@Dark Sovereign

I agree with you completely on "It isn’t something you would understand if you aren’t from here". True, I don't live in the U.S. and there are many things I don't understand about it ("gun culture"), others I understand but don't know how it got there (sensionalist medias). Fact is, I doubt Canada is the one supplying the U.S. with handguns, it's the other way around. Like I said I live in a city of 1 million (the 3 was a type) inhabitants and nobody I know would have any idea where to get a gun. I don't even know of a store that sell guns (used to be one who sold hunting rifles when I was kid, but it closed when I became a teen, probably 15 years ago).

On the Finland Massacre point, I live, you could have guessed in another post made earlier, in the city in North America where there has been, to my knowledge, the most school shootings. Those tragics event excluded, we have perhaps a gun related murder once every 2-3 years. Wherehas statistically, a gun related crime happens every 22 seconds in the U.S.. Granted, there are a lot more people in Canada than in the U.S. but even then you must realize that gun crimes are very few in Canada and the european countries compared to gun crimes in the U.S.
As someone who is at Virginia Tech, and was there when April 16th happened, the fact that Brokaw would defend NBC's decision to show that video shows me exactly what sort of low-class, ratings-pandering scum he is. It disrespected every member of the Virginia Tech community, family, and friends who were involved somehow, and his continuing defense shows how little he cares.

The interesting thing to see was the MASSIVE backlash which happened to the media outlets as a result of the tragedy. They kept pushing themselves into campus, and the students politely but strongly let them know that they were not wanted on campus during that time. The simple fact is, the media outlets are becoming outdated because they have such clear agendas. People don't trust them, and don't believe them, they way they used to.
@Hackangel

I'm not talking about Canada amigo.
@jkdjr25

I agree with you that there are thousands of responsible gun owners in the U.S. I didn't say there wasn't. What I meant is that I just don't understand the "gun culture" the U.S. has. To my mind, handguns have begun so widespread you almost need to have one to be safe in the U.S., that's the image I have at the moment. It's something very differend here in Canada. Something, having grown up in Canada, I cannot even begin to comprehend but it is something that I think americans must look at too, to understand what has happened and what the future of the country is. To me, it is an extremely complex issue. One I am glad we don't have in Canada.
@Dav2k5

Luckily, we have the internet now, so we can get our news that way. I'd bet that that is one of the reasons that Brokaw is against bloggers. To an extent, they represent a threat to the power of traditional media.
@Hackangel

That's the thing, we don't need the handguns to be safe, but that doesn't mean that we want them gone. I don't own a handgun myself, but I wouldn't sacrifice the ability to own one just because somebody wants the illusion of safety. As I said before, Canada isn't where I was talking about when I said that guns are being smuggled in.
@Hackangel

I'd have to agree with DarkSovereign here. I don't own a gun either, and in point of fact I rather detest them. However I'm not about to sacrifice the second ammendment for anything. I'm a constitutional absolutist.

The people have a right to self defense. That's part of the way our nation's laws work. Yes there are people who abuse that right and break the law, those people should be held accountable for their actions. The people who are responsible shouldn't have to lose their rights because a few are morons about it.
Let's not forget that NBC shown the videos filmed by Cho before he went on his selfish and compassion-lacking rampage. The videos that NBC shown might have sparked the false alarms at other schools, colleges, and universities across this nation that were put out by those who wanted their fifteen minuets of sick and self-centered fame. That is more poisonous than any Blog or any Video Game ever.

EZK: Sorry. I don't have access to this article at work, but this could not wait. Are you saying that NBC had the videos before Cho went on his killing spree? From what was reported he sent the package by post to NBC the day of the shooting.
I actually wasn't aware that NBC aired these videos until now, actually, as I don't watch much TV. Interesting. While I believe in free speech, I also believe in responsibility. When a killer wants fame and creates videos for that purpose, I think you may want to think twice before airing them on national TV. It's not so much that someone's going to watch those videos and suddenly think "Hmm, I should kill people." Rather, it's that someone who wants infamy will see those videos and realize that they have a high chance of having their words broadcast to millions of people.

Regarding his blog and video game comment, well, that seems like just scapegoating combined with annoyance at the effects of the internet on traditional news.
... second amendment debate.

Walking the other way now... quickly.

Back to Brokaw... put down the cane grandpa, the kids are off your lawn. It's naptime. Just drink your juice and dream about days long past, where you actually meant something and had a shred of credibility to your name.

He is like a lot of the "older" generation in politics, fearing change and not believing anything new can be as good as what they used. Movies are safe, games are not, news networks are trustable, blogs are not.

That said, I yearn for a day when games are safe and those blasted holographic simulations are the thing that is cancerously destroying the youth of our nation! Now get off my lawn!
@EZK and other GP posters
I apologize for the error in the post you are referring to. Cho did mail the package to NBC before the shooting. NBC did show the photos and the films several days AFTER the shooting. I sincerely apologize for my mistake.

Edit button, please (although we should proofread out posts before clicking the submit button)?
MR.B
oh I am ignoring the fundie talky heads for more reasons than whining about the game industry or how media brainwashes they like any good entertainer play to their audiences, for me most of what they say is pure one sided BS, Brokaw can make sense but is thumping his collective network chest, Olberman will take jabs at anythign in the news plus he can be as ill informed on things since again he knows what side his bread is buttered.

Also countdown like the talk head shows are more entertainment than news.

I can stand Keith and Glen beck, love Lou Dobbs the rest seem to be one trick phonies who try to hold onto their ratings beyond logic, reason and stability of their own opinions.

I mean I use to love Brill'o then about 4-6 years ago he just went OTT,I guess after that thing with the intern he got ugly, he was already crass in his bitterness and I loved him for telling it like it is..now he seems to be just a bitter creepy old white guy.............. like Bil Myer 0-o

Back to topic for a bit not many high level mainstream outlets have enough sense not to bash new media they need ratings before everything and need to fan the flames of viewer ship so they will report as they see fit whenever they can, politics only comes into play for more general mainstream things games seem to be fair game to both sides so they can pander for whatever they need.


Brokow is smart enough to see what he said was "failing" so that final bit about all media he tries to save his comments from rebuke, sorry either it is or it is not...
altho...he just mgiht be having a zippy day :P

zomg words!wat these?!?! *naw drool*
:P
LOL
i'm surprised no one noticed the Omaha mall shooting and blamed it on video games yet.
I'm reminded of Roger Ebert's depressing story about the aftermath of a school shooting. A journalist asked if he thought violent movies contributed to this and possible future shootings. He said no, what really contributed to the possibility of more shootings was the news media's fetishization of the events, with days of wall-to-wall coverage, playing and replaying the survivors' stories and shouting from the rooftops every tiny detail of the killers' lives. The lesson the media was teaching, argued Ebert, was that this was a good route to immortality. Inevitably, his interview never aired.

And that is why, even though I greatly disagree with Ebert's stance on video games, I still admire him.
Yet more brain cells commit suicide upon reading this piece of drivel.

I am curious if Tom Brokal knows his left hand from his right, since he manages to twist this whole issue backwards and inside out, I doubt he has a clue which is which. I could swear he was sane and well spoken once.
@Zippy
I knew what you were talking about, I was helping you out by clarifing that you was talking about talking heads and not attacking certain political viewpoints.It sounded at first that you were attacking conservatives.Thats why I also referenced Olberman's comments about the hot coffee scandal.
@Hackangel

1) Most were obtained legally? Okay, name a few. Hell, name one.

2)That's funny, I use mine quite often, and after thousands of rounds, the only thing I've "killed" is paper..

3) So tyranny, foreign enemies, and private lawlessness don't exist anymore? As recently as WWII, the unorganized militia (in the form of Civil/State Defense forces) with private arms were mustered to set up a last line of defense along the coastlines. Up through the '60s, private arms were used in defense from racist state tyranny in the south (Deacons of Defense). And every year, millions of people defend themselves from criminals. Every few years, people use firearms to defend self, family, and property from rioting looters (Katrina, LA Riot, etc..).

4) It's even easier for people to buy fuel and fertilizer to make bombs. Personally, I'd rather some lunatic try to shoot me than blow up the whole building.

5) Self-selection bias much? Do you hang out with gun nuts? Do you hang out with violent criminals? If not, then of course you wouldn't know where to get a gun. Go talk to a few local drug dealers or whatever, and they can probably acquire whatever you want from someone further up their supply chain. If that fails, you can always build a smooth bore, blowback operated submachine gun in a few days with $40 worth of junk from a hardware store.

6) Mexico has a higher murder rate than we do. And they have a near total gun ban. Switzerland and Israel practically hand out guns (including full-auto rifles) to their citizens, and have a lower overall crime rate than most "civilized" European countries. Finland, Norway, and New Zealand have somewhat annoying licensing systems, but their rate of gun ownership equals or comes close to the US.
@MR.B
When it comes to the hot coffee scandal, Keith Olbermann was correct to name Rockstar the worst persons in the world. That scandal was 100% their doing and deserved all of the criticism they got.
Like I said, the gun control debate in the U.S. is an extremely complex one. As a Canadian, there are issues I cannot fully comprehend and that what I was trying to show there, that most canadians have absolutely no way of understanding because "gun culture" is not our culture. I'll still answer a few of your points though.

1) I'll name two. The Columbine massacre and the Virginia Tech massacre.
2) You've made quite a few thousand holes in paper. Was that the reason you bought a gun? Or was it to defend yourself? With the outcome probably being the death of the person who threatened you? I doubt you can say "I bought a gun to make holes in paper".
3) As far as I know the U.S. hasn't dealt with tiranny and foreign enemies on their soil since the war for indepence. Over a hundred years ago. Even then, that's what military forces are there for, not armed citizens. You can have your opinion, I'm just stating mine.
4) People who don’t flip just because they have a gun but it’s far too easy in the U.S. to get a gun when you flip out.
5) No I don't hang out out with gun nuts or with violent criminals. I wouldn't know where to find a "gun nut" as much as I wouldn't know where to find a gun. It's the way it is here. Guns are not prevalent. I know a few drug dealers though. None of them have guns.
6) True, Mexico does have an higher murder rate than the U.S. but you'll find that the U.S., with the exception of Mexico, has more or less double the murder rate than any other country you have mentionned. Canada has a lot of guns too. Gun crimes however are amazingly low if not practically inexistant.

I don't want to make a huge thing out of this. I just want to point out that a lot of countries, including Canada, have radically different views on guns. I know where the "gun culture" originated from, I just can't understand how it's still there or why it is so strong. I don't know if I'll ever understand the U.S. "gun culture" but I'm no willing to say it is wrong just because I don't undertsand it. The U.S. is not my country so I can't pretend to have all the answers but when I see things like a few posts that were made earlier, I want to share my point of view and perharps make both sides of the issue think a little more profoundly about this.
@Hackangel

I'll help a little. This "gun culture" you speak of is only prevalent in that it is widespread and well reported. Most of the people who buy guns do it because they hunt. Those who buy handguns vary between wanting a hobby and self-defense. Basically, yes, people down here DO buy guns to shoot holes in paper. Truth be told, its somewhat of an anomaly if anyone but a cop has one while walking around. Many of the gangs down here use knives and bats. The use of a gun does, after all, draw every cop from about a mile around to your location.
Addon:

Also, Hackangel, I'm glad that you admit that you don't fully understand the culture. Few will. I would also add that Cho shouldn't have gotten these guns, since he had been flagged as a danger to himself and others, and was then hospitalized. After that, he was declared a danger to himself and became an outpatient. All of that should have shown up on his files when he went through a background check to buy his gun, but it didn't. That's a big thing that needs fixing.
MR.B
Mmmmm if I was attacking anyone it would be the fools on the frilly fringes.

-------------------------------------------------
Hackangel
The whole gun debate in the US can be viewed the same as any flawed or broken debate that trumps logic, guns are not the cause of deaths you can white wash the data the fact is humans will use anything to hurt themselfs with the UK has a knife problem, guns are neither good or bad,I mean one can say free will causes alot of deaths and skew facts and logic to remove free will as a choice in society.

Guns are a tool/device like any other we can start baning things left and right in the hope of saving lives but what will that cost us, its the same logic thos who hate on media spew.

Its just a fact remove guns something else will take its place, so guns really are not the issue people are, and as a society there is nothign that can be down abotu crazy people because of free will and the right of the indavendaul, if you remove both of these a indavendaul can be controlled and contained at the cost of freedom for all .
Brokaw, regarding blogs, doesn't really know what he was talking about. The internet has ALWAYS been a free showcasing of low-brow views and discussions, at least when it no longer became a project for scholars and scientists. What he is seeing with blogs is just a platform of technology...it's become easier to write content in a more streamlined manner, but that's all.

To be quite honest, this came out of the blue for me. What is Brokaw in all of this, just jumping on the alreadly fully loaded bandwagon? I sure hope he's can repair the inevitable broken axles, if he ever wants to ride that bandwagon all across Paranoid Trail.
@Hackangel

You are right about one thing, violence is much more complicated than just blaming inanimate objects or speech.

1) Incorrect. The Columbine kids broke about 20 Federal and State gun laws a piece before they even started shooting. Two of the people who helped them illegally acquire the weapons went to prison for 5 and 6 years. Cho was a prohibited person under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). In order to buy his guns, he committed perjury twice when filling out the paperwork (which doubles as a de facto registry). That he wasn't stopped by the background check didn't stop him doesn't mean it was legal, just that he didn't get caught.

2) Yes, my handgun was purchased primarily for defense. The outcome of which would be for me to live, and for the attack to stop. Whether a potential attacker dies as a result, is merely injured, or scampers off after being missed/simply seeing it is inconsequential. My AR-15 on the other hand was bought for target shooting, and resides locked up and unloaded where it is of little use for defense. Well, that, and I wanted one before the new Congress banned them. :p

3) Did you miss the part of my post about the Deacons for Defense? They stood up to racist oppression bordering on genocide just 40 some odd years ago. As for that being the army's job or whatever, what happens if said army is doing the oppressing? The the whole point of the Second Amendment was so that a standing army could not take our other rights..

4) Again, it's easier for someone to flip out and make a bomb. As such, it's probably a good thing that they mostly limit themselves to firearms. Lots of people (gun owners included) suffer the misconception that firearms are all-powerful, magical talismans. Statistically speaking though, you only have a ~20% chance of dying from a handgun wound induced by a pistol round (about the same as being stabbed), ~40% from a rifle, and ~70% from a shotgun. And that's not counting how often people miss. In many mass shooting events, the perpetrator will fire off hundreds of rounds and only kill a few people. Should bombs ever become the weapon of choice for these nutcases, you would be looking at dozens, even hundreds of people dead from the first "shot."

5) Then ask your drug dealing associates to inquire further up the food chain. Chances are, someone in the supply line will be able get one. Probably within 48 hours.

6) Yes, our murder rate his high. However, our overall violent crime rate is something like one tenth that of the beautiful, "gun free" UK. It seems that our bad guys largely tend to confine themselves to killing each other over the drug trade or what have you. This is in no small part due to the fact they know that their would-be victims aren't defenseless. A number of DOJ surveys of inmates has shown that they fear armed victims more than they fear the police. One study showed that 34% of incarcerated felons said they have been "scared off, shot at, wounded, or captured by an armed victim" at some point.

And speaking of Mexico, a sizable portion of our murders are committed by, how shall we say this, "undocumented transnational pharmaceutical companies" along the border. For instance, California accounts for for roughly 18% of firearm related homicides (1,822/10,177) and Texas comes in at number 2 with 9.3% (949). There's a quarter of our homicides in two States. And according to some law enforcement estimates, half to two thirds of homicides in large cities around there are done by illegal immigrant drug gangs. Gangs who are already smuggling in millions of tons of narcotics, and would obviously have no problem bringing in tons of weaponry. In fact, there have been numerous busts of narcotraffickers carrying truckloads of automatic weapons, grenades, etc.. Naturally, the anti-gun lobby and Mexican government try to say they bought them all at gun shops here, despite the fact that full auto weapons were banned in '86 and grenades have been tightly restricted since 1934, but, yea..

Anyhow, I'm not quite so sure that Canada's gun culture is really all that different. Well, aside from some of the more urban provinces anyway. Last I heard, the Canadian government was thinking about ditching most of the gun registry system. Not to mention the tens of thousands of Canadians who exercised civil disobedience by refusing to register their guns in the first place. Our gun culture is mostly just louder. But like many other things here, from big SUVs to supersized fast food meals, ostentatiousness is to be expected. ;)
@Hackangel

"even then, that’s what military forces are there for,"


And what if the problem IS the military forces?
[...] Via Game Politics Share/Bookmark this story: [...]
IMO the Internet is a medium intentionally engineered to reflect the social atmosphere in which we currently exist in. It's ironic how we are stating our opinions here (in blogs, etc.) believing we are making a difference, when in reality, we are really funneling positive (and negative) emotions into a benign outlet that the government pundits themselves have implicitly designed in accordance with their agenda of controlling/managing the masses.

Mind you, it is a double-edged sword; people who otherwise would go on bloody rampages may be somewhat held in check by expressing how they feel in places like this, but the media is actually glorifying the notoriety of those who transcend these passive mediums and consequently inflict pain and suffering on innocent people, while downplaying the impact of those who decide to make things better for the world. We control our output, but what the media decides to exaggerate and elevate is simply beyond our reach. Therefore, our vain efforts here to be recognized by an official body in hopes of representing our views in light of the public eye is simply, moot. And admit it, we do all want to be heard.

Here we are arguing about whether Brokaw's right or wrong, when it fact it should not even be a matter of discussion. The higher ups are laughing at us while we squabble for table scraps! Have we sunk that low? Are we so absorbed looking at the superficial detailing of our individualistic lives that we do not care anymore about the big picture?

This Kodak picture moment of us sitting here on our desktops, sipping lattes and feeling good about ourselves for having educated other anonymous bloggers on our worldly views, is not exactly the petri dish medium in which the seeds of change will take root.

I believe it is time to stand behind our words, and take action.
And to reiterate, these little personal factoids that everyone loves to use here (such as the % of handgun owners with a license, blah blah) are again, mere table scraps! Not only are they a waste of space, but they are rather selfish in detail. No one will be influenced by it. In fact, opponents will be more determined to dig up little factoids of their to counter yours. Eventually it becomes a contest to see who has the bigger dick. Not cool.

Rather, look at the big picture, and why things are being done the way they are. If you follow Occam's Razor, the answers are almost instinctual, bordering on emotional. That is the way you influence other human beings, for it stirs the same feelings you feel in others.

If you believe that everything has a purpose, a lot of things become clear. Things like the publication of Cho's video confession, for instance, are not random events =)
Tom Brokaw should be a better person than to go on Hugh Hewitt's show in the first place but I digress...

I think it was the point where NBC emblazoned their iconic stamp all over Cho's manifesto that I realized that it was simply crass product positioning. They got the package delivered to their offices by the mass murderer and they obliged his final wish by turning it into some type of exclusive. It was sickening to watch, and all their excuses fell on my deaf ears when I saw that peacock glaring at me from the bottom right corner of the screen.

Attacking new media isn't surprising from an old media figure like Brokaw. They had tremendous power and made millions upon millions being the anchor heads of their networks and now they are being usurped(in their eyes) by the peasants of the blogs and the internet.
[...] Via Game Politics Share/Bookmark this story: [...]
[...] Former NBC newsie Tom Brokaw (a total nobody to a Brit such as I) has decided to call both videogames and blog sites a "cancer" while simultaneously painting television as a leading light of virtue and holiness. [...]
[...]  Former NBC appendage and aspiring Luddite Tom Brokaw believes in free speech—just not, you know, when people do or say something he doesn't like. In a radio interview with Townhall.com's Hugh Hewitt, the Brokawsaurus defended NBC's decision to air the tape of Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung Hui and grant the gunman his 15 minutes of infamy.The real enemies, Brokaw figures, are mind-rotting videogames and those evil blogs: Hugh Hewitt: "Do you not think (airing the tape of Virginia Tech killer Cho Seung Hui) is going to incite other people to try to do the same thing?"  Brokawsaurus: "No, I don’t. ... I don’t think we’re doing a very good job about talking about violence in this country, either. You know, Virginia Tech went away. We didn’t have any ongoing dialogue in our communities or on the air about the corrosive effect of violence."It was not what he, what people saw of him on the air that will drive them, it's what they read in blog sites, and what they see in videogames. It's that kind of stuff that I think is cancerous. "And I'm a free speech absolutist, but I think that at the same time, we have to have free speech in some kind of a context. And part of that context is a discussion of the possible effects of it."(Thanks to GamePolitics.com)  Link to this | E-mail this | Digg this | Post to del.icio.us Published Sunday, December 09, 2007 9:34 AM by tylertodd Filed under: Controversy [...]
oh please. I bet Brokaw has never even gotten close to a gamestop before. He's probably one of these bitter old men that thinks that videogamers are obsessive, glassy-eyed adolescents that spend all their time in front of a computer screen.
[...] Tom Brokaw: Airing VA Tech Killer Videos Okay, But Blogs, Video Games “Cancerous” [Game Politics] [...]
Poor Brokaw can't fathom the idea that, to the vast majority of people growing up with the Internet, he is completely irrelevant.

Not only that, but in the greater context of things, the attention given to the VA Tech killing was appropriate. Too often, in the wake of these shootings - take the recent one at the Omaha mall as an example - there is an attempt by media outfits and propagandists to blame "society." They say these shooters are the by-products of a broken and corrupt "society." They are the ultimate manifestation of everything "society" has done wrong.

Everything is a conspiracy to these people. Occam's Razor is lost on them. Why can't the reason be as simple as "The guy was muy loco en la cabeza?" How is it our fault as a "society" that this guy couldn't handle getting fired from McDonald's? That he couldn't handle getting dumped by his girlfriend? These things happen all the time to millions of people. It's the nutjobs like Cho and the mall shooter that decide it is the fault of "society" that it happened to them and decide to exact revenge. Sadly, it is the Brokaws of the world that vindicate that deranged philosophy.
...that's right. Blogs are cancerous. Does Tom ever blog? Does Tom ever visit or read blogs? Nope. Probably not. The question is: does Tom avoid them because he thinks they're cancerous or does he think they're cancerous because he avoids them?
The comments of Tom Brokaw does point out a common occurrence- people will claim to be free speech absolutists UNTIL they find something they don't like or understand.

JT, Hillary, Walsh, etc have all stated they support free speech at times...but such a stance dissolves once they encounter a message or medium they do not approve of.
Brokaw is being very true to his belief system. The rest of us are idiots, and we should only get to hear and must believe whatever crap he wants to feed us. He's smarter than the rest of us, you know.

Remember when you had to sit there and listen to his drivel and had no way of telling him how full of crap or how biased he was? I love blogs. They are the cure for the mainstream media cancer.
Uh. I'm sorry to open all the closed minds out there but, there's no amount of control or tampering that will prevent the occasional misfire of synapses required to mow down a yard-full of people with an automatic rifle. It's an anamolous occurance. It may not be a result of any form of media. If it IS a copycat, it's an anamolous copycat of an anamolous act.

We are animals. Violence can be subdued, it can be punished... it will never be removed.

In talks of context, Cho's mind is the only accomplice he needed. Not the media, not games, not blogs, not a bad professor or a break up with a girl. His own mind indicated to him that this would be his greatest accomplishment, and that he should fire at will, instead of what most of us might do when overcome for a moment with rage or anger... subdue it. Move on. Read a good book. Introspect.

The most complicated machine in the world, our brain, simply breaks sometimes.
Mass media puts a lot of ideas into people's minds, I really don't see how Brokaw thinks that the media isn't responcible when someone copy cats something. Case in point: Local tv stations showing how to protect you from credit card fraud and then go into extreme detail about how the crooks do it. How many would-be crooks did they just make because someone wants to try it?
Oh, well, glad you're gone, Tom! NBC'll be better without ya!
[...] Tom Brokaw supports free speech absolutely, so long as the free speech is limited in scope and not covering something he thinks is bad for society. Oh, and games and blogs are cancerous [...]
Excellent Blog!Very well designed and focused.
VIDEO GAMES DO NOT ENCOURAGE VIOLENCE. IF YOU DISAGREE IN ANY WAY CONTACT ME AT : figsnake12@googlemail.co.uk

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Posted 11/23/09 at 06:48am
DarkSaber: Anyone been following this Hadley Climatic Research Centre server hack story?
Posted 11/22/09 at 11:48pm
ZippyDSMlee: AE:they feeding you well? I am enjoying win7 and heading to bed...uhg I need to get up early and start back to cleaning/painting blahg >< need tog et stuff done befor thanksgiving....
Posted 11/22/09 at 11:41pm
Andrew Eisen: Just got home from an eight hour recording session at Capitol Records. A lot of fun but damn exhausting.
Posted 11/22/09 at 08:44pm
BearDogg-X: 10 N. O. Who Dat?
Posted 11/22/09 at 09:45am
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I think doc phill is still sout about the break up with his wife he dose not fill holes as much as make them bigger these day
Posted 11/22/09 at 12:06am
JDKJ: You should get Phil McCraken to help you spackle those banisters.
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:57pm
ZippyDSMlee: Oh in the pirate hunter article I need my song ieda heckled DS,JD,Beemon sic im !!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:56pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:no I am tried from prepping the banisters for painting , worked on them from 12 to 4 and 6 to 8...after I got back from the store...got up early got ready...blah...been up all day..I need a nap...
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:42pm
JDKJ: No. You gonna stay up late tonight soldering?
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:41pm
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:Don't you mean Mctite?
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:33pm
JDKJ: @Zip: Neil, Bob, and Lik McTaint. The McTaint brothers. LOL!!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:44pm
Flamespeak: I still think military personell, killing other military personell, on a military complex should be handled by military courts.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:43pm
Flamespeak: I could see this a mixture of the two charges rather than just one or the other.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:43pm
Flamespeak: I think this was mainly a person who snapped, but evidence is showing he definitely had strong inlinations to islamic-extremism.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:41pm
Flamespeak: People are trying to claim that Hasan's actions were not terrorism. I don't jump on the 'terror train' like others, however
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:38pm
mentor07825: Britain certainly does deserve it! And the French! God damn it, it was a hand ball!!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: mentor07825:Well Brittan dose deserve it....
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:33pm
ZippyDSMlee: Alyric:I don;t hasliburton having to pay back billoins... don;t you love it when the rich roll over the goverment without a care?
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:32pm
mentor07825: I say we nuke the whales, for the benefit of both mankind and the environment.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:28pm
Austin_Lewis: I say we try Al Gore too. I always said he was in on the racket.
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