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Aug 5, 2004 This is an actual letter I sent to Mr. Jack Thompson. In case you don't know who Mr. Thompson is I will elighten you. Mr. Jack Thompson is the infamous Miami lawyer that believes that entertainment is to blame for the downfall of our society. Especially video games, two in particular is Grand Theft Auto and Manhunt. I sent Mr. Thompson a letter informing him on my take in this matter, and I wish to share it with all of you. Dear Mr. Thompson. I hope and wish you will read all of this and actually have the courage to reply back to me. I guess by now your email inbox is full of angry letters from fans of Grand Theft Auto, the video game, not the crime. But I want to address something to you that your intellect may or may not be aware of. First off, I am a 23-year-old college student from Ohio. I have played and enjoyed all of the Grand Theft Auto series; from the very first to Vice City. I will admit that yes, the game is violent, but I don’t go out in the streets late at night running people down with my car. I do agree with you on two accounts; one that video games are violent and should never be in the hands of teenagers, and two punishment should be acted upon the source of the crime that’s been committed. However, your accusations that video games are the key is completely false, it’s the will and decision the child makes to kill. I think you, Mr. Thompson, are missing the point when it comes to several issues on violence, not just in video games, but in all walks of life. I’m majoring in psychology, so I will enlighten you on violence. First of all, violence produces violence; in other words, the kid that was on a shooting spree may have had an abusive father. If the kid had a gun, how did he get it? Why was there a gun in the house for him to retrieve? Clearly, his parents are the ones to blame. But let’s continue with another subject, movies. Stanley Kubrick made a terrific and very violent movie called, “A Clockwork Orange.” If you haven’t seen the movie, let me give you a little background. “A Clockwork Orange” is about a young man who puts on his Derby Hat and goes out with his friends to loot, rape, kill, and cripple society for fun. Are you going to sue Stanley Kubrick for making the film? Well, you can’t, because one, Stanley Kubrick is dead, two the movie doesn’t produce violence, and three it’s rated R, which means no person 16 or younger can watch this film. I understand that your only defense mechanism is entertainment; however I must ask you, what if we had it your way and gotten rid of violence? We wouldn’t have any great movies like The Godfather or great music like The Beatles or great video games like Grand Theft Auto or Manhunt, which are titles I own. I’m not sure if you do play video games, but I know you have seen The Godfather and you probably enjoyed just like the rest of the world did. Mr. Thompson, I admire your passion to make a better United States of America, but it’s clear to me that you don’t care about the families, you only care about the spotlight and money. You’re a lawyer for God’s sake! But if you want to sue someone for producing violence to teenagers, why don’t you sue George W. Bush for producing a war in Iraq. I know some teenagers who are in Iraq that have AK-47's in their hands, no not the ones on a video game, but the ones in real life. Shooting innocent children, burning them alive, killing pregnant mothers who can’t speak English. American troops motto: Shoot first, ask questions later. Mr. Thompson, you said if anyone has a complaint about anything to inform you and you will handle it personally. Well, I implore you to sue George W. Bush, for producing violence to young teenagers with the war in Iraq. I understand that you and Charlton Heston won a case against Ice-T’s song, “Cop Killer” in the early 90's, in which I congratulate on. However, I do have to ask, are you a member of the NRA, The National Rifle Association that Charlton Heston is the spokesman for? I’m sure you’re aware of The NRA, you know the organization that says guns are “cool.” Oh wait, guns are cool? But I thought you was against that? And you care about the Columbine families? Then why not sue Charlton Heston for showing up for a gun rally AFTER the Columbine Shooting. Or how about the people in Flint, Michigan, when a 6 year old girl was shot and Moses himself decided, “Let’s have a party with guns!” I personally haven’t killed anyone, nor do I have the desire to kill anyone, and I have been playing violent video games since I was 16 years old. I don’t even own a gun, but does this make me a menace to society? Mr. Thompson, I hate to give you false hopes, but you don’t have a case when it comes to Take 2 or Rockstargames. You claim that you are going to “destroy” them, but you’re just going to embarrass yourself like you did with Bill Clinton. There’s a rating on the front of the package and with a name like GRAND THEFT AUTO, why would anyone buy this game for their child? You want to sue someone, sue the parents for being incompetent. I thank you for your time, and hope to hear a reply from you. ------------ About the author Eric Schomburg: Visit http://www.geocities.com/schomburg2002. The website is about my novel, One of a Kind, a story about a young boy who possess the powers of the natural elements. Email: schomburg2002@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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