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Sunday, December 09, 2007

Tom Brokaw: Blogs And Video Games Are Cancerous

By Rob on December 9, 2007 at 07:56 pm
8 Comments
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From a recent interview between Brokaw and 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.

I’ve never bought into the idea that video games cause violence.  Sure many video games are violent, someone has to have other problems with their life or mental health to think they can behave in real life as they do in video games.  That so many people who commit violent acts are also linked to violent video games or movies doesn’t suggest to me that the movies/video games are making the person so violent but rather that violent people are probably drawn to violent video games and/or movies.

Or blogs too, I guess, according to Brokaw.

I think attitudes like Brokaw’s spring from the liberal mindset’s distrust of individuals.  Liberals feel that we can’t take care of ourselves so they want to government to do it for us.  They don’t think that citizens can be trusted with personal firearms so they want to take them away.  From those viewpoints, it’s not far of a leap to get to feeling people can’t be trusted to say whatever they want on blogs or play the video games they want to play.

Comments

Kevin

I was told it was television that caused violence.

Kevin on December 9, 2007 at 09:10 pm
Mr. Mxyzptlk

I thought it was those darn comic books!

Or Music Television.

Mr. Mxyzptlk on December 9, 2007 at 11:04 pm
2Hotel9

Tom Brokaw is thrashing about in a futile attempt to gain relevance in his own mind. He yearns for the days when evening news was all that many people knew about the world, the opinions they vomited out were believed to be the ONLY opinions that mattered. Now people form their own opinions, and they point at Brokaw and Rather and Couric and laugh. THAT is pissing the talkingheads off no end.

Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem

2Hotel9 on December 10, 2007 at 04:49 am
Hoss

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.

Seriously, WTF. Typical liberal, all about free speech and diversity of ideas - as long as it conforms to what they agree with. Or, does he love free speech, before he was against free speech.

""That’s the problem with you lefties, you’re not willing to get your hands dirty. I’d suggest you roll up your sleeves.”

-Jack Bauer

Hoss on December 10, 2007 at 08:14 am
Avatar for HG

I’m pretty sure it is the msm that is cancerous, and this sort of rhetoric from Tom proves it.  Nothing will eat away at free speech like liberal elites who think thiers is the only voice worth hearing.

And I’m a free speech absolutist,

Nothing says free speech like the sound of your own voice, eh Tom?

but I think that at the same time, we have to have free speech in some kind of a context.

And Tom and his fellow “journalists” are just the one’s to establish that context—liberalism.  Anything outside of that is hate speech, inflamatory, and cancerous. 

It’s a good thing the constitution establishes free speech within the context of God given rights, otherwise Tom might very well get away with his limits on free speech.

HG on December 10, 2007 at 09:37 am
Avatar for ews48

One would suspect that you play violent video games as you consider the possibilities of saving yourself from a coupe by a dictatorial government. Where do you suppose they get the ideas from? In almost every single school shooting, the young shooters spend an unusually large amount of time playing violent video games. The other two common characteristics are being bullied and being forced to take mind controlling drugs by the administration. Do you think the video games helped?

The number of people getting up in arms over the Compass that will be viewed by children as a Peter Pan/Wizard of Oz type triumph over evil, without using the F word or showing blood, while not getting up in arms over violent media is incredible.

Freedom without respect and responsibility is anarchy. Anarchy is not freedom.

ews48 on December 10, 2007 at 09:40 am
Avatar for HG

ews48,

Let’s test Brokov’s theory.

When you say “responsibility” what is the context? Does that mean that we should ban violent video games for the good of society?

HG on December 10, 2007 at 09:55 am
Avatar for robert108

...a coupe by a dictatorial government.

I prefer a sedan.  /humor

The secret of financial success:

If you can’t afford it, you don’t deserve it.  Even if you can afford it, that’s no reason to buy it.

robert108 on December 10, 2007 at 09:56 am
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