Playing Columbine Clip, Discuss the clip now on the front page

Hey guys, in this thread i'd like to discuss what you all thought about the clip from Playing Columbine. There are some very important issues raised, and I think that if we talk about them a lot of things could start to make sense.

So, post quotes you liked, ideas you liked, and let's see if we can get some insight into why school violence happens...

the guy who made the columbine game (i already forgot his name) made a really good point, that some times, we need this violence media in our lives, so that we can learn from it, or release our angry, just like the author of 'The Shooting Game' said. He went to Japan that was a peaceful country, but there's so much violence in their media, that helps the country be so peaceful.

By the way, is this movie coming out on DVD or something?

I'm watching your video blog of you in your room now.


*US high schools are 4 years *

okay you're little rant of: Fuck you, does it make you feel cool to make me feel like shit,
just made me laugh

looool!! i took that down to redo it. i had a bad headache and was in a rush before going to work.

anyways, i definately dont think violent media can be to blame.

my favorite line of the clip is when the girl from Dawson says that it sucks that people had to stop being compassionate a few weeks after dawson.

kind of sucks that people so easily forgot

it sucks that 10 years after columbine, that there's a chance that there might be another school shooting

we live in fear that our school will be columbined or bombed that we forget the perpous of school to learn.. even people that don't think that aren't worryed that their school will be shot up.. still have to deal with the social classes in school.. the populaity in school makes more people kill themselves.. but do the people in school learn... no.. if millions of people die will people learn?.. no.. no matter what we do. people will all be the same.. and its hard to get to people before they do something that can hurt others or even themselves.. i try not to give up hope that one day peace will come.. but that day is impossable.. as long as people envy each other.. i want not to lose hope.. but are we really facing a war that we cannot win?

I have to say I found the video to be at a minimum a good start to determining and understanding why these kids pickup such lethal tools and decided to vent there rage. Another very interesting note was Japan, and there violent imagery. Anyone who has ever seen Japenese cartoons know exactly what hes talking about, yet they have one of the lowest murder rates in the world. Why?

I think people who blame video games are simply mis informed and do not wish to investigate the true problems presented by our society to these individuals, and anyone who does take an interest is labeled as obsessive over the incident. - Yes ive been called that for discussing columbine/vtech/dawson, etc.

Perhaps its from my own past of being bullied in schools and singled out as a loner that I personally want some answers, but I truly believe unless we actually preform insight on these issues, make a point of noting peoples changes in there personality and offer them support to help through it, we most will experience these same tragedies over and over again.

Just earlier this week, I said to a friend of mine "Its a horrile way to look at the world, but were going to have another school shooting this year if we keep up with whats happening already"

- first 2 weeks of school, in Canada alone we have already had a lunch time stabbing in Toronto, and yesterday a Brampton school was put into lockdown when a man with a hand gun was spotted within the school.

why do we have to blame people or things for other peoples actions.. we shouldn't be blaming others for things that happened.. we should be reflecting on how to change the things that are going to happen next.. we have to make people realize that these things CAN happen to them.. and we have to make them realize how bad these things are.. for one candle in the darkness can light up the world... but the only way for that candle to light up the world is to light up the other candles that have to idea how troublesome these things can be... and how painful it can be for people that were in columbines... ignorance hurts people.. and so does stupidity.. but if we do some work to change that then we could help get closer to a world that we don't have to live in fear of everything we do.. or at least thats my opinion.. we can change the world.. but only if we try..

There is one point during the clip where Danny says: "If we lived in a society where we made video games about our frustrations, instead of going to the school and shooting someone, we'd be living in a much better world."

Now, I do agree that it's a better solution in the short term, for the particular people who are in a situation where they are likely to actually shoot someone at their school. It's better for them personally, because they will have a much better chance of actually wanting to live their life, as well as being able to, and it's better for others at their school because they're not going to get shot, because they too will have their lives and be able to live them, and because they won't have to deal with the trauma associated with surviving a school shooting.

So, yes, making games about our frustrations can help.

But it doesn't go far enough.

Firstly, who would know? If you made such a game, who would know you had a problem and that you needed help? Even if you posted the game on the internet, who would find it? Quite likely no one would ever see it, no one would ever know you had a problem, and no one would know you needed help.

Secondly, what would change? Nothing would change. Sure, you personally may feel some relief that you have an outlet for your anger, but how long will it last? How long will it take before you get sick of the game, and the reasons behind it, and you pick up that gun anyway?

The point of school shooings is not, as one person in the clip said, to die with "FAME". The point is that there is something wrong, something that has been wrong for so long that you are sick and tired of putting up with it every single day of your miserable life, and the only thing you can think of to put an end to the problem is death. Not simply your own death, but to kill those you feel caused the problem. To make them suffer, as you suffered.

The worst thing about school shootings is that they will happen again. And they will happen again because nothing changes. The underlying problem, whatever that happens to be, is not fixed. Often it isn't even recognised and until it is recognised, and something changes, the cycle of problem and "solution" will continue. Simply creating an alternative "solution" is not enough.

My only central concern when it comes to video games, is when is enough, well enough?

I love Doom, die hard fan enough to go out and buy them all. Just to support development of further games.

But truly, Japan has its violent cartoons aka Japanimation.
North america, we have our media and video games.

However, wheres the line? well the short answer is, it varies from person to person. But I sure as hell can testify comming home from a stressful day at work and shotgunning some imps down is very very different than some of the stuff that exists now a days.

Example, freedom of speech and expression is aiight, to a POINT, but when people are creating simulations of Columbine and Vtech massacres as a game mod, alright Even as an avid gamer Im willing to say this has to a point gone way to far.

Super Coklumbine massacre was created as a reflection to assist others in understanding what was going through those two persons head the day of.

Some however did not look at it this way, they trained on it (as pathetic as it sounds training off a half assed RPG mod) people who socially disconnected themselves, such as Gill, not only emulated the entire Columbine actions, but he had a great interest in his own mortality.

If more attention were payed to these individuals mental actions and thought patterns In my opinion his fire arms should have been removed from his person well before he went and played a shooter in real life.

\\ Edit:

After a bit of debate I thought the point would be made more clear by simply showing you the clip Im speaking of.

Joel, forgive me if this bugs you feel free to remove the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LVP0lPd1Kg

i don't believe it is the volonice in video games.. most kids play them to release the stress of their everyday life.. you all were teens once (or still are).. don't you remember the days in high school? how each and everyday you are worried more about what society is going to do next instead of working your way to a better future with your grades (disclaimer: this doesn't apply to everyone that reads this post) its hard for kids these days to go about their life and act like nothing is wrong. and thats the way we treat them. they have to wake up with a smile on their face even though everyday a new problem occurs. its tough for a kid to actually be a kid. the reasons why the coumbiners did what they did are in side their head. we won't be able to find out the actual reason why they did it but why are we going to blame something that may not have even been a factor?

You're all wrong!
It's because we don't have enough people forcing the "One True Religion" ™ on us! If there was more Jesus in people's lives, we wouldn't have any violence whatsoever!
N.B: Ignore Bath, the Crusades, the Holocaust and any other bad thing that happened because it was God's will.

Truth be told, more people have died under the name of "God" than any other. I find that hardly a solution to a violence problem.

But if it works for you, do what works.!

=/ even if we all believed in one god humans would find a new thing to base our problems off of... and how do you know that im wrong... there is no way to find out why they did it unless they say it...

Precisely. Example, Chatholic and christian faiths, they were ONCE one belief way back then, now how many variations of Christianity and Catholicism are there now? and they even fight amongst themselves.

Lets face it, as humans it is in our primal instinct to be dominant over our surroundings. otherwise we wouldn't be here today complaining about all of this, we would have been killed off millenia ago from our prowlers and predators.

There is no single one right answer that can solve the worlds violence and life issues, but through hopefully a variety of attempts and proactive actions from the communities in whole will we resolve the hate and violence our society possesses.

i hope... i cant take much more bullying and the killings around america just make me feel worse... i mean not to sound selfish.. im sure everyone around the globe feels a little bit the same and is suffering more than me.. but you know i do have feelings too.... bullying as gone on to long... i hope there is a way to stop it...