In an interview with Fox News yesterday, US House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke out against the connection between violent games and violent behavior. After the one-on-one switched from the economy to violence influenced by media, specifically video games, Representative Pelosi challenged those who believed this notion that defies evidence.
Her response came when host Chris Wallace asked why she hadn’t already gone to “her friends in Hollywood” and told them to “knock it off” with violent video games, because everyone knows video games are only made in Hollywood by Hollywood executives. Wallace also insinuated that “we don’t need another study” on games because “we already know” games are overly violent and influence violent behavior in the populace, which is funny because the studies have shown that they don’t.
“I understand what you’re saying,” Pelosi answered. “I’m a mother. I’m a grandmother. But the evidence says that in Japan, for example, they have the most violent games [compared to] the rest and the lowest mortality from guns. I don’t know what the explanation is for that except they might have good gun laws.”
She then reiterated popular suggestions of banning or bringing further regulation to assault weapons, decreasing the legal number of rounds per magazine, and more extensive background checks for those purchasing firearms. The Congresswoman then mentioned how parts of the Affordable Care Act a.k.a. Obamacare that take effect “in another year” will improve the level of care those with mental health issues receive.
“I think we have to do it all, and that’s why we included in there that we have to take a look at what these games are,” she continued. “I don’t think we should do anything anecdotally. We have a saying here, ‘the plural of anecdote is not data.’ So we want to know what is the evidence, what will really make a difference here? And I think it has to be comprehensive.”
The subject of preventing gun violence in the US has continued to fuel debate within the country’s federal and state governments since the tragedy in Newtown, CT occurred nearly two months ago.
[Fox News]
