Comment Re:Scott, I have to disagree (Score 1) 1035
The bottom line though is... If your child got a hold of GTA3 and later proved to be the type of person to think that shooting at passing cars was an acceptable thing to do for fun, then should the victim sue the game producer for the actions of your child. It's absurd.
At 16 these little assholes are not clueless sponges that just repeat what they see on TV. They are sociopaths that have no ability to empathize with the people they are spraying random bullets at. They are not pets, they are fully reasoning humans with some hormone issues and no life experience yet. The victim is in fact looking to collect money from someone. The blame simply can't be laid anywhere but at the 16 year old sociopath's feet.
I get tired of this "blame the game", "blame the parent", "blame the TV", "blame anyone who can pay a judgment", crap. I have seen children with the best of parents turn out as the wildest most out-of-control asses I've ever seen. I have seen kids from parents that sucked, manage to overcome and be great people.
Parents are not magic. They are one influence among millions. They are a strong influence but still only an *influence*. I'm sorry but if my neighbors child hauls off and kills my wife. I certainly would not entertain the notion that "the TV made him do it". I hold him morally responsible, and his parents financially responsible (because it has to be them). How do you make the leap that because he watched drag-racing on TV and went tearing down a residential street killing a pedestrian that it must be the drag-racing show's fault?
BTW: It sounds like you are doing all you can to make a good person out of your child. I wish there were more who took the time to *try*.
At 16 these little assholes are not clueless sponges that just repeat what they see on TV. They are sociopaths that have no ability to empathize with the people they are spraying random bullets at. They are not pets, they are fully reasoning humans with some hormone issues and no life experience yet. The victim is in fact looking to collect money from someone. The blame simply can't be laid anywhere but at the 16 year old sociopath's feet.
I get tired of this "blame the game", "blame the parent", "blame the TV", "blame anyone who can pay a judgment", crap. I have seen children with the best of parents turn out as the wildest most out-of-control asses I've ever seen. I have seen kids from parents that sucked, manage to overcome and be great people.
Parents are not magic. They are one influence among millions. They are a strong influence but still only an *influence*. I'm sorry but if my neighbors child hauls off and kills my wife. I certainly would not entertain the notion that "the TV made him do it". I hold him morally responsible, and his parents financially responsible (because it has to be them). How do you make the leap that because he watched drag-racing on TV and went tearing down a residential street killing a pedestrian that it must be the drag-racing show's fault?
BTW: It sounds like you are doing all you can to make a good person out of your child. I wish there were more who took the time to *try*.
