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Re: Sentencing from Halo 3 murder trial *OT*
Posted By: MercuryDate: 1/15/09 11:36 a.m.

In Response To: Sentencing from Halo 3 murder trial (RotaJota)


: This is about the boy who shot his parents when they didn't buy him Halo 3.

: OP: http://halo.bungie.org/news.html?item=24731 >

: I personally find these kinds of things are a bit morbid and overly
: publicized, but unfortunately they are a part of the current political
: landscape.

: Anyway, the results of said trial are in . The boy was found guilty, and the
: judge's full remarks contain some pretty hefty insights into the
: relationship between video games and drug addiction.

: I think the judge is pretty accurate in saying that the boy was quite
: delusional, and I don't believe he is laying the cause of these delusions
: squarely on Halo. Rather, I think he is acknowledging that a deluded
: mindset combined with a violent game caused some unhealthy reflexes in the
: boy's mind. All in all it's an incredibly tragic incident, and hopefully
: there is something positive that can be learned from the situation.

A few people have brought this up in the past few days. It's a very sad story.

Judge Burge's comments actually make me sad about a number of things. First, that he apparently only ruled finding Petric guilty because he felt had no choice in the matter (I'm often frustrated that our court system basically makes rulings on its own... why do we need judges then?). Second, that he basically opened the door with his statements that once a case finally does set the precedent, a court can find violent games to be causal in a multitude of situations where it can't actually be proven.

I fully agree with his understanding of the "dopamine surge, the stimulation of the nucleus accumbens" and how that relates to some drugs. It also relates to most sports, sex, and innumerable other activities that involve aggressive physical or mental stimulation.

Long before video games came around, we killed each other in play. Humans have simulated death and aggression, and reaped the benefits of the following dopamine high, for as long as we've been on this planet. Normally we simply call this "delusional state" play. And guess what, children have crossed the line from play to murder before now, but we didn't attack the game they played, we locked the gun cabinet.

I understand there may be a difference in the degree of "reality" between make-believe and videogame, But I can tell you, my imagination was pretty freaking good as a kid.

Something was definitely unhealthy in Petric's sense of reality, but I think it was wholly independent of his delusion of choice. His addictive behavior was the major factor in the killing, if you ask me, and he gets the ruling he deserves for an addiction related killing. Coke addicts don't get a simple drug sentence for a drug related murder, they get a murder sentence. If we were to blame the addiction itself, every dopamine response possible becomes an insanity plea.

I know this can be a sensitive subject, and I apologize for the rant.


Message Index




Replies:

Sentencing from Halo 3 murder trialRotaJota 1/15/09 10:13 a.m.
     Re: Sentencing from Halo 3 murder trial *OT*Mercury 1/15/09 11:36 a.m.
     Question for NarcogenCody Miller 1/15/09 3:14 p.m.
           Re: Question for NarcogenNarcogen 1/16/09 2:21 a.m.
                 Re: Question for NarcogenMercury 1/16/09 11:44 a.m.
     Re: Sentencing from Halo 3 murder trialDrDoctor 1/15/09 9:35 p.m.



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