MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
The former US Speaker of the House has spoken in defence of the video game industry, saying that legislation in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings must be "comprehensive".
Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, was pressured by Fox News interviewer Chris Wallace to do something about violence in games.
"In part of your plan, you call for more scientific research on the connection between popular culture and violence," said Wallace.
"We don’t need another study, respectfully. We know that these video games where people have their heads splattered, these movies, these tv shows; why don’t you go to your friends in Hollywood and challenge them, shame them, and say: ‘knock it off."
Despite the lack of a proper subject in his question, Pelosi understood Wallace to mean that video games were at the heart of the nation’s problems with gun violence.
"I do think that whatever we do, when you talk about evidence-based, we have that throughout our proposal – in other words we don’t want to just be anecdotally writing bills, we want to say…" said Pelosi before being cut off by Wallace.
"I’m not sure you want to write bills anyway," said Wallace.
"You have a lot of friends in Hollywodd. Why don’t you go to them and publicly say ‘I challenge you to stop the video games.’"
"I undersand what you’re saying," said Pelosi, "I’m a mother and a grandmother, but the evidence says that in Japan – for example – they have the most violent video games than [sic] the rest and the lowest mortality from guns. I don’t know what the explanation for that is except they might have good gun laws."
"But I think you took one piece of it," she continued.
Pelosi argued that blocking further sales of assault weapos, a ban on high-capacity magazines, and better background checks for gun buyers could have more effect on gun crime.
Despite confusing the first and second amendments, Pelosi came out in defence of the rights of hunters and gun owners, pointing out that these laws would have little effect on the majority of Americans.
In addition, Pelosi pointed to recent changes in mental health care legislation to take effect in the coming months that could help prevent future atrocities such as those in Newtown, Connecticut that left 20 small children and 6 teachers dead after a shooting rampage in December.
Whatever action is taken, Pelosi believes it must take in to account all aspects of violence.
"I think we have to do it all. We have to take a look at these games are," said Pelosi.
"I don’t think we should do anything anecdotally. We have a saying here: the plural of anecdote is not data. And so we want to know: what is the evidence? What will really make a difference here? And I think it has to be comprehensive."
