Five Teens Charged In Graffiti Blitz - They Blame A Video Game

[matcom]

:eyes:

<snip>

GREENSBURG, Pa. -- Five middle-school boys in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, have been arrested, charged in a graffiti blitz they blame on a video game.

The boys range in age from 12 to 14 and are charged with institutional vandalism, criminal conspiracy, criminal mischief and desecration of venerated objects.

Police in the western Pennsylvania town say the youngsters have admitted spray-painting the initials "G-K-U" on more than a dozen buildings, including a synagogue, an art museum and a Christian thrift store. The initials supposedly stand for "gang kids united."

Police say the boys claim they were inspired by the video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas."

http://www.wftv.com/irresistible/4032207/detail.html

[trotsky]

1. Wow, boys, maybe you can take a trip to jail!

JUST like in Grand Theft Auto!

[Cocoa]

2. expect a Joe Lieberman press conference

:eyes:

[ixion]

3. ah yes... it's the demon video games... and that rock music, too

:eyes:

[Not_Giving_Up]

4. My husband plays this game continuously

He hasn't spray painted anything yet.

What ever happened to knowing right from wrong, regardless of what you do in a video game? Can these people not tell the difference between reality and a video game?

[TlalocW]

5. The important word here is...

"Yet." It's only a matter of time before he starts spray painting buildings and stealing cars for short joy rides. We all know Joe Lieberman is right about video games - why, when I was younger, I used to get so pumped up from playing Super Mario Brothers that I would go out and jump on turtles. It was only a problem when I went to the zoo.

TlalocW

[Not_Giving_Up]

6. Ha!

He has all of the GTA games, plus a million street racing games and such. Yeah, he drives too fast, but he did that before these games existed. He just uses the games to drive really insane. I do tend to remind him that this car is for real and cannot be reset if we go somewhere after he's been playing a lot.

[Renew Deal]

7. Bullshit

Lame excuse

[TXlib]

9. My thoughts exactly

The particular form of mischeif may have been inspired by that game, but if they had never played it, they would have found something else destructive to do.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Where were their parents?

duh!!

[noshenanigans]

8. I worked on the Medal of Honor games..

and I have to tell you, now I have the compulsive urge-nay, need- to storm the beaches of Normandy.

Seriously, though, I can't imagine 12-14 year old boys lying in order to cover their asses. Perish the thought!

[Menshevik]

15. I love the MOH games!

:thumbsup:

[mark414]

16. you worked on those games??

badass man...thanks

[Forkboy]

10. Why are they playing it in the first place?

The game is rated M...where are the parents?

I've been playing Pharaoh and now I want to build a pyramid.

[Deja Q]

12. Why are they MAKING it in the first place? Violence begets violence.

Especially if it's made to directly mimic reality.

They're ALL losers.

But at least I knew when to stop playing that FILTH.

[Forkboy]

14. K

:crazy:

[Lenape85]

17. And I've been playing Sim City, and I want to be mayor of a town

[Cuban_Liberal]

13. I call 'bullsh*t'!

That game is no more responsible for the lil' hooligans' 'spree' than the makers of Diamond@ matches are responsible for an arson.

Puh-LEEEEEEEZE!

:eyes:

[derby378]

18. Just because I've played SPACE CHANNEL 5...

...doesn't mean that I've got this urge to dress in ultra-minis and go dancing down at the Kennedy Space Center. That would be just plain wrong.