Jack Thompson, Anti-Game Lawyer Strikes Again - 28.3.05

kotaku links to CBS GameCore's mailbag, which is about lawyer Jack Thompson's latest example of contempt for all things gaming.

In February, the lawyer took part in an online Q&A for CBS News GameCore about violence in games such as Grand Theft Auto, and his replies to the questions seemed reasonable and sane - and in general he does have a point about excessive violence in games influencing kids - but he almost negates himself by showing total comical disdain for gamers when he speaks to people outside of the spotlight of mainstream media.

The latest example is an attempt by the forum members of Ctrl+Alt+Del, whose owner is a gamer that took part in an alternate-view follow up to Thompson's Q&A, to engage him in an open discussion.

The initial email sent to him was:

Mr. Thompson,
I have recently read your interview for CBS News (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005...ain676446.shtml) and I have read what you have to say on your website (http://www.stopkill.com) I would like to make a formal invitation to you to discuss your views on how violent video games correlate to violence in reality. I hope you have read the follow up interview from Tim Buckly, creator of the Ctrl-Alt-Del webcomic (http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com), as it was an astute contradiction to you views.

This discussion will be held on the Ctrl-Alt-Del forums here: http://www.cad-forums.com/showthrea...5078#post905078

My first question to you would be if you could prove your claims to have predicted the 1999 Columbine killings and the 2002 DC Sniper attacks? I have searched and searched the NBC archives and could not find a single excerpt or transcript. If you could provide us with a link or perhaps scan a transcript in your pposession, it would make your case all the easier to claim.

Thank you for your time.
Nicholas Chase (Nichabod)

Hardly a flamewar rant against him, but he acted as if was by first setting up his auto-responder to emails from the forum-goers to be "your favorite industry is going to be exposed on 60 minutes sunday night" referring to an appearance he was going to make on the show, then replied with:

My website and email are for people harmed by these games, not for people
the moral equivalent of Saddam Hussein. If you want to rant about this, go
to a GTAVC chat room. Either stop sending me emails like this or pay the
consequences. jesuslovesyou, dude
[...]
Ps: No you're beyond help, so bugger off
Read the full thread

More info:
Thompson's StopKill.com
CBS GameCore Mailbag Freak Out - reader responses
Jack Thompson won’t talk to bloggers, but he’ll talk to CBS
Jack Thompson is at it again - 60 Minute quotes for your enjoyment/terror
Anti-Game Lawyer Snubs GamersHell (2 Feb)
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