Finding correlation where there is none

Yesterday we get news of a foiled Columbine-style shooting.

Five teenagers were planning on a shooting rampage at Riverton High School on 4/20, which is Hitler’s birthday and the anniversary of the Columbine shooting.

Sheriff Steve Norman has this to say about the boys:

“I think there was probably some bullying, name calling, chastising,” he said. He also said investigators had learned the suspects were computer buffs who liked violent video games.

What the fuck did video games have to do with this?

As the editorial about the news on a gaming blog, Joystiq.com, says:

Now understand, about 110% of male teenagers in America play “violent” video games, so what’s the real connection?

Indeed. It seems the mere fact that these boys happened to play violent video games, just like roughly every other boy of the same age, discounts anything else these boys might’ve been up to.

It Just Must Have Been The Video Games, right?

-TPP

1 Response to “Finding correlation where there is none”


  • You know my view on this, Finn. No mention of the parents at all. Surely they couldn’t have anything to do with how their kids turn out.

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