Just 10 minutes ago, I saw a thread in SW about Jack Thompson threatening to after Bioshock. This enraged me, because I know that thousands of people will believe him, and this will ruin gaming's image.
Now, I know we all hate Jack Thompson, we would love to send him hate mail (or FIST mail), but, unfortunately, that is not the way to go.
Sending Jack Thompson hate mail only fuels his arguments. Swearing at him will cause him to post the letter on a website somewhere and say we learn it from GTA. Threatening him, calling him a retard none of these will work.
What will work, is sending him logical letters, emails and such. Explain why you think he is wrong, better yet, show him PROOF:
http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html
http://www.gamerevolution.com/static/index.php?section=feature&sub=violence&page=violence
http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=59020
To really stop him, we must educate OTHERS to not listen to him. My mom believes that video games cause violence in kids
"But you can't deny that when you play Call of Honor - or whatever its called- you are more likely to go shoot someone"
she says. She would not let my 11 year old brother play Burnout because she believed it would cause him to drive erratically (when he gets his license.... IN 5 YEARS!).
Now when my mom hears Jack Thompson and his "scientific proof" crap, she believes without actually wanting to look at his evidence.
In that bioshock article, I saw a response to Jack Thompson that I admired. It was logical, it wasn't insulting, and it was humorous. This kind of response would have a way higher chance of convincing someone you are right:
Mr. Thompson,
I am a mature and decidedly intelligent member of the gaming community. I respect your opinion, and frankly, I agree that mature content should not be allowed into the hands of minors. That being said, video games have their place.
Video games have been proven to increase hand-eye coordination and to improve the subject's capacity for fine motor skills. In addition to these benefits, interactive media is a fantastic (and under-utilized) tool for education.
I'm assuming you haven't played BioShock. It is set in an underwater utopia (Rapture) that has been destroyed by the advances of science and the sense of moral ambiguity which led it's citizen to play God and genetically "enhance" themselves.
BioShock is a commentary on the perils of technology divorced from humanity. It is a commentary on religion, science, and ambition that is steeped with literary and historical references. This is hardly a gratuitous game.
If anything, it follows closely in the tradition of dystopian literature from the likes of George Orwell and Any Rand.
You should applaud the developers of this game for giving substance to their craft and admit you have made a mistake. Your statement is arrogant and ill-informed.
If Americans rallied against everything that they found potentially offensive, we would live in a pasteurized culture where news and all media was filtered before it reached us. Adults would have decisions entirely taken out of their hands. Expression would be eliminated.
Come to think of it, that would make a pretty good game.
Urge people at your school, write an essay about it for English cl4ss, start up conversations in gatherings. If you convince someone, they might tell someone else. We probably cannot change Jack Thompson's mind, but if we stop people from listening to him, it'll be okay.