Germany Calls to Ban “Killergames”, Harvard Crimson Disagrees

Following a tragic school shooting incident that occurred earlier this month, the head of the German national police union stated a plea against violent video games. The tragic incident, which took place last March 12 2009, happened in Albertville-Realschule school in Winnenden, Germany. 17-year old Tim Kretschmer, described as a below-average student and reserved individual, rampaged through the morning classes of his former high school with a handgun. After which he proceeds to leave the school grounds, shooting on the way. He then ducks into a dead-end street with the police on his tail, where he shoots himself. The teenager left a total of 16 dead in his wake.

Police investigations revealed that Kretschmer was an avid Counter Strike player, and a good one at that. Of course, the media and the police were quick to relate one with the other. This first-person shooter, where the goal is to annihilate your enemies with the skilful use of firearms, was deemed as a virtual practice ground for the campus shootout that took place.

According to Heini Schmitt, head of the Hessen German Police Union, the suspect in every violent rampage is always known to have a notable addiction to what he deems as “killergames”. Schmitt is campaigning for the banning of shooter games, where the goal is to kill people outright. Since age restrictions are often ignored, he proposes that these violent video games be pulled out from store shelves. Schmitt believes that having a third of our youth addicted to such violent games should be cause for alarm, and the role of these games in their behaviour should not go ignored. The chief of police further insists that when there’s a chance to eliminate any probable cause of a crime, it must be exercised.

So while politicians and parents are laying the blame game on Counter Strike and other “killergames”, The Harvard Crimson tries to bring things into perspective. According to the opinion editors of the said publication, they believe that the key to suppressing this violence among the youth is to keep the real guns away from their reach – not the virtual ones. The Harvard Crimson states that this form of social restriction and blanket control is not the answer, and is not addressing the real problem. Pulling out violent video games may be like merely putting a band-aid on an already infected wound. A temporary solution, it might even alleviate symptoms, but it does not provide the cure to the problem.

The Harvard Crimson points out that the shooter’s father was a member of a firearms club, and has around 15 legally licensed weapons in the house – one of which was used by Tim Kretschmer. The point may not be in banning video games, it may be in further regulating licensed weapons. There ought to be stricter rules on keeping guns secure, and larger penalties to owners who allow weapons access to unlicensed individuals.

Every era will always have their social outcasts, mass murderers, and oddballs. Of course, when things get out of hand, it’s always easier to point a quick finger at media and violence. Keep in mind though, that killergames have only been around for a couple of decades, whereas murder has been present since the dawn of society.