Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r) [2016 file photo].
Today, from Representative Vicky Hartzler (r):
Hartzler Meets with President to Talk Videogame Violence
March 8, 2018 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-04) issued the following statement regarding her White House meeting with the President, leaders from the gaming industry and grass roots activist groups to discuss efforts to curtail violence in schools:
“As a mother, former teacher, and member of Congress, I am clearly concerned with violence in our schools. Parents need to know that their children are safe in school, and more importantly, students must feel safe in their learning environment. I appreciate the President’s efforts in bringing together groups of all kinds with the goal of finding solutions to the horrific acts of violence in our schools and society. I believe the solution to curtailing violence lies in an all-encompassing approach, focused on several different factors that may contribute to school shootings. Discussions should not be limited to just video games and guns. The President’s approach of leaving no stone unturned is prudent and similar meetings with the movie industry pertaining to gun violence on film should also be conducted.
“Today’s meeting was an opportunity to learn and hear from different sides about concerns and possible solutions to violence in schools. I believe significant progress was made today, and my hope is that we can build on this progress in the future.”
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Think about that press release title for a moment. Consider the lethality of getting hit with a video game console as compared to, say, a round or two from an AR-15 rifle.
Some of the commenters via social media were less than impressed. On Twitter:
Why don’t you allow people to again research gun violence to actually see if there is a connection? By the way, there are also violent video games in other countries. Why don’t they have the kind of mass shootings we have? (Oh…wait…guns aren’t as available…hmmmm.)
Why weren’t any psychologists at this meeting? It seems that would be one “side” you’d want to hear from. It’s almost like the meeting was a sham.
So you’re just completely ignoring the decades of research and learned testimony that indicate that video games have nothing to do with real world violence, yeah?
Other countries have video games and they don’t have the same issues so????
So basically you’re going to do nothing? Thanks for the update.
Look, I know you really wanna say “it’s a heart problem, not a guns problem”, so let’s try it like this:
It says an awful lot about your heart that you are willing to twist this hard to put people’s unfettered access to killing tools over a child’s access to being alive at school
Do you have any thoughts with actual substance concerning the meeting? Perhaps some details about the discussions? Who said what? Who proposed what? What the tone of the overall meeting was? Anything?
Please protect school children rather than the gun industry. Please relent and approve funding for federal studies that quantify the connections between the proliferation of guns and violent death.
Do you think the killer in Vegas played a lot of video games?
[….] Thanks for looking into the issue of gun violence. Perhaps we could start with the common denominator of the topic: guns. Give back your NRA contributions so that we can have an objective conversation. Otherwise, your opinions are biased and empty.
Video games are world wide… they are enjoyed all around the world, but you don’t see everyone else shooting up schools because of playing a video game.
They have nothing to do with gun violence in your country.
Instead of blaming violent video games, maybe you should research other countries that have the same games, but dont have the same gun problems. Japan is doing just fine. Keep scapegoating instead of fixing the real issue. You shouldnt be allow to make policy for anyone
If the rest of Congress is a stupid as you we’re screwed.
We’re screwed.
Still going back to this same old tired trough…..study after study has proven this is a bunch of bullshit…..start doing your job instead of supporting the NRA as they kill our kids! You say you are pro-life and yet you stand with this bullshit!
You want to talk to grass roots activists? On March 24th, in your district: COMO March For Our Lives
