Sweet. Merciful. Crap.

I write this entry having just learned a surprising thing: Jack Thompson is writing a book. A FREAKING BOOK. Now, some of you may ask "who is Jack Thompson?" My answer to you is this: he is the gamer's anti-christ. Thompson is a lawyer from Florida who has recently gotten a lot of media coverage for his campaign against video games and the violence and questionable content found within. Several of his exploits include:

- Suing Rockstar over Grand Theft Auto III, claiming it extols the activity of killing police and civilians and stealing cars.

- Suing Rockstar AGAIN over Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, for the infamous "Hot Coffee" mod. Apparently there was a small mini-scene built in but not accessible, in which the girlfriend invites the main character in for some coffee and they proceed to have wild pixelated monkey sex.

- Suing EA for The Sims 2, claiming that underneath the mosaics used to hide nudity, there are graphic representations of genitalia. EVEN THOUGH it's pixelated, and the characters look like Barbie and Ken dolls when the mosaics are removed, Jack is saying the modders (those who alter the game for their own personal experience) are enhancing the nudity. EA's Will Wright, when attacked by Thompson, says that he encourages modding in general, because it allows users to create a custom experience. What gamers do with their own games is none of EA's business.

- Jack is notorious for responding to e-mails that present valid points with uncalled-for insults. For example: http://www.bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/board.pl?action=viewthread&threadid=58767&id=253845&boardid=1&view=threads

Shorty has been trying to e-mail Jack, but hasn't been able to get through, probably due to the massive amounts of death threats and arguments he already gets. Here's his e-mail (which he BCC'd to me) for you to enjoy:
You sir, are a prude. You are a symbol of the right wing that is slowly destroying the country. In short, you are a bad man. Mend thy wicked ways, O Perpetrator of Misinformation! Cease your prattlings of "Scapegoat!" and rescue thyself from the masses. You give people, not a false idol, but a false demon to be used as a blame for all that ails them, and give them false refuge from the blights of their lives! Be warned, for thou art securing thy place among the foulest of men ever to trod upon or below this Earth. I offer thee a chance to redeem thyself, and thou wouldst be wise to heed it, as it would mean a bounty beyond imagining! In fact, not jsut one bounty wilst thou receive, ut many, trailing upon the heels of two: Peace, and it's brother Quiet. Repent thy evil ways, and it shall cut the tidings of misfortune that have been raining upon thee. Repent, old man! REPENT!

I love it. Here are a few links for you to enjoy:

http://www.stopkill.com - Jack's own webpage
http://www.stopstopkill.com - the most comprehensive anti-Jack webpage
http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Out%20of%20Harm%27s%20Way:3004490461:isbn=1414304420:page=user-reviews;_ylt=AhRnM3OJOT3Epnjuhw0diUQCyNsA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5ZW01N2htBHNlYwNiZ3NpYg--
- Jack's book (my apologies if it breaks the tables and you have to side scroll)
http://gr.bolt.com/articles/violence/violence.htm - Article, "The Truth About Violent Youth and Video Games"
http://gr.bolt.com/articles/jack/jack.htm - Article, "Jack Thompson Tried To Arrest My Boss"

An interesting point by Brian Clevinger, author of 8-Bit Theater (www.nuklearpower.com):
"It seems everyone's favorite crooked lawyer/sabre rattler is at it again. I'm preaching to the choir on the whole Jack Thompson issue, so just check out my most recent musings on the subject of gaming and parental responsibility if you really need a refresher.

I mean, we all know this guy doesn't believe a word of what he's saying. He's a lawyer, the truth is not something he's concerned with. He'll say whatever gets his name on CNN. He'll say it twice and sprinkle some lies in it if it'll alarm parents. I just wonder if he has any idea that people like him only serve to stifle creativity for roughly one generation until all the talking heads figure out they were full of shit from the start.

There is going to be crime. Some percentage of crime will be committed by young people. Many young people today play video games. Therefore many young criminals will play video games. This is a statistic, not a cause and effect relationship.

Many young people also wear clothes. Look the frell out, clothes. You're next.

See how that made no damn sense? Don't tell that to Jack. He'll sue you for being alive on a Sunday.

Think about it. If he is remembered for anything, it will be as a villain to culture. And if Jack has half a brain or any sense of history, he knows that. And he's cool with that just to get some cash now. That's the kind of trash we're dealing with. He doesn't have to live with how he's percieved by future generations. He'll be dead."

I've been really interested in the going-ons of Mr. Thompson. Granted, it doesn't affect me, because I'm 18 and able to buy whatever I want (except alcohol, obviously, but that's another story). I play video games, and I'm damn proud. It's part of the reason I consider myself so freaking creative. It's the fuel for my vivid imagination. Of course, I'm not so juvenile as to send Jack death threats like some people, but if this man want to seriously fuck with one of the things that lets me relax and escape from the world for an hour or two, he'd better look out. He's got some serious competition coming back at him.