Reporter Laurel J. Smart makes an extremely tenuous case for connecting violent behavior - in this case that of accused campus shooter Amy Bishop - to Dungeons & Dragons.
Excerpt:
Accused campus killer Amy Bishop was a devotee of Dungeons & Dragons - just like Michael “Mucko” McDermott, the lone gunman behind the devastating workplace killings at Edgewater Technology in Wakefield in 2000.
The reporter also goes on to call gaming an "egghead escape," which in my mind is a not-so-subtle anti-intellectual jab.
If you're interested in emailing the editors, you can reach them via letterstoeditor@bostonherald.com. I sent one this morning. I'd urge you to be polite and pleasant, if you do so. They don't need any more anti-gamer ammunition.
I'm just glad they didn't mention his mental health problems, that would have shocked all the mentally ill if they had put the blame on that.
And is D&D just a "fantasy role-playing board game"? I thought writers were supposed to do research?
Unfortunately the article is syndicated, so it should be popping up in a few places. Where were the big articles when gamers raised over $170,000 for Doctors Without Borders?
cheers,
Meshon
I took this exerpt from the comments section.
"My name is John Ruch. I freelanced for the Herald for years, during which I played D&D regularly, as I still do.
This article is the exact type of hateful, incompetent, fraudulent, lazy and incorrect "reporting" that convinced me to stop associating myself with the Herald.
So, obviously, playing D&D not only turns people into murderers; it also turns people into fools who let their name appear in a paper alongside those of integrity-free morons. Oh, the horror."
Seriously. That's how badly this is written.
is this newspaper hooked up with Faux News by any chance?
Seriously. That's how badly this is written.
It used to be owned by Murdoch. Not anymore, though.
This is an actual news article? How very professional.
Did the writer run out of things to say about her and DnD? That must be why it switched to rambling about a completely different murderer halfway through.
And is D&D just a "fantasy role-playing board game"? I thought writers were supposed to do research?
It's funny: there were so many other offensive things about this article that I didn't even notice this particularly egregious error.
Bravo, sir. Good catch.
Yeah, I find the fact that police did sieze D&D books as part of their investigation to be more disconcerting than this stupid article - not that it isn't disturbing in its own right. I took a look at some of the comments and the few I saw should give ya'all some hope. Nobody seems convinced D&D is the problem. Most do, however, seem convinced that the article is a hunk of crap.
I've been sending spreading word of this article far and wide via Twitter and Facebook. Most of my pals are gamers, writers and other wordy people. Wouldn't be surprised at all to see many of those comments coming from them!
I've been sending spreading word of this article far and wide via Twitter and Facebook. Most of my pals are gamers, writers and other wordy people. Wouldn't be surprised at all to see many of those comments coming from them!
It's possible. We D&D players do like to murd ... I mean, talk. Yeah, talk.
And is D&D just a "fantasy role-playing board game"? I thought writers were supposed to do research?
It's funny: there were so many other offensive things about this article that I didn't even notice this particularly egregious error.
Bravo, sir. Good catch.
Reminds me of how in "Dark Dungeons" the writer clearly has no idea how the game is played.
If the psychosis already exists before someone plays a game of imagination {PnP/Whatever}, then the psychosis is only going to be nurtured by that mental flaw when playing a game that includes violence as a main-stream theme; not induced because of it. Why is that so hard for all these "experts" to figure out? Epic Fail.
This is America we're conversing about, we have to find something else to pawn our failures onto... It is forbidden to blame ourselves for our own actions.
If the psychosis already exists before someone plays a game of imagination {PnP/Whatever}, then the psychosis is only going to be nurtured by that mental flaw when playing a game that includes violence as a main-stream theme; not induced because of it. Why is that so hard for all these "experts" to figure out? Epic Fail.
This is America we're conversing about, we have to find something else to pawn our failures onto... It is forbidden to blame ourselves for our own actions.
I wish I could say that Canada was better about that, but the only difference is that in Canada they'd be blaming the government.
They're wrong. D&D doesn't make people violent: stupid bull**** like this does.
what? Have we gone back to the eighties? Haven't we even evolved over the past 30 yrs with any understanding?????? Next thing we will be burning books. What ignorance!!!!!!!
I can provide links to book burnings in the US of A within the last decade, if you like.
I can provide links to book burnings in the US of A within the last decade, if you like.
You beat me to it
!!
So.... the police are going to seize my books if I commit a crime? What the hell. Books are now seizable assets? I only figured cops would seize a book if it held records of a crime (like illegal accounting, fond diary entries, or happy time scrapbooking) or was used in a crime (like beating someone with it).
And how does a fan of D&D have only 2 books?
Huh. And all this time I keep talling people the Game Police won't take your books away if you're playing D&D "wrong".
And how does a fan of D&D have only 2 books?
I don't think you can play the game properly with just two... Maybe he sponged off everyone else during games?
PS: I so knew this was going to happen after the Wisconsin thing
Huh. And all this time I keep talling people the Game Police won't take your books away if you're playing D&D "wrong".
And how does a fan of D&D have only 2 books?
Mabey the detective just wanted a free copy of Adventurer's Vault 2 and Primal Power to complete his/her collection.
Mabey the detective just wanted a free copy of Adventurer's Vault 2 and Primal Power to complete his/her collection.
Interesting... Maybe I should become an officer too so I too can seize a new TV and a couple libraries...
Though if he snagged two books out of a larger collection of a guy who's been playing since the 80's, it would be the Red and Blue books for E-bay turn around.
Sadly, I do not think this is the case. It seems the Amy Bishop case is her current bread and butter, the focus of all her recent articles. Since no new info on the case has come to life yet she is forced to delve deeply into unfounded speculation to keep her name on the page and cash in her wallet.
Pu simply, she is a shameless hack.
So it's a tabloid then?
It's not a tabloid, but this is tabloid journalism.
Toe"may"toe, toe"mah"toe... close enough for me.
My friend Annalee Newitz at IO9.com took up the mantle and wrote a great piece of criticism on Laurel J. Smart's D&D piece. It's definitely worth a read. Newitz is one smart cookie, and a great writer.
I dunno. There was ample speculation in this piece as well. Sure, she covered her butt, but it was still speculation. I happen to think she's on the right track, but it's no kind of proof. Still, she should be commended for digging much, much deeper than her counterpart at the Herald.
It's the same type of article, just done better.
I know how mine for fish and stick hilt of sword into crotch!
You kids and your innuendo.
Aaarghh! Too ... many ... toes ...
I thought you were past that ;)
Point.
I'll stick with being in my mid-twenties.
I thought you were past that ;)
So did I ... so did I ...
I can do that!
thefreshxpress.com/freshxp/wp-content/up...
www.dribbleglass.com/Toes/toes-34.jpg
goodmusicncoolstuff.files.wordpress.com/...
I enjoy helping people.
I r sad now. 
I r not clicking.
Eh. They're just pics of really bad toes and toe-nails. I think one of them may have been diseased. The pictures of brown recluse bites are worse.
Eh. They're just pics of really bad toes and toe-nails. I think one of them may have been diseased. The pictures of brown recluse bites are worse.
I figured as much, but in order to continue this persona properly, I needed to act as though I was totally opposed to viewing toes of any sort. Behavior to fit the schtick, you know. I'm quite committed to the parts I choose to play - when and if I choose to play them. Or maybe I should just be committed. Yeah, probably that. Anyhoo, the 4th wall has been broken and this character is now dead. Toe away, peeples. Toe away.
farm2.static.flickr.com/1149/593666168_4...
Yay!
farm2.static.flickr.com/1149/593666168_4...
hehe. Ok, *those* are cute.