Do you think violent movies, TV, and video games contribute NOTHING to the carnage in this country?

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

64. Yes, I don't think they contribute a thing to carnage in this country

Shakespeare has very gruesome violence in his works. He also has very crude sexual innuendos and references in his works. The Bible has its share of murder, rape and violence. Greek and Roman mythology abound with stories of rape, vengeful people, violence, homicide, etc.

The Aztec or Mayans or Toltecs (can't recall which) used to play a version of soccer where the ball was an enemy's severed head. They also practiced human sacrifice.

Some tribes practiced and practice cannibalism.

The point is that violence and abhorring behavior have been part of human nature since the beginning. Plenty of people around the world watch the same movies and TV shows, and play the same videogames 'drenched in CGI blood.'

I am one of those, by the way. I play Call of Duty games nightly after work with other players from all over the world. I am quite good at it. It's a great stress reliever and I enjoy kicking people's asses virtually. I am a 40-year old happily married woman who certainly does not fit the stereotypes of gamers. Yes, my heartbeat goes up - but mostly because the people I play against tend to be homophobic and sexist twerps and it gives me pleasure that a 'girl' beats them.

I remember growing up in Italy and watching Italian TV shows where women are often scantily clad and sometimes even topless. I remember watching movies with nudity and lovemaking. I didn't grow up to be a sex addict or a rapist or a pornographer.

I enjoyed "Django Unchained" immensely and I think it was this year's best movie. It has plenty of violence - much of which is exaggerated on purpose. Yet, I'm not going out to shoot a bunch of people.

In fact, I don't own guns or rifles nor do I have the yearning to do so. I am an otherwise well adjusted person who believes there need to be more restrictions on gun ownership including better and more consistent registration methods (ones that are similar from state to state), yearly licensing, mandatory liability insurance, periodic testing, etc.

I realize that it would be impossible to remove guns and rifles from American homes. I also realize the gun culture in this country is part of its fabric and that there are some people who still cling to and romanticize the Old West, much like some southerners romanticize the Civil War.

Culturally, Americans believe that to defend themselves they need more weapons, an idea that is foreign to me - a foreigner. I think The Onion said it best lately. They illustrated how a family got killed by a gorilla and how suddenly everyone wants a gorilla for self-defense.

A car kills, but killing is not the purpose of the car. A beer can kill, but beer's purpose is not to kill. And so on. But a gun or rifle's sole purpose is to inflict injury - including death - on another being. Thus, it should be treated differently than a car or alcohol or drugs.