Rest in peace.

I found this:
"Earlier this month, gamer named Mitchell S. with the online screenname "Kuja105" who posts on a few online videogame forums (including GameFaqs.com and MetalGearSolid.org) committed suicide. On January 2 he posted a message in both forums detailing his intent to end his own life, citing overwhelming complications with school and finances.

A very brief period of initial disbelief was followed by a barrage of replies from fellow forum members pleading that he not take his life, trying to talk him out of it.

For days, no word was heard from Mitchell. Fearing the worst, members and administration from metalgearsolid.org began searching for contact information, spending hours on the phone trying to get in touch with him. Finally on January 4, Ryan K., an administrator at metalgearsolid.org, got him on the phone and spent hours desperately trying to talk him out of it.

Sadly, Mitchell soon ended his own life by consuming antifreeze and painkillers."
http://news.gaminghorizon.com/media2/1137635340.3198.html


Jack Thompson replied to www.metalgearsolid.org, saying:
"Your "gamer friend" will find peace through the Lord, Jesus Christ, but sadly it's too late for that.

There is a void in every heart. You can fill it up with the things of God, or the things not of God. This unfortunate soul chose to fill it up with combat games. The playing of these video games is masturbatory activity, meaning senseless self-stimulation. If you gamers could use a dictionary you would know that that term is not necessarily a sexual one.

The real tragedy here extends beyond the life and death of this one fellow. There are literally millions of young people and young adults whose despair is deepend by turning to the things of this world and then finding them meaningless.

All of you gamers need to put down the controllers and get a life. The utter inanity of the vast majority of postings here shows how vapid "gaming" really is.

You are one of the cheerleaders for this wasting of time and the wasting of lives. Do you feel any remorse for having contributed to this "culture of death?" Of course not. Hey, let's all play MORE games, and ignore all the really productive things to do with our lives.

Let's pretend to be shocked that a gamer might descend into deeper depression, as his gamer "buds," knowing he was killing himself, couldn't figure out how to call 911 themselves for him. That would have involved leaving their computers I guess.

Sad. Sad for all of you."

No, JT, you're sad. You've gone to an extreme low, and used this very saddening story against us, all of us. We are a loving community, and we do productive things. My uncle is an avid gamer, and he's a netadmin for a semi-large company. You wouldn't be hearing or replying to this if it wasn't for us. **** you, Jack.

as much as i feel for him...

i think he was being stupid by not having a life.

Did you even read the article? His problems weren't gaming. His problems were school and finances.

If Jack Johnson knew what the the **** he was talking about he wouldn't sound like an uneducated idiot. We know that won't happen.

[Edit] www.metalgearsolid.org Response:

"Once again, Mr. Thompson, you've proven that your ignorance knows no bounds. We're not going to participate in this war you wish to wage against us -- we're bigger than that. We're bigger than you.

This is a case where our tragedy is greater than the sum of our transgressions. The fact that you want to exploit the loss that both we and his family have suffered to forward your own selfish, religiously driven ambitions speaks volumes about the integrity (or lack, thereof) of your character, and it only serves to strengthen our resolve.

You can continue to try and discredit us and insult us, though no true man of God would do such a thing. We pity you and your ignorance, and only hope that someday you can come to terms with and mature away from your biggotry. As Metal Gear Solid fans, we have learned to believe in the best of individuals. We've learned to show charity. We've become better people, and through the loss of our friend, we've become a closer-knit community.

We forgive you, Jack, and we hope that God will do the same for you."

Jack Thompson doesn't deserve the required couple of minutes to read his 'condolences' or to respond. Anyone who would view such a tragedy as a moment of point-proving opportunity merits zero recognition and absolutely no credibility.

On that note, I have plenty to say in response to such utter disrespect for another human life. I will keep it all to myself, however. If I did any more to argue, the ambulance-chaser would win.

Don't let um get to you, dudes.

I am awestruck by that. I would reply with what I thought, but I know everyone will feel the same - there's no other way to feel.

I'm a Christian and a gamer. I spend a few hours a day playing games like Quake 4 and FEAR, and there really isn't anything wrong with it. Pretty much every gamer knows the difference between reality and games, and as long as they know this, there isn't anything wrong with this. If Mr. Thompson wants to make himself look stupid or try and take advantage of a sad situation, don't hold it against him. The people at those forums spent hours trying to stop this poor lost guy, and they aren't to be blamed.
Mr. Thompson is right in that there is a void left in every heart - and it can be filled with God or the things of the world. Playing video games does not mean displacing God, it's no different from reading a book for the story or having fun with friends. Mr. Thompson probably won't understand that though, unless he actually tried a video game, and he might find it fun.

-Dan

Dan Derrig said:

I'm a Christian and a gamer. I spend a few hours a day playing games like Quake 4 and FEAR, and there really isn't anything wrong with it. Pretty much every gamer knows the difference between reality and games, and as long as they know this, there isn't anything wrong with this. If Mr. Thompson wants to make himself look stupid or try and take advantage of a sad situation, don't hold it against him. The people at those forums spent hours trying to stop this poor lost guy, and they aren't to be blamed.
Mr. Thompson is right in that there is a void left in every heart - and it can be filled with God or the things of the world. Playing video games does not mean displacing God, it's no different from reading a book for the story or having fun with friends. Mr. Thompson probably won't understand that though, unless he actually tried a video game, and he might find it fun.

-Dan

Click to expand...

I wonder if tommy-boy thinks that by using someone's death to feed a lavish need to prove oneself's needs will fill the void in his heart with good.

I really am getting sick and tired of him. It was bad enough making blatant lies about the effects of video games. Maybe he might want to explain all of the effects of video games? Maybe the fact that studies have proven that video games heighten reflexes and response? The fact that gamers are more aware of their surroundings?

Or maybe the fact that there are millions of gamers in the world that play violent video games for years that haven't harmed a fly?

I am mourning for the loss of a fellow gamer. But the anger is just filling me. This guy has definately gone too far.

I am going to luagh when one of us so called "murderers trained by videogames" actualy knocks off that idiot. He has caused more problems then he ever fixed. Spreading slander all around, just to make himself look better. Talk about a attention hungry evangelist, and a lying, cheating lawyer, he is the prime example of the scum of society.

/me dutifuly salutes Jack Thompson with the Californian Salute.

Who is Jack Thompson?

I'm drafting a letter to him, not that it will change anything. I'm mostly writing it because I'm so tired of his crap.

Please, please make it civil. A curse word-riddled letter just furthers his cause, but I think you know that.

Stavros said:

Please, please make it civil. A curse word-riddled letter just furthers his cause, but I think you know that.

Click to expand...

It's definitely civil - it's up to him to further his cause.

That is definitely one of the most disgusting things I have ever had the displeasure of reading.
I am so completely knocked over by Jack's response and the heartless, ridiculous manner of it that I am truly at a loss for words

mage_x said:

Who is Jack Thompson?

Click to expand...

A lawyer trying to get rid of violent video games. Nothing wrong with making you show ID if you look under 18 when trying to buy an M rated game, but he's pushed it way too far. Look on wikipedia for him, there's a humongous article.

the loss of a promising young man is very sad indeed. Although his family and friends may not read this, nonetheless i must offer my condolences. R.I.P

**** you, Jack

Click to expand...

this Jack fellow is not worth more text then that.

R.I.P.(Trumpet playing Taps)

This is Jokes(Jack) life doing the hurtful meaningless diatribes against others. He thinks his life is full of importance. Its no more meaningful doing what he does then any well adjusted gamer doing their thing. "Lest not ye judge others lest ye be judged" guess he forgot that one!

i bet you he was the kid in grade 1 who always picked his nose, smelled and no one liked... and unlike most people who were like that.. HE HASNT CHANGED..
some people.. they just don't know when to butt out..

I think jack should go buy himself WoW and then stfuboon - if he puts as much time into opening the gates of AQ as he does pestering peoples passtimes, we would be in there by the end of the week

what an assH*** if i were the parents id kick jt ***

I am plesantly suprised to here forum members were compasionate instead of the reaction I thought they would have. I would have thought they would flame him to shreds, especially at gamefaqs. The reaction to the situation was positive, its just a shame that everything has to turn into some Jack Thompson bull****. I'm not too sure why people let him get to them, but if we just ignored him, he'd certainly go way.

Its pathetic that someones death has turned into another JT advertisement.