"A student at the Houston-area Clements High School was arrested, sent to an "Alternative Education Center" and banned from graduation after school officials found he created a video game map of his school. School district police arrested the teen and searched his home where they confiscated a hammer as a 'potential weapon'. ' "They decided he was a terroristic threat," said one source close to the district's investigation.' With an upcoming May 12 school board election, this issue has quickly become political, with school board members involved in the appeal accusing each other of pandering to the Chinese community in an attempt to gain votes."
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This type of thing really disturbs me. I remember when people were encouraged to think outside the back and complimented when they did cool things. Image just making a 3D representation of your home and how hard it would be. Now make it many many times larger and create a model of your school.
To the best of my knowledge, this kid didn't have any "issues" and it seems like everyone jumped all over him. When we start pulling crap like this as a nation, we might as well raise the Red Flag, and forget about any notion of freedom or justice.
Three words about this whole thing....STUPID STUPID STUPID. How long till we go and buy a PS3 game that has a mature rating and they're sending you somewhere because you "MIGHT" be a thread?
They confiscated a hammer...? how retarded. I just think that people are overreacting about these things now since the VT incident just happened a couple weeks ago. But I don't get why they sent him away and banned him from graduation. That is just stupid
Remember where this all took place...Texas. No disrepect to any members who might be from there, but when they do something, they generally do it in a big way.
As for the hammer...I think authorities were disappointed that they didn't find something they could flash across the 6 o'clock news, so they took that instead. Making themselves look foolish.
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
At first I was like "Okay, that's not too bad, they're just a little paranoid." and then I saw the "confiscated a hammer". ROFL! Good job Texas. That town ain't big enough for the two of 'em I guess. =p
Sadly enough, I'm afraid other places will start being just as paranoid as this Texas town.
I actually surprised they got this paranoid (since it was in Texas), because pretty much everyone down there carries around a guun, well maybe thats just in the hick towns but still...
Wow. Lmao. Just imagine if he's found guilty. "John Doe you are hereby sentenced to X number of years in prison for the crime of mapmaking."
The hammer is a little bit much, but I actually don't think there's anything wrong with being paranoid about this kind of stuff. 99% chance the kid just thought it would be cool to recreate his school in a videogame, but nobody would be laughing if he was in the other 1% and went on a shooting rampage in his school and they found out he created the scenario in a videogame. Can't be too cautious when it comes to this stuff, especially in light of recent events (Virginia Tech).
Sure, but how many of those school shooting cases involved a video game map created to resemble the school? None. Personally I think it's just too easy for authority or the news media to blame video games for things that obviously aren't so superficial. I mean, if I was directly involved (ie. a victim's family member) I would be pretty insulted that they blamed such a horrible situation on something like video games. There are much worse things in society that are more likely candidates than a video game.
Totally agree...our country in general is very big into scape-goating. we don't look at the overall issue, but find the easiest thing to blame. this kid seemed to be decent, and apparently very intelligent if he was able to do this 3D model of his school. Now they've seperated him from his friends and not allowed him to graduate with them. It sounds like the authorities might be creating that "problem" kid with their own actions.
I better watch out. I've been using some map making software lately and I have all kinds of dangerous weapons in my office...a stapler, scissors, a cutter, thumbtacks,... They'd put me away for life!
* ManaBurnX runs away to hide all the things he mentioned above
Actually I haven't and glad of it. I shaunt click on that link. Yes, I said I shaunt (ask D4rk).
yes yes he's british. and believe it or not, the game has a lot of praise because it's like a documentary
I think video games should stay away from stuff like this as much as possible. Even if they try to do it for a good cause you'll always have people like Jack Thompson who will try to make it be what it isn't for his own cause.
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
At first I was like "Okay, that's not too bad, they're just a little paranoid." and then I saw the "confiscated a hammer". ROFL! Good job Texas. That town ain't big enough for the two of 'em I guess. =p
That is a little ridiculous.I think they went pass a little paranoid.
Next week:
"A construction major class were arrested for making a model of their school.
The whole class, including the teacher were arrested for said cause.
The students said it was a "School Project" which lead to the teacher's taken into custody." "what the %$#@ is wrong with you people?" was the principle's reaction, he too was arrested for allowing this "Project" to be made."
Seriously. Ban guns, not map making.