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KNOW-THIS
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3694
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Student slashes "sinners"
 Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:33 am
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No big deal though, God directed him to do so.
http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2004/11/30/news/top_news/e0cd3b11375d7c9b86256f5c000f7e12.txt
VHS teen: Victims were 'sinners'
VALPARAISO: Student accused in slashings allegedly says God made him do it
BY KEN KOSKY
kkosky@nwitimes.com
219.462.5151
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 12:18 AM CST
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VALPARAISO | Police said the Valparaiso High School student accused of slashing five of his classmates told officers God directed him to do it because they were "sinners."
However, the suspect, 15-year-old James Lewerke, wasn't targeting any specific students, but rather put them all in the same category, police said.
"He said no, nobody had bullied him. It was random. He just began swinging at whoever was closest to him," said Sgt. Perry Stone, the lead investigator and the man who interviewed the suspect.
Stone said he isn't trained to determine whether the suspect was suffering some sort of mental health episode the day of the slashings, but he said it appeared the otherwise good student was not himself that day.
Lewerke is being held at the county juvenile detention center while prosecutors decide whether to have the case waived to adult court. That decision must be made by Friday.
Lewerke made his first appearance before Juvenile Court Magistrate Edward Nemeth on Monday.
Merrillville attorney Nick Thiros, who along with attorney Jim Voyles of Indianapolis is representing Lewerke, said the defense is interested in having the boy undergo mental health evaluations.
A statement from the family reinforces that sentiment.
"We, like most others, are searching for answers as to why," the family said. "After several days of searching, we still have no rational answer and hope medical professionals can guide us toward an explanation."
The suspect said he obtained the weapons -- a machete and a tree saw -- from his family's barn and, after planning for "quite awhile," decided to carry out the act on that particular day, Stone said.
"He kept it quiet," Stone said.
"It was between him and God. ... He said kids were sinners and God had given him direction."
Stone said the small-framed suspect also stated nothing would have deterred him, since neither teachers nor police frightened him. Stone said the suspect knew what he had done and where he was. But the school officials who tackled the suspect and the police who interviewed him all said he was detached emotionally.
The case bears some similarity to one a week earlier in which a teen passing through Northwest Indiana with his father read The Book of Mormon, thought his father was a sinner and slashed him with a knife. In both attacks, the victims survived.
The Valparaiso High School slashings occurred in the Spanish classroom of Ashley Dobis. Dobis told police she heard a commotion, turned around and saw the slashed faces of her students and saw the suspect wielding a weapon in each hand. She "screamed for everybody to get out" and then retreated herself, Stone said.
Stone said the teacher also confirmed the suspect had not been picked on, but rather was just a quiet student who earned A's and B's.
Before moving to Valparaiso to live with his father, Todd Lewerke, and start classes at VHS in August, the suspect lived with his mother in the Chicago suburbs of Wauconda. The police department there has no record of any contact with him.
Many members of the Lewerke family work for the family-owned Woodharbor Doors & Cabinetry in Mason City, Iowa. The suspect's father is a company representative.
Stone said Valparaiso police, assisted by Porter County and Portage police, took statements from about 25 to 30 students and school officials.
Bob Kasarda and Elizabeth Holmes contributed to this report.
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"You find me offensive? I find you offensive, for finding me offensive" |
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Swamp Gas
Joined: 06 Jun 2001
Posts: 4254
Location: On a Hill in the Lowlands |
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Sat Dec 04, 2004 4:21 pm
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Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, GW Bush, Hitler, GHW Bush, Ronald Reagen, Paul Hill, Son of Sam, Bin Laden, Benjamin Matthew Williams, amongst many, were being told by "God" to do their insanity and destruction.
I was taught to respect animals and people, and beliefs were secondary, especially Mythology, such as The Bible, Norse Gods, Greek, Roman, Money, or ghosts. When one moves away from Art and Science as the motivating influence behind our Hearts and Minds, Politics and Religion takes their place, including the subsequent Fear and Resignation, that religion and politics creates.
Politics and religion create insanity because eventually ALL Linear thought leads to insanity. Fear and power leads quickly into a vat or well that is extremely difficult to come out of. Art and Science are the Hopes and Aspirations we seek. One (Art) brings us closer to nature and our hearts. The other (science) opens us to beyond the horizon. Thoughts wandering infinitely with A & S. Thoughts controlled by Fear, Power, and resignation with P & R. Which combination is more human?
Ever wonder why high schools and colleges have far less science, technology, art, and music, and more police work, military, finance, and lawyers? Evolution is getting kicked out of textbooks. It is the Scopes trial of 1925 called "The Monkey Trial", where the state of Tennessee tried to sue for teaching Evolution, re-enacted.
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Heard it from a pilot who spoke real gooooood! |
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KNOW-THIS
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3694
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Sat Dec 04, 2004 8:53 pm
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People will always ask the famous question, "What would cause a child to do such a thing?”, whenever he/she commits unspeakable acts against humanity. The governments and many other people of the world have had no problem or reluctance to go and place the blame on to games like Mortal Kombat, Manhunt, Grand Theft Auto etc. which by nature, graphically depict virtual violence. While I can't argue that some younger kids 'may' not be mature enough to responsibly process the content of certain titles there's something else very important happening that many people might not know about (although the U.S. government certainly does). The U.S. military has previously joined the gaming industry and the American taxpayers dollars have been paying for it. And believe me, they aren’t exactly making games designed to preserve the innocence of our youth if you know what I mean? These games have been produced as recruitment tools and are being specifically targeted to who else but the kids? That’s right, the very same children that the government pretends to care about by supposedly protecting them from the influence of “evil” video games deemed dangerous or offensive like those already mentioned. Here’s yet another hypocritical example of our leaders saying one thing while doing another.
Oh yeah, and another thing, your kids can play it for free.
http://money.cnn.com/2002/05/31/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/
Your tax dollars at play
U.S. Army gets into the gaming business. You're paying for it.
You might have heard the U.S. Army's getting into the video game business. You might not have heard how much you're paying for it.
Last week, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the Army unveiled "America's Army," a new game series that's meant to serve as a marketing and recruiting tool for the gaming generation. Recognizing that the target audience knows a quality title when it sees one (and ignores and ridicules poor quality efforts), the Army has assembled a team of proven developers and licensed one of the premier engines on the market to make its games. Quality doesn't come cheap, though. The budget for the first titles in the "America's Army" series is in the $7 million range.
That's not as expensive as it sounds. Publishers say the average PC game typically costs between $2 million and $6 million dollars and "America's Army" will launch with two titles - "Soldiers", a role-playing game that lets you live boot camp life, and "Operations," a multi-player first-person shooter that, developers say, accurately reflects rules of engagement and squad teamwork.
The budget's likely to go higher, though. The "America's Army" project is in year two of its seven-year life cycle. Additional gaming products, offering different types of training and letting you slip into a special forces uniform, are already under development and will require additional funds.
Attacking a POW camp in "Operations."
The biggest hook for players is the price. "America's Army" will be distributed free via the game's web site in early July. The game will also be bundled with gaming magazines (most of which come with CD-Roms filled with game demos and patches). Combine that with the game's technical quality (the developers previously worked on hit games "Redneck Rampage," "Kingpin" and "Sim City") and you've got a sure-fire hit.
From a propaganda perspective, though, the Army has seemingly hit the jackpot. (And the Army readily admits the games are a propaganda device.) "America's Army" was one of the most talked about titles at E3 and is starting to appear in the many "best of show" lists that are popping up on gaming web sites these days. Even game developers were singing the praises of "Operations."
Since their unveiling a little over a week ago, more than 45,000 people have signed up to receive the games when they are released.
Outside the gaming world, though, things could be a little more challenging. While more and more people are taking note of the gaming industry, few have a grasp on what it costs to develop and market new titles.
"I think it might be too much money, but it's the right approach," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. "I applaud that they're thinking outside the box."
Concern over gaming violence is also on the upswing again, as titles such as "Grand Theft Auto 3" dominate the sales charts. A shooter, powered by the same graphics engine as the game "Unreal," could raise a few eyebrows – especially since developers won't be able to make the "it's just a game" argument to detractors.
Teamwork is a key to success in "Operations."
To deflect criticism, the Army development team has toned down the violence, earning a "T" rating by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. (A "T" is on par with a "PG" rating for a movie. Games carrying that rating are meant for players ages 13 and older and may contain violent content, mild or strong language, and/or suggestive themes.) Kills in "Operations" are depicted with a puff of red, followed by the enemy falling to the ground. There are no pools of blood or dismemberment, both of which the game engine is more than capable of rendering.
You'll also never take the role of the enemy in "Operations". Whenever you play, you'll see yourself as the soldier and your opponent as a terrorist, while opponents will see themselves as soldiers and you as the terrorist. (Developers have been careful not to make enemy appearances as non-descript as possible to avoid accusations of profiling, garbing terrorists in ski masks and brown clothing.)
Proponents also point to the game's attention to realism. Since it's meant to spark teen interest in joining the Army, the game tries to show what service life is really like. Want to be a sniper? You'll have to train for it first in single-player missions. Planning an ambush? You'll have to learn how to do it Army-style. Guns jam and misfire. You can use actual military hand signals. Heck, shell casings even eject out of an M16 as they do in the real world.
There are consequences for actions, too. If you're killed, you don't automatically re-spawn and start over. You're out of the game until the next round (usually less than a 10 minute wait). Players who shoot their own team members will be booted from the game immediately – with repeat offenders being permanently banned.
If nothing else, you've got to give the Army credit for a keen awareness of its target market. Today's potential soldiers are typically teens who enjoy gaming. Clever slogans, such as "Be All That You Can Be" and "An Army of One" don't carry the weight they used to.
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"You find me offensive? I find you offensive, for finding me offensive" |
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KNOW-THIS
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3694
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Sat Dec 04, 2004 8:58 pm
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2438695.stm
US Army video game draws flak
Some people are worried the game is freely available
By Nick Childs
BBC Pentagon Correspondent
A computer game devised by the US Army has come under fire from parents anxious that it glorifies violence.
The army hopes that the game, America's Army, will help it to attract the tens of thousands of young people it needs to join its ranks each year.
Some of my son's class-mates train obsessively on these shooter games
Parent Jack Thompson
The game allows players to go through a virtual army enlistment and basic training.
More controversially, they then go on to more advanced training, including marksmanship.
The shooting part of the game is so realistic, the computer screen even moves in time to the digital soldiers' heavy breathing.
Obsessive trend
That is bothering parents like Jack Thompson.
He is threatening to sue the army if it does not keep the game away from children.
"I'm the father of a 10-year old boy," says Jack Thompson.
"Every day I drop him off at school I know that he's at greater risk because even some of his classmates as well as others in the general population, train obsessively on these shooter games."
Not just another violent video, the army says
And, for many parents, these virtual images of marksmanship are too close to reality for comfort so soon after the terror spread by the recent Washington sniper shootings.
The game has been played more than 24 million times since it was introduced in July. It's the fact that it's so freely available that's worrying some people.
But the army insists it is not just another shoot-em-up video game that glorifies violence.
Not sniper training
According to the army, the game is about all its values, including discipline, players who misbehave or shoot somebody they are not supposed to, get kicked out or end up in virtual military prison.
This is not, the army insists, virtual sniper training.
"The correlation between the ability to manipulate a mouse and the ability to actually fire accurately on a range is quite a bit distinct, otherwise we would not have real soldiers training at real ranges as part of basic training", says Paul Boyce from US Army Public Affairs.
And whatever the flak it is attracted over this game, the key for the army is whether a taste of computerised soldiering will persuade more youngsters to try it for real.
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"You find me offensive? I find you offensive, for finding me offensive" |
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Mech
Joined: 06 Jun 2001
Posts: 8237
Location: THE 4th REICH USA |
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Sat Dec 04, 2004 9:27 pm
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Ummmmmm...
HELLO Army?
Do you really think OUT-OF-SHAPE, dull-minded-from-playing video game kids will make "good soldiers"?
I think not.
Being a soldier requires determination, endurance, good physical health, and a love of country.
It DOESN"T require a Shoot-em-up mentality.
Ask any WWII veteran about how and why he had to kill someone. More than likely
you will start to see tears streaming down his face.
Being a soldier is NOTHING like playing a video game. |
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