Fringe political activist Lyndon LaRouche is claiming the final report of the Virginia Tech Review Panel is a whitewash meant to obscure the fact that the killer really was a violent videogame addict after all.
Made public yesterday, the report concluded that videogames were not a factor in the killing; in fact, the only videogame mentioned by name is Sonic the Hedgehog, and Chapter IV of the report specifically mentions that none of the games he played had violent themes. Further, the killer’s roommate is quoted as saying he never saw him playing videogames, and a few years prior to the murders when asked to write about his hobbies and interests in a high school report, he mentioned movies, books, music, sports and other activities, but made no reference to gaming.
Nonetheless, according to an entry on the Lyndon LaRouche Political Action Committee website, “There are grave and frightening clues in the just-released report of Governor Tim Kaine’s Virginia Tech Review Panel that (the killer) was exactly the kind of violent-media and videogame addict about which LPAC has been warning since April 16.” Members of LaRouche’s group testified numerous times following the massacre that videogames were a motivating factor, even after preliminary investigations determined there was no evidence of such involvement.
According to the website, the Virginia Tech Panel understated or ignored the killer’s “deep involvement in violent Internet culture, from videogames, to underground movies like the violent Old Boy.” LaRouche himself is quoted on the site as saying, “This commission came under major political pressure to keep out what is known about (his) involvement with videogames – they obviously didn’t want to offend somebody. But, they left in a hint of the truth in mentioning MySpace and Facebook. Of course, MySpace is owned by rightwing British operative Rupert Murdoch.”
LaRouche is known for his extreme views and political activism; he has vied for the Democratic Party Presidential nomination seven times since 1976, and has self-published numerous articles and books covering a wide range of topics. In 1988 he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and tax code violations; he was released on parole after serving six.
