Trump Suggests Ratings For Violent Movies And Games – But They Already Exist

As usual, President Donald Trump has been all over the place in his response to the recent Florida school shooting. On Thursday when addressing solutions to school violence, Trump took a page out of the 1990s politicians playbook to pin the blame on violent movies and video games.

“We have to look at the internet because a lot of bad things are happening to young kids and young minds, and their minds are being formed, and we have to do something about maybe what they’re seeing and how they’re seeing it. And also video games,” Trump said.

He then went on to suggest that a rating system be implemented on this type of media, even though rating systems exist for both movies and video games.

“I’m hearing more and more people say the level of violence in video games is really shaping young people’s thoughts. And you go one further step and that’s the movies. … maybe they have to put a rating system for that,” he said.

This week Trump also turned his back on a large portion of his supporters who expected him to stay strong on the 2nd amendment.

“We’re going to be very strong on background checks. It’s not going to be talk like it has been in the past. It’s been going on too long. Too many instances, and were going to get it done,” Trump said.

Trump made similar posts to Twitter, saying that he was in support of stronger background checks and bans on bump stocks.

“I will be strongly pushing Comprehensive Background Checks with an emphasis on Mental Health. Raise age to 21 and end sale of Bump Stocks! Congress is in a mood to finally do something on this issue — I hope!” Trump Tweeted.

One thing that is vastly overlooked in the conversation of school shootings, is the role that the schools themselves play in generating so much anger in young people.

American culture should take some of the blame, considering how much this society venerates war, the military, and the police. However, it is important to recognize that in many cases, these schools are symbols of the pain that these kids experience, so that is the place that they decide to lash out.

These shootings are not happening in movie theaters or GameStop stores, they are happening in schools, which is a common denominator that no one wants to look at. These children who end up violent and crazy spend the vast majority of their day having their minds molded in public schools, much more time than they spend in front of television sets, so it is only fair to look at these institutions as possible culprits as well.

Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images