Nancy Pelosi says violent media research should be 'comprehensive'

Jessica Conditt — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:30:00 EST

Democratic Minority Leader of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, spoke with Fox News anchor Chris Wallace about President Barack Obama's proposal to research the link between media and violent acts. Pelosi presented a comprehensive approach to research and reform, noting that current evidence didn't suggest violent video games equate violent people.

"I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother, but the evidence says that in Japan, for example, they have the most violent games than the rest and the lowest mortality from guns," Pelosi said. "I don't know what the explanation is for that except that they might have good gun laws."

Wallace challenged Pelosi, suggesting that it was obvious violent video games had malicious consequences, behind a slide of Black Ops 2 and Grand Theft Auto footage.

"We don't need another study, respectfully," Wallace said. "We know that these video games where people have their heads splattered, these movies, these TV shows - why don't you go to your friends in Hollywood and challenge them, shame them, and say, 'knock it off.'"

Pelosi stepped away from anecdotal evidence and said she wanted hard facts and evidence about violent media, as well as mental health care and assault weapons reform.

"I think we have to do it all, and that's why we included in there we have to take a look at what these games are," Pelosi said. "I don't think we should do anything anecdotally. We have a saying here, 'the plural of anecdote is not data.' So we want to know, what is the evidence, what will really make a difference here? And I think it has to be comprehensive."

Wallace and Pelosi began discussing media and gun violence at the 9:55 mark in the linked Fox News video.

Nancy Pelosi says violent media research should be 'comprehensive' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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