"These flowers were sent to harass me."

[AndrewTS 0]

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/02/07/flowers-...jack-part-deux/

 

Flowers for Jack, part deux (Update 1)

Posted Feb 7th 2006 3:30PM by Ross Miller

Filed under: Culture

 

Update: For clarification, Joystiq has no part in the Flowers for Jack campaign other than reporting its existence. We do not run it, nor do any of our writers have a hand in the Flowers for Jack project.

 

It was late last month when we reported on a campaign to send flowers to anti-game activist Jack Thompson, and yet that post is still actively commented on, even by Mr. Thompson himself (who, among the more eccentric posts, spammed asked "WHERE ARE THE FLOWERS?" 32 times in succession). This morning at 11:59AM, Jack Thompson notified us that he had indeed received the flowers. Pixelante Nation has posted the letter, mailed out so as to arrive before the bouquets, which can be viewed here.

 

The letter serves, as promised, as a "a letter of apology...to some extent...on behalf of the 'gaming community' for the generally juvenile behavior exhibited to your home and your persons as of late." The letter notes that those aggressors "have likely destroyed any chance we have of opening, much less maintaining, any respectful dialogue with you." The letter further goes on to praise the community donations for this floral project, noting that it demonstrates the community's willingness to "support a cause of civility and maturity."

 

The letter continues by asking Jack Thompson for his "main agenda, stated clearly," as well as thoroughly analyzing the etymology of the term 'Pixelante,' purported to be coined by Mr. Thompson himself. Other questions asked include:

 

His current opinion of and/or relationship with the National Institute for Media and the Family.

His plans--if any--for future forays into politics, including a rumored presidential run in 2008.

The possibilities of a debate with Attorney Tom Buscaglia.

To quote the letter, "What can we, as a community, do to maintain some kind of non-threatening open forum with you? Are there any people, mediums, or sources we may go through that will receive your earnest attention? If there is, I can assure you it will receive ours."

At 1:42PM, Jack posted a letter addressed to Paul Eibeler, among many others, disclosing the fate of the flowers. We have reprinted the letter, in its entirety, after the jump. Mr. Thompson dubs the Flowers campaign as intending to "mock [his] concerns about the mounting body count caused by violent murder simulation video games." It appears he has forwarded the flowers to Take-Two and its law firm Blank Rome. None of the aforementioned questions are answered in the letter. As with the last post, please keep your comments as civil and thought-out as possible, so as to keep some hope of a civil dialogue between all parties involved and concerned.

 

(Update: clarified that the letter was indeed not sent alongside the flowers. Jack has made no mention of the letter, so it is not certain whether he has received the letter or not.)

 

The letter, as it was posted by Mr. Thompson on our previous post.

 

John B. Thompson, Attorney at Law

1172 South Dixie Hwy., Suite 111

Coral Gables, Florida 33146

305-666-4366

 

February 7, 2006

 

Paul Eibeler, CEO

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.

622 Broadway

New York, New York

 

David F. Girard-diCarlo, Chairman

Jim Smith, Partner

Blank Rome, LLP

Philadelphia, PA Via Fax and e-mail

 

Re: Flowers Forwarded to Take-Two and Its Law Firm/Lobbyist Blank Rome

 

Dear Mr. Eibeler, Mr. Girard-diCarlo, and Mr. Smith:

 

Today I received a floral arrangement from an Internet video game-enthusiast web site to mock my concerns about the mounting body count caused by violent murder simulation video games, such as Grand Theft Auto and Manhunt, for which deaths Take-Two and Blank Rome share responsibility.

 

This harassment of me follows Take-Two’s and Blank Rome’s lead in characterizing me in the media and in an Alabama courthouse as, variously, a bisexual pedophile, “mentally ill,” “paranoid,” and so forth. Take-Two and Blank Rome have thus knowingly incited, through your coordinated antics, the sending of sexual aid products to my wife and me at our home, as well as death threats, for which one teen was recently arrested and jailed in Houston, all in violation of federal and state laws.

 

Now your collaborators send me flowers. How pretty they are, in contrast with what Take-Two and Blank Rome do for a living. Let me tell you what is going to happen to these flowers.

 

They are today being forwarded to the three of you, in the memory of all of the people who now lie in the ground because of your reckless design, marketing, and sale of mature-rated murder simulators to children, facilitated by lawyers who know no shame.

District Attorneys and State Attorneys General, including the SEC and the FTC, are now onto what Take-Two and Blank Rome have done to mentally molest minors for money, and I find their collaboration with me to be an abiding bouquet I treasure.

 

There are people dead in Medina, Ohio; Red Lake, Minnesota; Troy, New York; Cold Spring, Minnesota; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Oakland, California (the trial started yesterday); Lake Worth, Florida; Fairfax, Virginia; Leicester, England; Fayette, Alabama; and now Gassville, Arkansas, to name just a few, all dead because you money-grubbing sociopaths put profits ahead of children, private mendacity ahead of public virtue, lies ahead of truth.

 

Do whatever you like with the flowers. Discard them along with the decency you discarded long ago. I really don’t care. Grind them up and smoke them if you like.

 

These flowers were sent to harass me. You encouraged their sending. They are forwarded to you in the memory of the innocents that each of you three men helped kill. They are also forwarded in the memory of all those victims yet to come whose killers you have knowingly helped rehearse for murder.

 

Tell your wives and your children of what happened this day, because one day, He will remind you what you have done, and you will in fact be ashamed. Then your shame will be too little too late.

 

Sincerely, Jack Thompson

 

Copies: The Florida, Alabama, and Pennsylvania Bars

Media

Many Others

[The Man in Blak 0]

Yeah, the guy's way out there...

 

Tell your wives and your children of what happened this day, because one day, He will remind you what you have done, and you will in fact be ashamed. Then your shame will be too little too late.

 

...but do you really send him flowers? Flowers? Thompson is a maniac, but I can see how he would interpret that gesture as a mockery of his campaign against video game violence. Especially considering the insults that have preceded it.

[Sandman9000 0]

I'm pretty sure that if you walked past Thompson playing a GBA he'd either sue you or take a swing at you, claiming some kind of moral self-defense. If not both.

 

Someone test out this theory.

[Ced 0]

Am I a better person for not really knowing nor caring who Jack Thompson is?

[Rob Anybody 0]

Yes.

[Scroby 0]

Am I a better person for not really knowing nor caring who Jack Thompson is?

 

To put it short, Thompson is basically leading his own holy war against video games.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Murder simulators.

[Matt Young 0]

Scroby, all those hours playing Halo 2 are going to turn you into a cold blooded killer.

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

Scroby, all those hours playing Halo 2 are going to turn you into a cold blooded killer.

Y'know, much as I love Metal Gear Solid, I've never smoked, grown a mullet, worn a headband, or shot crazy Russian ladies with a bunch of tranquillizer darts(and there are plenty of them around where I live)

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

I played Vice City the other day. I ran over some chick roller blading in my Admiral. Should I turn myself in to the police?

[2GOLD 0]

I played Vice City the other day. I ran over some chick roller blading in my Admiral. Should I turn myself in to the police?

 

Pfft, if you really played Vice City you know the cops don't care until you've hit your sixth person.