Jack Thompson to publicly debate with culture critic Gerard Jones

As much as some of you might dislike Jack Thompson, you have to give the man credit for being very proactive when it comes to his cause. Now, it seems that he is about to take his fight to one of the places where his efforts are most likely unpopular: college campuses.

The Post-Gazette reports that Jack Thompson is set to debate with Gerard Jones on Tuesday, January 30, 2007 at the University of Pennsylvania campus. Gerard Jones is a comic book writer, and author of Killing Monsters, Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes and Make-Believe Violence.

Thompson was originally scheduled to debate Bob Guccione Jr, the former owner and publisher of Spin magazine, and the current owner of the science magazine Discover. Guccione had to cancel because a family member fell ill.

According to Mr. Thompson he will argue that the First Amendment laws governing free speech “do not protect the sale of adult video games to kids and minors.” The post-gazette emphasizes that Mr. Thompson doesn’t want to ban video games like the Grand Theft Auto series, he just doesn’t want them sold to underage children.

Others would like to argue though, that it is the manner in which Thompson has gone about in his crusade that has caused him to earn his “reputation” in video game blogs and forums. Thompson seems unmoved, though. In a Miami phone interview he has said:

I’d be disappointed if video gamers as a group of people didn’t despise me. You can’t do this work and hope people like you.

The free 7 p. m. debate was arranged through Wolfman Productions of Connecticut.

Via Post-Gazette

As much as some of you might dislike Jack Thompson, you have to give the man credit for being very proactive when it comes to his cause. Now, it seems that he is about to take his fight to one of the places where his efforts are most likely unpopular: college campuses.

The Post-Gazette reports that Jack Thompson is set to debate with Gerard Jones on Tuesday, January 30, 2007 at the University of Pennsylvania campus. Gerard Jones is a comic book writer, and author of Killing Monsters, Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes and Make-Believe Violence.

Thompson was originally scheduled to debate Bob Guccione Jr, the former owner and publisher of Spin magazine, and the current owner of the science magazine Discover. Guccione had to cancel because a family member fell ill.

According to Mr. Thompson he will argue that the First Amendment laws governing free speech “do not protect the sale of adult video games to kids and minors.” The post-gazette emphasizes that Mr. Thompson doesn’t want to ban video games like the Grand Theft Auto series, he just doesn’t want them sold to underage children.

Others would like to argue though, that it is the manner in which Thompson has gone about in his crusade that has caused him to earn his “reputation” in video game blogs and forums. Thompson seems unmoved, though. In a Miami phone interview he has said:

I’d be disappointed if video gamers as a group of people didn’t despise me. You can’t do this work and hope people like you.

The free 7 p. m. debate was arranged through Wolfman Productions of Connecticut.

Via Post-Gazette