Get ready to defend your hobby again...

[Wik]

Well I don't see any thing about 'how D&D made him do it'. It looks like he was just very sick and was living in his own world. Though I would be interested in what this weapon of his was. It says home-made katana, I wonder how homemade it was.

I just feel bad that this guy was being pestered or bothered and no one came to his defense. No one offered him help or told others to back off. Now the only way he will actually get help is because of this. Where's the HR guy that should have stepped in and gotten him some help. Its always a shame that the mentally ill or troubled are neglected until they cause harm to another or to themselves.

Back in school it was always the case and still is I guess. Those with problems are picked on and rather than have the teachers or counselors talk to both the bullies and the bullied nothing will happen. Either the bully will be pulled aside told to stop and will just have more reason to pick on someone or the bullied or person with a problem will get pulled aside and no one else will treat him different. He or she will still be in an environment that will be conducive to the bullying and down right abuse from others.

This is just proof that it continues into the working world. The kid that was teased in school will be teased at work. If that kid had any mental instabilities or conditions they wont be adressed in school and I guess they wont be at work either.

Sounds to me that it's more a case of one guy thought he was friendly-teasing someone (or ribbing someone because he didn't like the guy, and was picking on a sore spot) rather than a "bullying" situation.

So, here's the result: 1) a guy who was probably a jerk anyways has been eviscerated and B) a guy who should be institutionalized, is. Sounds good to me, less traffic on the streets.

 

[Tyler Do'Urden]

The medical examiner ruled that Williams died as a result of "multiple chop wounds to the neck."

Sweet.

 

[Bardsandsages]

Well I don't see any thing about 'how D&D made him do it'. It looks like he was just very sick and was living in his own world. Though I would be interested in what this weapon of his was. It says home-made katana, I wonder how homemade it was.

I just feel bad that this guy was being pestered or bothered and no one came to his defense. No one offered him help or told others to back off. Now the only way he will actually get help is because of this. Where's the HR guy that should have stepped in and gotten him some help. Its always a shame that the mentally ill or troubled are neglected until they cause harm to another or to themselves.

Back in school it was always the case and still is I guess. Those with problems are picked on and rather than have the teachers or counselors talk to both the bullies and the bullied nothing will happen. Either the bully will be pulled aside told to stop and will just have more reason to pick on someone or the bullied or person with a problem will get pulled aside and no one else will treat him different. He or she will still be in an environment that will be conducive to the bullying and down right abuse from others.

This is just proof that it continues into the working world. The kid that was teased in school will be teased at work. If that kid had any mental instabilities or conditions they wont be adressed in school and I guess they wont be at work either.

Be careful with your reasoning. While bullying is never something that should be tolerated, the person being bullied (or who perceives they are being bullied) has an obligation to report the behavior. As someone who works closely with my company's HR department, I can tell you HR directors are not police officers. They often are bogged down with hours of state and federal mandated paperwork, conducting interviews, handling employee training, etc. Unless you actually log a complaint, chances are the HR person would never know. Almost all companies have in their employee handbooks and posted the procedure for logging such complaints.

 

[waterdhavian]

I meant in a real general sense. I don't know the whole story or the background of either guy so I can't say much else. Yeah, I don't really know the whole procedure, but if it was blatant abuse and consistent, others should have chimed in. We know all to well the outcomes of things like this left alone or left to fix themselves. I have a few times asked a manager or teacher, back in school, to check out a few cases just cause I felt that they should know about it.

 

[Ceresco]

Sounds to me that it's more a case of one guy thought he was friendly-teasing someone (or ribbing someone because he didn't like the guy, and was picking on a sore spot) rather than a "bullying" situation.

So, here's the result: 1) a guy who was probably a jerk anyways has been eviscerated and B) a guy who should be institutionalized, is. Sounds good to me, less traffic on the streets.

Harassment, synonomus with bullying, is defined in the work place as any action, words, or pictures that offend OR make for a hostile
work place. "Hostile workplace" are the buzz words that are looked for in pursuing a harassment case. Back in '96-'97 I ran a coffee shop. I went through every paragraph of the sexual harassment statute with all my employees. I wanted them to understand that I was on THEIR side and they could come to me no matter what.

Chronic friendly teasing and picking on sore spots is harassment. HR and management failed to do their job. The man seems to be mentally ill. This is just one more testament to the fact that Americans look the other way in fear regarding mental illness.

Respectfully,

Edward Kopp
UKon Games Coordinator

 

[awayfarer]

Well I don't see any thing about 'how D&D made him do it'. It looks like he was just very sick and was living in his own world

It's not explicitly stated, but the fact that they felt the need to mention D&D in the same story implies a link.

It's already been said here but why aren't there other pasttimes mentioned in articles about murderers? I just want to hear a headline like "Macrame fan slays seven" or "Knitting enthusiast kills former roommate."

 

[Mystery Man]

We should be seeing this as a made for TV movie on the Lifetime channel soon.

 

[jdrakeh]

I'm sure that several of the local ministries will seize on this, at least for a few days (one of them still re-publishes old BADD material).

 

[Wik]

Harassment, synonomus with bullying, is defined in the work place as any action, words, or pictures that offend OR make for a hostile
work place. "Hostile workplace" are the buzz words that are looked for in pursuing a harassment case. Back in '96-'97 I ran a coffee shop. I went through every paragraph of the sexual harassment statute with all my employees. I wanted them to understand that I was on THEIR side and they could come to me no matter what.

Chronic friendly teasing and picking on sore spots is harassment. HR and management failed to do their job. The man seems to be mentally ill. This is just one more testament to the fact that Americans look the other way in fear regarding mental illness.

Absolutely. That being said, I think there's something implicitly wrong in the notion that the man with a samurai sword is a *victim*. Yes, there will be jerks of every colour at work, but if they are teasing you over something as innocent as D&D (as opposed to, say, "give me your lunch money, dweeb!" or "I'm going to beat the living tar out of you") you do not respond with a samurai sword and consider it a fair reaction.

When people do respond as such, it's just *wrong* for someone to suggest that "well, he was being bullied". It's much more likely to say "hey, I'm glad I didn't get mad at the guy for leaving the door unlocked.... he might have sliced me to ribbons".

 

[Xyanthon]

Well, it certainly is sad that the guy was very sick and needed help and the other guy died. However, I don't see it as having much impact on gamers. I mean, most folks don't even know I game unless I tell them. By that point they have already formed an opinion of me. When I do tell people, the reactions have been curious but not hostile or reactionary. I don't wear gaming on my sleeve any more than most people do about their hobbies, but I'm not going to hide from it. Afterall, do soccer (football) fans feel that they must hide their love of the sport from the general public because some football hooligans have been a menace and given the sport a bad name?