Comments on: All Dungeon, No Dragons

By: mischief

mischief — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:04:06 +0000

Where’s my ring of judge control?

By: The Volokh Conspiracy » Blog Archive » What Kinds of Crime Might Dungeons and Dragons Inspire?

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:35:54 +0000

[...] Circuit decision upholding a Wisconsin prison rule forbidding inmates to play Dungeons and Dragons, Joe Carter of First Things speculates about the kinds of D&D-inspired crime that the prison authorities might be worried [...]

By: R Hampton

R Hampton — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:19:32 +0000

Seriously — D&D leads (or would lead) to gangs? Of the estimated 1,000,000 gang members in the U.S., is there any empirical evidence to support such a claim? Of all the reasons to prohibit D&D, this has to be among the most absurd. Frankly, it sounds like a pathetic excuse.

By: Peter S

Peter S — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:07:08 +0000

This brings back memories of my own mis-spent youth. It is true that dungeon masters can come to wield a certain kind of power over the players, but the ones I knew would use it for things like getting us to fetch them super size bags of french fries and monster size cups of pop while they played fickle games with the fates of our characters.

You know, in the wrong hands, a four-sided pyramid die (singular of dice) could be a lethal weapon . . .

By: Kevin Andrew Murphy

Kevin Andrew Murphy — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:22:56 +0000

If you read the text of the court’s decision, it looks like they’re wanting it to be won on appeal but are wanting the plaintiff to get witnesses who aren’t fellow inmates, former inmates, family members or academics to impeach the credibility of the prison’s own “expert,” who’s someone named Captain Murasaki who has some list of courses he’s taken in “gang abatement” and “occult groups” which sound more based in conspiracy theories than any sound principle.

The basis of Murasaki’s conspiracy theory, ahem, argument is that “Dungeon Master” = “Gang Leader.” Following the same reasoning, one must assumes that he thinks that a Tupperware party might spontaneously metamorphose into a witch’s sabbath, and it’s up to the plaintiff to find someone in law enforcement to attest that this is not just unlikely but impossible. Because, you know, it’s never happened before, but maybe it could.

The original link to the court’s judgment is not working (and its always suspicious when they take down links to stupid judicial decisions) but it’s been archived elsewhere.

Here, read it for yourself:

http://abovethelaw.com/2010/01/26/Singer%20v.%20Raemisch.pdf

By: Tweets that mention All Dungeon, No Dragons » First Thoughts | A First Things Blog -- Topsy.com

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:50:03 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jonathan Sullivan, DNC DUDES. DNC DUDES said: All Dungeon, No Dragons: Whenever I worry what I would do if I was ever sent to prison, I take comfort in the… http://bit.ly/6Lyw1S #tcot [...]

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:14:09 +0000

Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by DNCDUDES: All Dungeon, No Dragons: Whenever I worry what I would do if I was ever sent to prison, I take comfort in the… http://bit.ly/6Lyw1S #tcot…

By: Barry Arrington

Barry Arrington — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:39:11 +0000

Joe, you are missing the point. The issue is whether prisoners have the “right” to play D&D. They do not. They have the right to be punished in a manner that is not “cruel and unusual.” Taking away a prisoner’s favorite game may be unpleasant for the prisoner, but it does not rise to the level of cruel and unusual punishment. The prison officials believed that D&D gave rise to an environment where a leader (the dungeon master) could hold sway over a group and in turn this could lead to the formation of gangs. Their concern is entitled to deference by the courts. It is not a matter of whether you or I would do the same thing. Legally, it is a matter of whether the concern is “rationally related to a reasonable peneological goal.” Clearly it is.

By: Pastor Philip Spomer

Pastor Philip Spomer — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:54:02 +0000

Speaking as a now 24th level Cleric. I see no harm in letting prisoners play D&D. Fantasy is good for a criminal, if you consider that the alternative to fantasy violence is non-fantasy violence. Now there’s always the hope of no violence at all, but as we know, pursuing the impossible often makes real situation worse.

God bless
Pastor Spomer
New Mexico