GTA Knowledge Leads To Saved Lives

Posted by Gwyddia on September 3, 2008

Yes it’s true.  Mr. Thompson’s favorite whipping boy, Grand Theft Auto, has contributed to saving human lives.  According to Kotaku and others, a preteen girl gamer in Illinois was riding in her family’s Jeep when the car flipped over.  Without hesitation, the 11-year old climbed out of the back window and helped her pinned parents out of the car.  When asked how she knew what to do, the girl’s mother stated, “She just knew, from playing ‘Grand Theft Auto.’ She saw on there that when a car rolls over, it can blow up. She knew that could happen to us.”

 

While anyone who watches ‘Mythbusters’ can question the exploding car theory, there is no question that the girl acted quickly and correctly, thanks to a video game.  This flies in the face of legislators, attorneys and other nattering nabobs who assert that no good can come out of any game that isn’t specifically “educational”.  

 

It is a dramatic point, but it is a point well made.  Knowledge can come from any source, and you never know when you’ll have to use it.  This is the idea behind a liberal arts college education, or a well-rounded curriculum during law school, and you never hear The Usual Suspects clamoring against education.

 

The bottom line is whether it’s the name of an Aztec capitol gleaned from hours playing Civilization or the best way to escape being pinned under a late-model Jeep, knowledge is a serious power up.

 

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