Violent videogames are a "bigger safety threat" in the U.S. than guns, according to Republicansnpolled by Public Policy Polling, it said. The question was one of many asked of 800 U.S. voters that includednDemocrats and Republicans, but the Democrats weren’t asked that same question about games andnguns, according to PPP’s website. Of the Republicans asked that question, 67 percent said games andnonly 14 percent said guns, while 19 percent weren’t sure which was the larger threat, PPP said. The votersnwere polled nationally via automated phone interviews Jan. 31-Feb. 3, and the poll had a margin of errornof plus or minus 3.5 percent, it said. The Entertainment Software Association didn’t immediately commentnon the poll. Violent games were again targeted by industry watchdogs and others after the recentnshootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi,nD-Calif., defended games somewhat in an interview on Fox News Sunday. "We don’t need anothernstudy" about the "connection between popular culture and violence," said interviewer Chris Wallace. "Wenknow that these videogames where people have their heads splattered" have some sort of connection tonreal violence, he claimed, asking Pelosi why she didn’t go to her "friends in Hollywood" and challengenthem on violent games and movies. But Pelosi said "the evidence says that in Japan, for example, theynhave the most violent" games, but "the lowest mortality" rate from guns. "I don’t know what the explanationnis for that except they might have good gun laws," she said.
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