Ban Me

I've been playing video games since I was eight. Games were fun back then and relatively non violent. Characters like Sonic and Mario lit up our TV screens. I remember the fuss that the original Doom caused when it first came out. Everybody thought shooting cheesey looking monsters was going to drive our kids nuts and go on shooting sprees. I remember Columbine, when Doom was blamed for teaching the killers how to shoot.

It is now 2006, some eleven years after Doom 1 came out. Video games have only gotten more violent. Some people protested about Doom 3, which is a pussy cat compaired to some. Games like Grand Theft Auto where its ok to shoot cops and pick up hookers are very popular these days. The latest game to come under fire is called "25 to Life". It's a console game so I've never played it. Apparently it takes a more violent spin on cops and robbers where you either are a cop that kills robbers or a robber who kills cops. The latter has upset various police associations. They want the game banned. They say it glorifies a life of crime and teaches kids to hate cops.

HOLD ON THERE. Teaches kids? This game has been rated M (Mature) by the ESRB, which regulares games. It's similar to the stickers that the MPAA puts on movies. An M rated game is similar to an R rated movie. Only for people 17 and older. Are kids getting their hands on these games? Most definately, but how, why? Some people say that stores sell the games to minors. Stores are pretty good about not doing that as they don't want to get into trouble, or possible sued. Game makers? No, same reason as stores. Parents? YES! There is a fine line between reality and fantasy and it gets more blurry the younger kids are. Adults know games like 25 to Life are not real. Kids may not, especially when their parents use Xbox as a babysitter. They are buying these kids the games and then whine when they are too violent and their kid starts acting out. They never told the kid that that stuff was not real in the first place.

Now for the possile ban. I think banning a video game is very dangerous. It is censorship by the government. Banning it for kids is ok, but not for everybody. The government should not be making those kind of decisions or else we fall into totalitarianism. We should not allow a small group of people tell us what we should read, see, and hear. What people need to know is the magic of the off button. If you don't want your kids playing the game or watching that program, or reading this article, turn it off. If you don't want to see it, turn it off. Nobody if forcing anybody to buy or even look at this stuff. That's the power of choice. We should not ban things. It's about time that people started using more common sense regarding this stuff.