[Vision2020] Video games

[Tom Hansen]

Very good question, Mr. Westberg.

It is my impression that these games tend to separate the "killer" from the
"killing" on an interactive level.  The "killer" does not feel any remorse
or guilt about the person he/she "killed".  This (ultimately) can develop
into something scarier than any Stephen King novel.

Yet, the commercial enterprises should be permitted to manufacture and sell
products that are not illegal.  Recall that "immoral" has nothing to do with
"illegal".  Communities may define "immoral" behavior.  But, the bottom line
is that parents must assume a large degree of responsibility for not
releasing crazed assassins into that community.

Just some thoughts,

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

> -----Original Message-----
> From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On
> Behalf Of Carl Westberg
> Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 8:04 AM
> To: vision2020@moscow.com
> Subject: [Vision2020] Video games
>
>
> I was watching the Newshour on PBS last night, and saw a segment
> on violent
> video games that opened my eyes.  I'm a 52 year old liberal Democrat that
> owns an Xbox and a Playstation 2, but my gaming is limited to golf,
> baseball, football, and occasionally bowling and pool.  I've only been
> peripherally aware of the other, violent genres out there, until
> last night.
>   They spotlighted two games, one of which awards points for killing
> policemen, and also gives you the opportunity to have sex with
> prostitutes,
> and then kill them.  After you kill them, you can decapitate them, if you
> wish.  In the other game, one of the ways you can kill someone is to pour
> gasoline on them, set them on fire, and then, if you want, urinate on the
> burning corpse.  The graphics are quite lifelike.  This ain't Pong.  I'm
> certainly no prude, but I was rather stunned when the segment was
> finished.
> The gist of the story was an attempt in Washington state to ban games
> featuring the killing of police.  Are these games ultimately
> harmless, and
> is this much ado about nothing?  Or are they just wrong?  If they
> are wrong,
> what do we as a society do?  Is banning an answer?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>                           Carl Westberg Jr.
>
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