Folks Are Still Doing This Now?

I do understand that violent movies, games, and etc. can and will affect children, but when does the parent step in and actually, I don't know...parent the child? Mature rated games, rated R movies, even Parental Guidance music requires someone 17 or older to purchase. And yes, some employees at some stores don't enforce this, but the majority does. People need to stop blaming entertainment, and blame the parent that allowed the underage child to have that violent game, movie, or music in the first place.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/oklahama-state-rep-wants-violent-game-tax-6349668

There are two problems with Fourkiller’s statement about games.

1) 1) The man that apparently stole a cop car, and shot people, was actually mentally deranged. In fact, the game Grand Theft Auto had nothing to do with his actions. The man just came unhinged, and since people ignored the warning signs, he went on a slight rampage.

2) 2) The Rockstar game, Bully, is a bit of a misnomer. For starters, it is true you could sort of wreck havoc in the game as a quasi-bully, in truth you were an anti-hero facing off against “snobby rich kids that look down on anyone that has no money.” On top of that, you went against the actual bullies of the school, and even the terrorizing problems the faculty represent.

Now, it is true that Rockstar set themselves up with the title. They gave this game that title on purpose. Rockstar has always done that, though, they try and get a rise out of people.

So, Mr. Fourkiller is a bit worse, though, because he was once a teacher. He should know, BY EXPERIENCE, how hard it is to deal with children (especially those that parents don’t really involve themselves with the situations at hand). So, it seems inexcusable that he blames violent games instead of lack of parenting. Where is the blame against the music you hear on the radio? How about the television shows that depict violence and death (along with sexuality) on a regular basis?

Now, again, there is a LOT of parents that have to work all day. That leaves precious time for their children. The easy argument is to state, “Well, those people shouldn’t have children, obviously!” That isn’t something that is easy to come by. So, it is really easy to provide children with entertainment so that the parent can have some kind of respite from the day. It is so easy to cave in to a child’s demands so that you can just breathe!

And no, I don’t have children; I don’t know what it is like. So I do feel slightly wrong for making statements such as “Parents need to PARENT their children.” It is easy to dismiss any of my statements because I just don’t know. But I was a child in this situation. Thankfully, I had a mother (and grandparents) that explained the violence, and actually went out of their way to insure I knew right from wrong and that I understood the violence and sexuality shown were revealed as fantastical elements and things I should never do in real life.

Also, I had the advantage of being in an age where video games were not that, well, realistic. I had the NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis during my youth. Sure, Mortal Kombat and Doom were pretty violent, but I knew from the get-go it was a fantasy and it never brought about violent rages in me.

The people that are affected by these things are actually affected by a lot more than just games. More than movies and music. The ones that commit horribly violent crimes are more than likely not right in the head, or missed out on the right life lessons usually provided by parents or proper role models.

So I should amend my argument, it’s not just that parents need to PARENT their children, but that society as a whole needs to actually become a true society. We should support each other; provide each other with that role model that inspires us to be our absolute best. On top of that, people need to be a bit more observant. We get those PSA’s all the time about speaking up against bullying, against domestic abuse, against drug abuse. Well, we actually need to do those things. Many times, the extreme violence people commit is avoidable if people would actually speak up when they see danger signs. Unfortunately, people hate being snitches. People hate being confrontational, people don’t like it when others act weird. Instead, we’ll just ignore them or comment about it being their backs in harmful ways.

I’m not saying we are horrible people; it’s just natural for people to back away from things that freak them out. It is so much easier to do that then actually try and see what’s going on. I’ve done it myself a few times, so I know how it is.

Well, I’ve gone off on a tangent. Anyways. Now it is time for the epic conclusion of this blog.

People need to stop blaming entertainment for all of our faults and the ills of the world! Seriously! Or better yet, if you are going to gang up on video games, gang up on all of it. You do realize that at prime time on BROADCAST television we get shows like Criminal Minds, Cold Case, Bones, Law & Order SVU, shows that depict violence, often in a fairly graphic manner. Seeing as all you need is a modern TV, you can see all of this for free.

In contrast, video games are a lot more expensive. Not only do you need to buy the box to play them on, along with said modern TV, but you spend at least $60 for new games. On top of that, there is a rating system in place for games, and most major retailers check ID’s if you look underage for Mature rated games. So there is a proper system in place to prevent kids from playing these games. So on average, who buys these games?

Welllll, remember that whole parents and parenting thing? In most cases, the parent actually comes by the register, buys the game, and hands it to their kid. Now, the latest excuse is “Oh I didn’t know about how the games are rated!”

Really? The box cover art clearly states Grand Theft Auto, or in the case of Gears of War you have the characters with huge chainsaw guns with blood everywhere. Yeah, you sure didn’t know. PAY ATTENTION! Most retailers are awesome enough to post somewhere near the games the ratings explanation. Even better, the registers will beep and show off the words (in capital letters) CUSTOMER OVER AGE 17? Same goes for rated R movies and Parental Guidance music.

So, come on folks. We need to stop blaming entertainment, and focus on ourselves when it comes to searching for the problems we have in society.