So now American politicians are asking the Centers For Disease Control to investigate gaming.
I`ve about had it with this stupidity. Allow me to attempt to inject some logic into the realm.
Root...
CONTENTION: Violent or sexual games cause abherrant behaviour.
RESPONSE: If they did, surely a larger percentage of the population would be involved in serious criminal behaviour... certainly amongst those who game. They are not, therefore this statement is false.
The majority of prisoners in the penal system are there because they chose to commit crimes, and they chose to do so for a myriad of reasons unrelated to gaming (poverty, hopelessness, greed, vengefulness, cruelty, mental imbalance).
MODIFIED CONTENTION: Violent or sexual games cause aberrant behaviour in children.
RESPONSE: Only if such things are in a total vacuum of parental care and concern.
Of course, *anything* could inspire negative development of a child if that child is bereft of care. Too many swings with a baseball bat could condition little Timmy into taking wild swings at anything that comes near. Too much football could cause tiny Tommy to tackle the pet cat and crush it. Too much broadcast news of the rampant political duplicity and pettiness in the world could cause grim Scotty to develop a vicious streak of cynicism and powder keg anger.
It is the responsibility of the parents to raise their children. Other people's artistic expressions and their appreciation of such expressions cannot be held hostage to the tastes of others - or the parental paranoia of others - assuming we value anybody's freedom and liberty beyond our own.
Such runs counter to the legal foundations of the United States of America... such demands would be and are unfair.
Infected...
CONTENTION: Gaming is an infectious disease.
RESPONSE: Only abstractly, and only insofar as any other leisure activity is. Anything taken to excess can be detrimental.
That which is fun is addictive. To declare anything beyond that is silly.
Like any activity, over-indulgence can be at the expense of other avenues of human development. In the world of computer gaming, such casualties stereotypically include inadequate social skills. Of course as a stereotype and with the spread of gaming to the general public mass, such characterizations are reliably only blanket assumptions.
Inadequate social skills are a far cry from South American drug cartel contract murders.
Responsibilities...
CONTENTION: John Doe and Sally Somebody were apprehended recently with copies of 'X' game in their possessions; when questioned the suspects claimed the games drove them to do it.
RESPONSE: So they said it. Anybody can claim anything. Especially in preambular court circumstances.
Just because they say it doesn't make it true.
If I commit grand larceny, I can claim I was inspired by the like behaviour of modern-day politicians. Is my action therefore their fault?
If John Doe and Sally Somebody were apprehended with a collection of baseball cards in their possession, would we assail bubblegum card makers? If they were apprehended with a collection of Broadway musicals on DVD, would we even be having this conversation?
How about a 6-pack of Budweiser?
Militarism...
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