UP FRONT/Guest Editorial
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Videos and Violence-A Defense
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By Lauis Boasberg
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NOTE: Having read C. A. Calderon's excellent
guest editorial on videos and violence (See Play Meter,
Jan uary 1, pg. 6.), I would like to further comment on
th e subject; therefore, I am borrowing from a former
editorial I wrote for Play Meter under the title "Death
Race-A Defense." (See Play Meter, February 1977,
pg. 8. )
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There is hardly any man alive today who, in his
chil dhood, did not play with lead soldiers, tin soldiers,
pl astic soldiers, toy forts, cowboys, Indians, guns, cops
.& ro bbers, pirates, etc.
There was nothing wrong in our youth in playing at
w ar games. There was nothing wrong reading •war
books and war stories. That is, the moralists told us
there was nothing wrong as long as the good people
always won, namely the cowboys beating the Indians,
th e American Army beating the Germans, Japanese,
British, Spanish, North Koreans, Italians, Turks, or
whomever the bad people happened to be at that
parti cular time.
one of us were considered sick by playing all
these games. However, today there is a criticism by
certain people and by the media that video games that
si mula te war and violence are a bad influence on
ou ngsters and should be banned .
Why confine this ban to video games? Why not
ban " Star Wars," "Th_e Empire Strikes Back," "Raiders
of th e lost Ark,'' and thousands of other movies, stories,
and books that have war or violence for a theme .
Even the driving games have been criticized. I
don't think a single person who ever played a driving
game has any thought of immediately going out and
running over a pedestrian, no more than any person
who plays coin-operated video war games or shoots
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electronic guns has any thought of starting a war.
. The people who would run over pedestrians and
the people who would like to war against races,
religions, and all of mankind are sick before they ever
play"video games, and believe me, video games cannot
make them any worse.
It is strange indeed that TV networks thatd oster
violence, sex, torture, and cruelty and newspapers that
publish stories about same should in any manner,
shape, or form criticize video games.But then again, I
guess they also _have to make a living.
I wonder if anyone thinks that, when you shoot
down a plane or destroy a tank on one of the coin-
operated video games, you may be sick because there
is allegedly a pilot in the plane .
And what about all the wrecks in t~e auto race
games? Will a sick person imagine there is a driver in
the race car and that in the wreck said driver has been
killed or maimed for life?
Reformers never know when to stop reforming. It
is their feeling that anyone exposed to something they
disapprove of has the potential of becoming an
.a ddict, and it is their responsibility and theirs alone to
eradicate it completely, whether it be a video game, a
flipper game, or a corner bookie.
These good and noble people who make up the
ranks of reformers approach their subject too ill
equipped to attain their objectiv~. They have an idea as
to w_hat their destination is, but they do not have logic
and reason to guide them to fulfillment of their ideas.
The publicity given to video games naturally has
increased the objectors to the games. However, for
every objector, there has sprung up a thousand new
players.Are all these players sick people, or are they
merely seeking fun , entertainment, or escape from the
woes of this life?
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PlAY METER, February 1, 1983
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