Showing posts with label violence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label violence. Show all posts

Thursday, December 20, 2012

A tiny bit of politics

I hate to include a bit of politics in my blog...this is supposed to be my refuge from reality to talk about fun things, after all....but the recent shooting has been part of a tragedy that has affected many, and a lot of people are up in arms (figuratively, unless you're on the far, far right) as to how this could have been prevented...how it could have happened....and how we could stop it in the future.

I think the answers are fairly evident: better gun control and an effort to improve the way we treat the mentally ill in this country, and the resources for those in need. But a popular meme running through the media right now is the idea that video games are somehow responsible. You may hear this as you saunter on home to friends and family this holiday weekend, so keep this link handy:

The Washington Post: "Ten-country comparison suggests there’s little or no link between video games and gun murders

It might help you too keep your sanity as people cast about for a scapegoat.

I love Mass Effect...Black Ops...Left 4 Dead...Max Payne 3....these are all great games. But I am a nonviolent man who appreciates violence where it should be: in fiction, on screen, and in the realm of fantasy and make-believe. I am not merely pro gun control but have harbored a personal desire for the banning of gun ownership in a country where such a view is regarded as crazy talk, despite the fact that half the people I know who own guns are (with evidence aplenty) not fit to carry a device designed specifically to kill.* The other half are hunters who seem to have some measure of responsibility. Anyway... Just felt the need to share this.

Lets keep gun ownership in the hands of virtual avatars, who need them to wipe out zombies, and out of the hands or real people, m'kay?


*Qualifications: born and raised in Arizona, lived ten years in Seattle, and am in New Mexico for the last 6 years. I've seen the rural southwest attitude toward guns as a "god given" right and I've seen the harsh realities of big city living and can safely say the pro/anti gun attitude can vary precisely based upon population density. I can count the number of people I know who own guns and who I would trust to continue owning guns on one hand. I don't have enough appendages to count the number who own guns and really have no business doing so.