Hello everyone. Nathan here talking to everyone about violence and violent video games.
Violence has been an aspect of our lives for centuries and currently a big part of modern culture. It's in our movies, our music, our television and of course our games. We see it everywhere and cannot escape the sight of it, looking away from a battle you may turn your head to see a war. Escape from an argument to be caught in the middle of a fight.
What is the cause of violence? Who is to blame and how can we prevent it, many ask this question but for some reason the main target is always the video game industry.
I have been a gamer for 13 years of my life, when I was 8 I played a game known as Conker's Bad Fur Day.
A very graphic and grotesque video game with blood, gore and the occasional nudity scene. Then as time went on I played 2 more violent video games, Resident Evil 2 and DOOM 64.
Now judging from how violent these video games are and what a young age I was I should've grown up to be a very violent person and be the most disgusting child to exist right?
I now bring to your attention the new law that Rep. Diane Franklin (R-Missouri) has proposed, a new law that states.
“That the general statutes be amended to establish a sales tax on the sale of video games rated “mature” at a rate of ten per cent on the entire sales price and to require the moneys derived from such sales tax be used by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services for the purpose of developing informational materials to educate families on the warning signs of video game addiction and antisocial behavior.”
This brings up the constant blame game that politicians and concerned mothers(or parents in general) play all the time when moments of horrific acts of violence are performed. If you go on to Youtube and watch the "Your Mom Hates Dead Space" ad campaign, these mothers get shocked and offended so much at seeing footage of Dead Space 2 that some start to cry and say "No wonder society is so corrupt".
I am being honest with you, you who is reading this blog right now. I am not a violent man, I have never been in a fight in school, I have never caused someone's nose to bleed, never done drugs, drink alcohol, never killed anyone, never stole a car, never stole money and never once thought "I was able to kill 23 people in a row in Red Dead Redemption, I think I can do that now and get away with it."
I myself and I am sure many gamers all over the globe know that games do not cause a violent person. Black Ops 2 has never created the next Charles Manson, Red Dead Redemption did not bring The Joker into the real world. Anyone who blames video games for the cause of violence in today's society is simply using the games as a scapegoat to take the blame and be looked upon as the source of corruption in our society.
The argument that people make when saying that video games cause violence falls off and can't bring itself back up to be taken literally. If video games were the cause of violence then what game caused World War 1? What video game made Adolf Hitler kill the Jewish people. What game did Osama Bin Laden play to think of attacking America and killing 3,000 innocent people?
This sin tax brings in more questions that need to be answered. How come movies rated R do not get a tax increase in theaters? How come you are not charged extra for watching shows like The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad and Hunted. Why is the man not charged extra for watching The Playboy Channel and Cinnemax?
Why is it that the gaming community and the gaming industry that is blamed for that out come of violence and not anything else? Why does Breaking Bad get a free ride but L.A. Noire and it's fans are punished and taxed?
This tax frustrates me. One, because if it does pass I would need to spend more money then I all ready have to on a 60 dollar game. Two, because it's a punishment to gamers like me and others like me, we're being blamed and looked at as the cause of these crimes, we are now the hidden criminals that everyone else has been trying to find. These game developers who work hours and hours creating worlds for us explore, stories for us to listen to are being looked upon as the manufacturers of people like Adam Lanza, Charles Manson and now recent murderer Christopher Dorner
Because of a video game now we're seen as the next new criminal. We are being punished for crimes we will never commit and never even conceive of doing. Artists such as Ken Levine are looked upon by people like Rep. Diane Franklin as the creator of a murderer.
Violence has been an aspect of our lives for centuries and currently a big part of modern culture. It's in our movies, our music, our television and of course our games. We see it everywhere and cannot escape the sight of it, looking away from a battle you may turn your head to see a war. Escape from an argument to be caught in the middle of a fight.
What is the cause of violence? Who is to blame and how can we prevent it, many ask this question but for some reason the main target is always the video game industry.
I have been a gamer for 13 years of my life, when I was 8 I played a game known as Conker's Bad Fur Day.
I now bring to your attention the new law that Rep. Diane Franklin (R-Missouri) has proposed, a new law that states.
“That the general statutes be amended to establish a sales tax on the sale of video games rated “mature” at a rate of ten per cent on the entire sales price and to require the moneys derived from such sales tax be used by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services for the purpose of developing informational materials to educate families on the warning signs of video game addiction and antisocial behavior.”
This brings up the constant blame game that politicians and concerned mothers(or parents in general) play all the time when moments of horrific acts of violence are performed. If you go on to Youtube and watch the "Your Mom Hates Dead Space" ad campaign, these mothers get shocked and offended so much at seeing footage of Dead Space 2 that some start to cry and say "No wonder society is so corrupt".
I am being honest with you, you who is reading this blog right now. I am not a violent man, I have never been in a fight in school, I have never caused someone's nose to bleed, never done drugs, drink alcohol, never killed anyone, never stole a car, never stole money and never once thought "I was able to kill 23 people in a row in Red Dead Redemption, I think I can do that now and get away with it."
I myself and I am sure many gamers all over the globe know that games do not cause a violent person. Black Ops 2 has never created the next Charles Manson, Red Dead Redemption did not bring The Joker into the real world. Anyone who blames video games for the cause of violence in today's society is simply using the games as a scapegoat to take the blame and be looked upon as the source of corruption in our society.
The argument that people make when saying that video games cause violence falls off and can't bring itself back up to be taken literally. If video games were the cause of violence then what game caused World War 1? What video game made Adolf Hitler kill the Jewish people. What game did Osama Bin Laden play to think of attacking America and killing 3,000 innocent people?
This sin tax brings in more questions that need to be answered. How come movies rated R do not get a tax increase in theaters? How come you are not charged extra for watching shows like The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad and Hunted. Why is the man not charged extra for watching The Playboy Channel and Cinnemax?
Why is it that the gaming community and the gaming industry that is blamed for that out come of violence and not anything else? Why does Breaking Bad get a free ride but L.A. Noire and it's fans are punished and taxed?
This tax frustrates me. One, because if it does pass I would need to spend more money then I all ready have to on a 60 dollar game. Two, because it's a punishment to gamers like me and others like me, we're being blamed and looked at as the cause of these crimes, we are now the hidden criminals that everyone else has been trying to find. These game developers who work hours and hours creating worlds for us explore, stories for us to listen to are being looked upon as the manufacturers of people like Adam Lanza, Charles Manson and now recent murderer Christopher Dorner
Because of a video game now we're seen as the next new criminal. We are being punished for crimes we will never commit and never even conceive of doing. Artists such as Ken Levine are looked upon by people like Rep. Diane Franklin as the creator of a murderer.
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