| Video games are often blamed for violent outbursts | | | | relentlessly. Instead of going after video games, |
| in young people. Too often those stricken by | | | | parents should make sure that their kids are either |
| tragedy look for a scapegoat to explain why | | | | not the victim of school bullying or are not |
| someone they thought was a good person did | | | | participating in school bullying. There is nothing more |
| something evil. We were bombarded with the | | | | hurtful than being made fun of for doing something |
| connection between video games and the Columbine | | | | you enjoy. |
| high school shooters. The two responsible for the | | | | Computer games are an easy scapegoat. They |
| 1999 massacre were fans of Doom and Castle | | | | frequently portray acts of extreme violence. Some |
| Wolfenstein, two games that portray a great deal of | | | | games even glorify criminal activity, violence against |
| violence. Critics argue that playing these games | | | | women, children and animals, as well as other |
| desensitized the perpetrators to the violence which | | | | despicable acts. These kinds of games are difficult to |
| enabled them to carry out these horrible acts in real | | | | defend. In the words of Evelyn Beatrice Hall, "I |
| life. Parents of some of the victims filed unsuccessful | | | | disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the |
| lawsuits against video game publishers, blaming them | | | | death your right to say it." Game producers have |
| for the violent outbursts. | | | | every right to produce violent games. You may not |
| While it is natural to look for something to blame, | | | | like it, but for the sake of free speech, you should |
| video games are not the problem. The Columbine | | | | defend that right. Anyone who goes out and |
| shooters had many influences, including the movie | | | | commits an act of violence is mentally disturbed and |
| Basketball Diaries and the extremely violent Natural | | | | would do so whether they played a video game or |
| Born Killers. Both perpetrators had histories of | | | | watched a violent movie. Study after study has |
| depression and mental conditions brought on by | | | | demonstrated that playing violent video games does |
| school bullying. | | | | not significantly increase the risk of violent activity. |
| The bullying issue probably gets to the heart of the | | | | This does not mean that parents should allow their |
| problem. Kids who like to play video games and | | | | children to play violent video games merely that |
| participate in other "geek" pursuits tend to be | | | | playing the games does not dramatically increase |
| considered outcasts by their peers. They are | | | | violent activity and certainly is not a valid indicator |
| frequently quite intelligent and misunderstood. What is | | | | that a certain individual will commit a violent act. |
| misunderstood in high school is often ridiculed | | | | |