Rare's Soapbox Losing the Game

Normally I don't let politics get to me and the here-say that leads to nowhere. No matter which side says someone suffers in the grasp of their own follies. However, due to recent events, I couldn't help but feel that this is something that is not only pointless, but rather close to hitting the beehive.

Lately I've glanced on the tragic events of the Sandy Hook Massacre back in December. That is not what I'm aiming for right now, but rather the blame put on video games that were somehow related to this. If you allow me the soapbox that I'm not standing on, please hear me out.

Video games are not the cause of or was there any connection to them to the massacre. If you were to tell me the assailant was a gamer, you are just barking up the wrong tree. No one knows if there was any connection to him and games at all other than the fact that he played them. Thus assuming he used games to plan out his horrendous acts on the elementary school is just uninformative (read: stupid) to assume.
To everyone who reads this, please understand: This whole spending millions on a case study to see if video games are the cause of violent behavior is none other than what utter bu-silliness.

And to the congressmen who say in laymen terms, "shut up the grown ups are talking!" you are treading on thin ice with no evidence to your claim about games and the connection to violence. Choose wisely your words Congressmen, for they will change the fate of a future reelection.

As a former gamer and upright law abiding college student, I can give you unmitigated evidence that games are not what makes people violent.

All kinds of media including music or comics or games do not make someone violent initially. Sports do. It is nothing more than entertainment we use to give us pleasure. The visual that we see on games does not influence one to start shooting. We are still humans, and humans are naturally violent. Do you condemn an animal from biting someone because of their master? No, it's because they too are violent because it's nature. We consume what we see including sports to which many of us are dedicated to a sports team that represents our territory. In other words we are territorial creatures.

As for "violent video games", as I said they are not the cause, because it is only a medium in which we as a consumer pay for to have fun. To those who can not differentiate real and fiction suffer from what is known as "Diminished Sense of Reality". Do you know where I learned that? a "violent video game". Also, not all games are "violent". It is through the mass appeal that you see something so popular that you should use it as a scapegoat to cover up the real truth.

If you wish to fully understand the meaning behind something, you must look at the source. The assailant was not mentally stable nor did we understand their motives. Look into the mental health of someone before you pass judgement. You don't need a case study for that.

The truth being is that the recent tragic events have no connection to games and is nothing more than just nasal grazing and over picking something that many do not understand. Does the music we listen to influence us to beat up our girlfriends, divorce them and make a song about how he misses beating up his girlfriend? No, it's because we take none of what we see and half of what we hear out of context. My dad once told me we should take half of what we see and none of what we hear to heart.

Where is your evidence stating that games are the cause for violent behavior? Where is your evidence that proves that the man who caused the Dark Knight premiere shooting that he was right in the head? Not all of us are violent creatures. We donate money to charities like Child's Play and help those in need. If there is one thing that games have taught me is be more civilized and that I don't need a stinking reason to help others. If there is one thing connected to these along with other past massacres and tragic events is the guns or weapons the assailants used. That is your real culprit: Gun owners and the mental well being. TAKE THAT!

There is a positive side to games as they teach us things that we normally don't see in textbooks or what teachers don't teach. Reader Rabbit teaches more than reading, Math Blasters teaches math (what a shocker huh?) Elmo's Number Journey shows an epic fight against a monster where putting 2+3=5 destroys it. And other games have a more beautiful setting that gives us better perspectives, like Eternal Sonata, a JRPG about Frederick Chopin in his fever dreams. Or just by personal preference Persona 4 which taught me about relationships with people and a little about social psychology with the Personas and Shadows being both one and the same. Heck even the weird games gives us a better perspective on other cultures. We all do not consume the same thing, we are different from the sports guy to the role playing lady (if that exists).

I implore you who read this, take what I say to heart and not place the blame on a medium that shouldn't be banned. Blame the parents that let them do this. I saw an 8 year old buying an M rated game with their mother's consent. If you really want to try to stop the sale of these "violent video games", then you would have made a powerful enemy with not just me, but with every single citizen who invests in the medium. So to all the soccer moms or hockey moms or positive health lifestyle teaching First Ladies, put those fingers down, out of noses and lay off the games. It's your fault you let them. Show some backbone and say no.

You are the biggest influence to children and you only have one chance to make a lasting impression. Don't screw it up.

If you have any questions, suggestions, possible hatemail for me, fell free to email me at rarefindit@gmail.com.