Community weekly poll: Keeping violent video games away from children

Unfortunately, the parents.

In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett 

Today's parents seem content to let everything concerning their children be decided by others. It is not up to the government to police what a person's children are doing. A good parent knows what their child is doing and, hopefully, helping to guide them towards what's right and wrong.

Game designers are only designing what sells, so they can't be blamed for producing what the market demands. Similarly, vendors and retailers are only selling what their customers want, so how can they be blamed.

As for the government, they are already trying to control television content (the Janet Jackson fiasco, for example -- how horrible, we saw a nipple), music lyrics (pick your Rap group), film content (R ratings for a few swear words in the latest Harry Potter movie) and anything else they can get their slimy paws on. Keep the government out of everything you possibly can.

Also, be aware that the government uses video style simulations to train troops for combat situations, to train pilots to fly aircraft, to determine intervention points in war simulations, etc. If people are so worried about video games, why don't they get the government to ban war and violence altogether. The war on drugs has been going on for over 35 years and we don't seem to be making any headway, while the war on terror is just an excuse to isolate and destroy governments controlling the world's dwindling oil supplies. Government intervention is BAD.

If you do ban violent video games, you'll be removing one of the best tools the government has to numb kids to the atrocities of war and street violence. That might be a reason to ban them, but certainly not because junior is playing them.

Look at it this way, back in the late forties and fifties little boys played war. They had no video games. That didn't turn them into criminals and killers. Hitler had no video games, Stalin had no video games, Pol Pot had no video games, yet they killed millions and millions of people. Kids like the ability to do things they shouldn't without getting into trouble. If a video game helps vent those urges, let it be.

If a child is failing in school, it's the school's fault, if a child gets drunk, it's the alcoholic beverage maker's fault, if a child gets high, it's the dealers fault, if a child goes on a killing rampage, it's the fault of video games. Bull! The parents need to get off their rear ends and pay attention to what's going on around them.

Find me someone with statistics that correlate video game play with violence and I'll find ten statisticians that can prove just the opposite. As Samuel Clemens once said, ''there are lies, damn lies and statistics.'' People need to take responsibility for their own actions and simply do the right thing. For a country with so many "good" Christians, we certainly do tend towards violence more than most other nations. Maybe we should ban churces. Now that might help end violence.

(NT) ALL OF US!!! Society,.....

Youngest Child is 35

In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett 

No violent, or better put, no games here...

???

What's wrong with the Sims?

I disagree.

Committed parents will find time to spend with their children. Mine did and I do it too. I don't mind cutting an hour (or several) of sleep to be with my son. When he needs me, I'm there. And yes, I do have two jobs.

As for the game manufacturers, they only make the games people want. If people didn't want a specific kind of game, the company wouldn't waste time making it. Game stores sell the games that the public wants. If the public doesn't want a specific game, then they don't waste time trying to sell it. It's all very basic economics. Supply and demand. If someone wants it and is willing to pay, then there is someone who's willing to make it.

At the risk of sounding like someone from a few centuries ago, back then, parents didn't have affordable and immediate available access to educators, psychologists and child development experts. Children turned out to be more respectful and productive members of society. I have received advice on how to care for my son from his teachers, from the school counselor, and from my parents. Needless to say, I haven't done a single thing the "experts" have told me to do. My son does well in school, he gets along with everybody, and most importantly, he knows he can count on me whenever he needs me.

Parents, if they know how to act like parents

In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett 

That may sound rough yet it has been my experience (64 yrs) that ONLY parents can control input to their siblings in the long run. We are, after all the first and last line of defense. May God protect the inocence of a child! Murf

game developers, no one is held responsible except gamer

In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett 

why parents, parentscan tell children all they want what to do or what not to do. it is up to the child to understand, to accept or to not accept. That's just the way it is. No matter what parents may say to their child may be affective, but a lot of times it is not. As children get older, the parent's influence gets weaker, and as teenagers will play games, they tend to ignore their parent's sayings and depend on their peers or the modern world that is affecting them. As a teenager, my parents have done a great job raising me, they've done what all good parents should do, however, i never listen to them. i simply do not care, and even though i do not play video games, i know people that do, and what their parents say do not affect them whatsoever. it's just the way it is in a lot of teenagers or childrens' lives, we just don't listen or care for that, we'll do what we think is right or wrong. The parents are only trying to guide us, and it doesn't matter even if they don't, because it is up to the children to listen or not. Frankly i think the gamers are sick and need to tone down on the violence and etc. a lot of this just seems like a game to me, but i know people are greatly affected by it. Video game producers should watch it, and put some strict restrictions on everything.