Violent Games
Hunter Peterson
3/4/13
Per. 3 AP English
Felton
Video Game Essay
In the process of media reform and editing, is it appropriate to limit video games? Nonthreatening things like games should not be banned by our fears, but we should look at the facts. Violent video games should not be banned for their content because no means of art or communication should be banned. Our first amendment is our sacred rite of passage that should be upheld with all of our power. We can benefit from these works of art like we can from a song or picture because of their substantial meaning and portrayal of our own lives. These video games are not even truly bad for your health, they can actually improve it. As Mr. Jacob Sullum said, “Depictions of violence, unlike obscenity, have played a longstanding and celebrated role in expression properly consumed by minors, from Greek myths to the Bible to Star Wars and Harry Potter." Violent tendencies are an issue in the young mind, and certain people would say that seeing these violent images in video games triggers these feelings and makes their children become irrational. Zackary Morzaini stated in his study that “violent video games trigger the same response as violent passages in the bible.” So why ban these images. It is up to the individual to react to these violent messages. The vast majority of gamers does not emulate the “homie-G” of grand theft auto, but instead understand the social norms in video games are
Peterson 2 not the social norms of real life. The game merely implies violence. For example, Call of Duty is a demonstration of warfare not unlike chess and battleship has for years. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” That is these United States’ Bill of Right’s first
3/4/13
Per. 3 AP English
Felton
Video Game Essay
In the process of media reform and editing, is it appropriate to limit video games? Nonthreatening things like games should not be banned by our fears, but we should look at the facts. Violent video games should not be banned for their content because no means of art or communication should be banned. Our first amendment is our sacred rite of passage that should be upheld with all of our power. We can benefit from these works of art like we can from a song or picture because of their substantial meaning and portrayal of our own lives. These video games are not even truly bad for your health, they can actually improve it. As Mr. Jacob Sullum said, “Depictions of violence, unlike obscenity, have played a longstanding and celebrated role in expression properly consumed by minors, from Greek myths to the Bible to Star Wars and Harry Potter." Violent tendencies are an issue in the young mind, and certain people would say that seeing these violent images in video games triggers these feelings and makes their children become irrational. Zackary Morzaini stated in his study that “violent video games trigger the same response as violent passages in the bible.” So why ban these images. It is up to the individual to react to these violent messages. The vast majority of gamers does not emulate the “homie-G” of grand theft auto, but instead understand the social norms in video games are
Peterson 2 not the social norms of real life. The game merely implies violence. For example, Call of Duty is a demonstration of warfare not unlike chess and battleship has for years. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” That is these United States’ Bill of Right’s first
Cited: "Computer games unplugged." Computer Graphics World Feb.-Mar. 2012: 2.General OneFile. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Sullum, Jacob. "The terminator vs. the constitution: California 's video game law does violence to the First Amendment." Reason Feb. 2011: 60. General OneFile. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Johnson, Ted. "VP urges game study: Biden: violence link should be probed."Daily Variety 25 Jan. 2013: 7+. General OneFile. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Sanders, Laura. "Gamers crave sense of control: feeling competent matters more than violence, blood." Science News 14 Feb. 2009: 14. General OneFile. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.