Violence in Video Games

Violence in video games is a very controversial subject in the media today. This has came to the fore through acts of violence committed under the "influence" of video games. The most common criticism that is heard today is that video games increase violent tendencies among the youth.

This topic has been studied by many colleges and groups including: The Harvard Medical School, The British Medical Journal and The Journal of Adolescent Health. These examinations have yielded proof that games have no conclusive link with the increased violence of youths.

But lets think of it logically video games are only one facet of violent media which the youth are subjected to on a daily occurrence. There is streaming television footage of various wars, violent television shows, violent music and violent movies. Lets not all forget these children's biggest influence, their parents. Its a parents choice whether or not to let their kids use this material. Can we please stop using video games as a scapegoat for acts of murder?

The top 10 selling worldwide video games last year amounted to 38.59 million units sold. That's not even counting the hundreds of other game titles released last year. The amount of murders "related" to video games last year was less than 25. Now, is it more realistic that these murders were influenced by video games? Or is it more reasonable to say that they were sporadic acts of violence? That's for you to decide.

Another Racist Obama Cartoon : Careless Editing

On Tuesday February 19th the New York Post ran a cartoon (above) that depicted two police officers standing over the bullet riddled body of a chimp with a smoking gun in one of their hands.The text bubble overhead reads : "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill". The cartoon is supposed to play off two news story's that were current at the time. President Obama signing the stimulus bill and the Chimpanzee attack in Connecticut that left a woman fighting for her life.

Shortly after the Post hit the shelves it was blasted as racist by many readers including Reverend Al Sharpton. He and many others felt it was an attack on Obama's skin color and African-Americans in general. Cartoonist also weighed in their opinions saying that not did they find it racist but also that gunfire and cruelty to animals is not tolerated anymore, not since 9/11. They added that the cartoonist Sean Delonas shouldn't be blamed as it was at the editors discretion to add the satire.

The New York Post issued this apology. "Wednesdays Page Six cartoon - caricaturing Monday's police shooting of a Chimpanzee in Connecticut - has created significant controversy. The cartoon was supposed to mock the ineptly written stimulus bill but it has been taken as something else - as a depiction of President Obama - as a thinly veiled expression of racism. This was most certainly not the intent, to those offended by the image we apologize".