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Games and Music, the New Book Burning
It seems that a Newport News, VA pastor finally got around to reading Fahrenheit 451 and has decided that it was a good idea. Despite several studies claiming the contrary, Rev. Richard Patrick is blaming violent video games and music for crimes that he say has affected 90% of his congregation in one way or another.
and has every right in the world to burn whatever he wants that is his in order to make a point.
What's funny to me is that we in the west look at conservative mullahs in the middle east shutting down rock music and dancing, and we have a good laugh at how backwards they are. Then conservatives in the west turn around and try to ban comic books, or dungeons and dragons, or marijuana, or violent video games.
It's all the same thing, some conservative nitwit gets scared of something new, and they try to ban it instead of understanding it. It's a real shame we keep falling for it.
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Actually this guy does seem to be trying to make a difference. I don't think that Gangster rap or video games cause violence but as I have tried to say time and time again if books and art can influence people they why not music and video games?
Anyone want to claim that the Turner Diaries or Mein Komf never influenced anybody to act in a less than pleasant way?
Who hasn't heard someone say that this or that book has changed their life?
There is nothing wrong with saying "I don't think kids should play violent video games"
Just as there is nothing wrong saying that "I don't think people should eat meat".
This is only a problem when people try and make them illegal.
There is a huge difference between dislike and censorship. I don't want my kids reading the Turner diaries but I don't want them outlawed.
Saying that music and video games can not effect people is the same as saying that no form of art can effect anybody for good or evil.
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It would be great if you knew what you were talking about. I spend a lot of effort trying to interact with my kids. I spend a lot of time talking to them, and listening to them. However, they spend a lot more time talking to their friends and being on-line. It's easy to do nothing and then point the blame at the parents when things go wrong. The reality is that most parents are trying hard to do the right thing, but time and peer pressure make it very difficult. Finally, I find it interesting that some of the same people who support "it takes a village to raise a child" scream like crazy when somebody so much as suggests that the community even HELP raise kids.