by Bill Todd

Created on: September 03, 2010

The acceptable level of violence for a person really depends on where they live. I've payed video games all my life and I've lived in both the country and the city. I don't know about where you live but here, what I see on the nightly news isn't much different from what I can see in a video game.

What of all the outrage over GTA? Never mind that on any given night I can go out and see that happening for real. To me it's normal but to someone who lives in the burbs or country it probably isn't.

Regardless of what life is like in your neck of the woods, however, people forget that in the end, the game is just a game. You can put the controller down anytime you like. You can hit the pause button and get back to reality when need be.

You probably bought the game to feel like someone you can't be in real life. Maybe you wanted to be a pro sports player? The super soldier? The biz tycoon? The race car driver? Millions upon millions of roles to choose from, and none of which you can actually become in real life. However, there are many people out there that have a hard time separating a game from reality, and not all of them are the ones playing the games.

Then you have the people who believe children should be shielded from any form of harm. This, to me, is largest mistake you can make with your kid. This is not a nice world we live in and it will chew you up and swallow you whole if you aren't on your toes. There are some things in life kids need to feel, for there is no other way to learn how to defend against such things.

How does that wind up in the video game argument? To them, violence is violence, no matter what form it comes in. Even if it's a fantasy it could worp their kids mind so all kids must avoid it like the plague. Well, I'm sorry that they can't see a fantasy from reality, but there is no reason I or any other person should have to go without because you choose to.

In the meantime, I'm playing Call of Duty and enjoying the many head shots I make each time I play. I enjoy it in the game because it's in the game. I'm not a soldier in real life and so I must settle for this type of game to come anywhere near the experience (and I know it's very far from the real thing). I could just as easily play football, Rock Band, BloodBowl, Civilization, Axis & Allies, Fatal Frame, or many other games in my inventory. It all depends on what I feel like experience today, because I can't go out and experience it for real. I can tell the difference between reality and fantasy. As such I can laugh all the violence off. Alas, some can't, and thus this debate, which will never end.

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