Grief

[Christine]

Here's some more hope:

"Violent video games are drawing new scrutiny in the wake of the Newtown elementary school tragedy. Some gamers are already giving them up … voluntarily.

CBS 2’s Lou Young met one seventh grader in Newtown on Thursday who was gathering a selection of his personal video games. He was getting rid of them for one reason and said he wants you to get rid of yours as well.
“All of it is kill, just kill as many people as you can without dying,” Max Goldstein said.

Each one is what they call a “first-person shooter,” a game in which the player looks at a digital landscape through the sights of a weapon and uses it on enemies.

They are among the most popular games on the market; violent, engaging, and, some say, addictive. In the aftermath of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Goldstein and his brother decided it was a digital world they could no longer embrace.

With his parents help he’s created a group called “Played Out” that uses the slogan “We choose not to play.” It urges fellow kids to ditch their violent games as well. Bins will be going up in Newtown on Friday.

“We hope people will drop off … and destroy them,” said Jackson Mittleman, Goldstein’s brother.

The adults are wondering why they didn’t think of it first.

“It’s just great. I think it’s just great the kids thought of something,” said Roberta Mittleman, the boys’ mother.

Goldstein said his goal is to reduce violent video games by a third in American homes."

I'm so impressed that these kids are being pro-active in helping other kids give up violent video games. The other day I spoke with an elementary school boy, and asked what he liked to do in his free time. He answered, "games." I asked what kind (thinking he meant games, you know like football, or baseball, or basketball or yahtzee. . .) and he said Halo and Call of Duty. I didn't know what they were, so looked them up. Video games. Mature rating! ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILD!!!

When my kids were little (the youngest is 15) the national discussions were often how many violent crimes or murders a child watched on TV or movies before he/she turned 18. Now the discussion should be how many violent crimes/murders a child commits while 'playing' these 'games.'

Hollywood is the first to call for gun control laws but heaven forbid anyone calling on Them to control the amount of violence they peddle in the guise of 'entertainment.'