Regulating Violent Video Games Essay Example for Free

Regulating Violent Video Games Essay An African proverb says, It takes a village to raise a child. But in this society the child barely has a mother or father to truly depend on. When I was I child I was fortunate to have a family so close that if I did something wrong, it seemed like the whole world knew. This is what made me the human being I am today. My philosophy is somewhat like a doctor’s oath, â€Å"First do no harm†. With this idea I believe in karma what you send out will come back to you. â€Å"Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love. (Martin Luther King, 1958) So whose place is it to deal with the problem of violence in video games? The problem is ours because we have the caused the demand for such games. And without the demand there would be no need for them. But since we do have them just as we have guns, the parents should take back control. Just as you don’t allow your children to listen to offensive rap music, or play with guns. The same way you don’t want your child to look at pornographic material we should censor the games our children play. Why is this, the parent’s problem? Well you did bring them into this world, and are therefore responsible for their well-being including their mental growth. When a child plays violent games, studies show that their brain is stimulated. But don’t books do the same thing. Being a parent means you live by example and even if you can’t do that you should make the right choice for you’re under age child. By allowing such games to be played, this tells the child that it accepted. Imagine a child that watches porn all day long and no one could possibly think that one day he will be a sexual deviant. Of course when asked why he turned out this way, he will say it was the porn. But what of the parents that let him watch said porn. Shouldn’t the parents be the ones to be held responsible? I guess once its reached that point that would be crying over spilt milk. So start now, while they are young and pliable. Teach that violence is not laughable in real life or a game. Our county was based and founded on the freedoms that have allowed our country to be great. The freedom to exist, to pursue happiness if we so choose. We have freedom of speech, expression and even non-expression taking our liberties one day at a time. So could playing video games and watching violent movies be a form of expression. And if it is considered a form of expression, I believe that the government should not have a part in the regulating of such things. Except to provide information of the dangers it could cause. Like smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol; don’t restrict me by taking my choice away but help me to better understand the consequences of my choices. If the government did more than just put ratings on video games, like banning them like banning â€Å"2 Live Crew†; it would cause an outrage from the country. People who don’t even play video games would wake up and find the error in such banning. This banning would be a form of taking away an Americans rights. Because after all even though we have a black president, we are not so far ahead of times to misunderstand the banning as a form of protection. But believe that we would somehow become a communist state over night. Somehow the liberties we take for granted would become the reason people would fight for the wrongness of such violent images. We should as a nation take responsibility for our actions and our children’s actions. If we did this there would be no need for the government to regulate our lives in such ways as banning the things that allow for self expression. And even though violence may or may not touch our lives sometimes daily there is no reason keep those that like the blood and guts from their idea a fun. If you not portraying the serial killer you are watching or playing there is no need for my concern or the government’s regulation on such matters. In conclusion, I am against violent video games but I understand the need for others to participate in such activities. I also understand that taking away such rights to play these games would cause chain reaction of government control of not only what is played but viewed and voiced. I believe if we are able to have full knowledge of the things we bring home, and then maybe we wouldn’t bring them home. But if we do then we are prepared for the consequences. In being prepared we teach our children not only what is right and wrong, teaching to them to be aware of what they are teaching themselves. If parents monitor what their children do, watch and play, maybe the question of regulating violent video games would not be a question. Because it should be the parents who regulate and teach the children what is real. By teaching the children what is meant for entertainment? To teach the children to never let the games they play become their reality.