August 7, 2007 -
Yesterday the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) announced its support for game issue-oriented videos created for the upcoming CNN / YouTube Republican Presidential Debate.
Everyone who submits a game consumer-oriented video question in accordance with YouTube's guidelines for the debate will receive a free T-shirt from the ECA.
Think it's not important?
Think again. Those on the other side of the issue are making debate videos as well.
Joystiq's Ross Miller offers even more reasons to make a video.
Comments
This is the face of the enemy. The soccer mom, political activist that has no time to parent her kids because she is too busy trying to get the government to do it for her.
"Use to have her own school?" What did she do to lose it? Was she asked to leave because of political pandering? Was she kicked out?
I say if we're curtailing one we curtail them all. Then the law will never get passed.
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Am I the only person left who holds the position -- "who gives a shit about the children?"
Seriously, I'm not about to sacrafice my rights to enjoy violent and sexual entertainment so Bob and Mary's snott-faced child can worship bronze age war Gods and evolve into "daddys little conservative."
Yeah, violent media can screw up kids -- IF YOU SUCK AT PARENTING.
So that means that the MPAA and the RIAA will bust out their million dollar lobbyists and any discussion on this issue will be quashed, even if the future president agrees with her.
I guess they don't want to use day-care since it costs money, and same with a nanny.
So, these parents are lazy, and want "free" government protection.
Btw, this isn't a debate video Dennis, you need two persons to make a debate and this person is just a lone foolish parent that doesn't understand the concept of "parenting" and has to go asking the politicians for help as to how to wipe her ass and parent (if she really has any kids).
Especially since we know where various candidates stand, so it's a perfect no-brainer for some of them... like Hillary.
Totalitarian states don't full anyone what they are, but Democracies have to seduce people to give up their freedom.
Ron Paul of president wants to have civil liberties, non interventionist, voted against Net Neutrality because it give Congress the power of the Internets, and sound money.
"I thought that one point of her having her own school where she said she
witnessed this behavior firsthand was interesting, and I’d like to know what exactly did she see?"
I thought the exact same thing. Did she see some kid get ridiculed because he brought a Pikachu to the Playground Battle Royale? Re-enactment of a GTA scene in a plastic car? I don't know what she saw, but frankly, I don't think there's any Video Game presence in her testimony. It is TV, porn on the net, and movies.
I think everyone else has said what I'm thinking also: spend some time with your own kid and 9/10 they'll grow up just fine.
Did she own a Pre-school? I wouldn't be surprised to see misbehaved toddlers running about. That's basically all toddlers do. I'm kinda doubting it was a Pre-school though.
Was she Principal of a public school? If this is the case, all I can say is "Duh". Of course, all a Principal sees is badly behaved children. That's part of their job. Another part seems to be assuming every kid in the school is a juvenile delinquent. Again, I doubt this. The Principal doesn't really own the school. The state does.
Is she referring to home schooling her own children? I don't even think I have to explain the irony if this is the case, or why I doubt it for that matter.
So what did she own? I'm curious.
Regardless, she asks about violence in the media. This is a lot better than I feared. She didn't point out any particular media, but this is only a minor comfort. Many of the politicians will target video games as they are the only media that they can. Any comments targeting movies or music are completely empty rhetoric.
I don't think the government could or should do anything to reduce the effects of media violence on children. I do know what she can do, though. Turn off the TV/game/computer and talk to them.
First, yes, she does come off looking like that. I wanted to think those kinds of people were simply exaggerations of what we thought they were actually like; that they'd be a bit more moderate.
Actually I've met someone like that before. When I was in college I rented a room from a single mom with a teenage daughter and an 11-year-old son. She was one of those artsy feminist aging hippie types. She didn't necessarily like TV, though she grudingly kept one in the house along with an SNES for her son. And of course one of her main concerns was how much time he spent watching TV and playing video games. I remember having a few discussions with her naturally over media violence. She didn't think any of it had any merit, and I argued it was impossible to totally shield her son from it and that a little exposure actually might be good for him as it would prepare him for the harsh realities of the world later in life.
Incidentally, she considered FPS games like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom to be "stalking" games, and this was several years before the school shootings at Paducah and Columbine. The kid had disciplinary problems, but he wasn't bad. I think whatever issues he had came from his parents divorcing at such a young age more than anything else however. Media exposure may not have been helping, but that wasn't the seat of his problems. He did turn out OK though...once he moved out of his mom's house.
Anyway it's sad to see that there really are people out there who really do think the government should take responsibility for raising our kids. To be fair, she did seem genuinely concerned. I thought that one point of her having her own school where she said she witnessed this behavior firsthand was interesting, and I'd like to know what exactly did she see? It's too bad she didn't go into more detail about that. Still, while teachers do have a role in a child's development, it still starts at home and it is the PARENT's duty to make sure of that. Of course today if any teacher approaches a parent with their concerns, more often than not the parents will get indignant, accusing them of trying to raise their own child and so nothing is done.
Let's just try to form rational and thoughtful counter-arguments to what was said here. I would, but unfortunately I lack a webcam. :(
Geez i wish these people would spend a little less time complaining about being concerned what childeren see ans a little more time getting involved with their kids.
Fixed.
"I understand the concern you have for the safety of young americans as well as the rest of us. It seems that everytime a television is turned on, the only thing it can display are negative images or sensationalist messages. As a parent, I am faced with these problems everyday. I believe that the best way to protect our children is to take time out of our lives and spend it with them. No negative image on TV can ever compete with the positive reinforcement of a nurturing parent. As President I will seek to ensure there is and will continue to be alternatives from violent media such as community centres with strong financial support and public schools with well funded and staffed after school sports and programs.
When did it become the responsibility of our leaders to raise our children? At this point it makes me wonder what she considers the role of the parent to be.
It's ultimately up to parents on how their children are raised, but it seems like everywhere you turn, someone wants to say that power doesn't exist, your children are being raised by the media and you have no say whatsoever in their actions.
When I grew up, I was taught that my actions reflect how my mother raised me. It was a simple as that, and it was true. She raised me well, and people complimented her on that job well done as if it's some rare miracle that her son listens to what he's told.
More like if you don't want to raise your kids, don't have them in the first place