Current Connection: Jan 14

      In a recent article "Gun violence task force meets video game leaders as debate continues", Mariano Castillo explians the world wide debate on how to control guns and violent video games.
     Castillo says that Joe Biden, our nation's vice president, met with the game leaders on Friday, and Biden says, " 'We know there is no single answer and, quite frankly, we don't even know whether some of the things people think impact on this (gun violence) actually impact on it or not,' Biden said just before the meeting, stressing that video game industry officials are among 'a whole lot of people' participating in the discussion." This nation cannot control gun violence, but our government is taking every precaution to at least lower the crime rate. However so people are not to happy about that, such as the game makers. They will lose alot of money if the states ban violent video games.
     Some states are not waiting for the government to step in, such as Massachusettes. Castillo states, "in Massachusetts, action has been taken against violent video games. Specifically, operators of four rest stops have removed -- at the state's request -- arcade games with guns or 'shooting components,' said Sara Lavoie, a spokeswoman for Massachusetts' Department of Transportation." I do not think that video games are the sole reason  for the violence going on in the country, but it desensitizes the player from the real world and causes them to have those images ingrained in their minds. Violent arcade games should not be at state funded rest stops.
     Massachusettes is not the only state working on weeding out violence. Castillo explains, "In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal -- like Dewhurst, a Republican -- on Friday proposed legislation to join 17 other states and make mental health records part of the screening criteria for federal background checks to buy firearms." To me, this is a wonderful idea. Guns are not the bad guys, but the one who shoots the gun to intentionally hurt someone should not be allowed to purchase a weapon.
     In my opinion, violent video games are not the big cause to mass destruction. The person who is the one that holds the gun should be to blame. I do not the think the government should take away our guns because then what would we have to protect ourselves. Complete gun control is not the answer.
     Due to the mass murder in Conneticut, the U.S. is in a tail spin looking for the right answer. What would this world be without guns? Remember that it is not the guns fault, but the person who uses that gun is to blame.