The ongoing debate whether war-focused video games promote violence in society or not has recently hogged media attention in Sacramento. Sacramento Public Library downtown branch boasts of war video game tournaments that have become great hits with teenagers and young adults.
Library Director Rivkah Sass is convinced that video games tournaments are successful in impacting young adults’ lives in a positive way. She thinks library is promoting community feeling in young adults who otherwise would have wasted their lives in gang violence. “ I get good feedback from parents and teachers about the educational value of these war games. One of the parents conveyed to me that their son’s teacher found change in him. He became more interested in history lessons.”
But Sacramento peace activists don’t buy such arguments. The President of Veterans For Peace, Sacramento Chapter, John Reiger vociferously condemned the decision of the public library to go ahead with war video tournaments. “We have had three unproductive meetings with the library director and her staff. We decided to involve Sacramento people and host of other organizations who support us to protest in the midst of the video gaming session.” On Saturday, November 27, 2010 1 PM, peace activists gathered outside the Sacramento Public Library main branch carrying signs against war games.
Grandmothers for Peace, Progressive Democrats, Sacramento Area Peace Action, Wellstone Democrats, the Green Party, the Peace & Freedom Party and many other concerned citizens voiced their dissent with the library administration.
War games real or unreal are dangerous. The impressionable minds of young adults can be easily trapped by scenes of unprecedented violence. “Some of the games encourage players to engage in illegal and immoral actions: assassinations, massacres, and killing civilians. Promoting war and militaristic thinking should not be a library goal” said Reiger.
It is ironical that Sacramento protest came at a time when the US and South Korea launched real war games off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. Nuclear powered US George Washington Aircraft Carrier led the maneuvers amid threats of a merciless response by Kim Jong II’s regime of North Korea.
North Korea’s artillery fire leading to deaths of few marines and civilians in response to the scheduled war games has triggered chain reaction. South Korea vowed to take revenge in a bigger way for North Korea’s artillery attack.
War games which were intended for play only, in this particular case, seemed to be gradually turning into a never ending war.
Similar argument is advanced by peace activists of Sacramento. War video games may be highly entertaining in the library, but not in the real life situation. The violence in these games is so prominent that it might create an identical mindset in young adults. The violence of war games might disable them to realize their potential in actual life. Young adults are likely to be affected by what captivates them so profoundly.
From the available signals, it seems that the stand off between the library administration and peace activists will continue. Reiger reiterated that they would lodge their protest on December 11 as well if administration fails to exercise responsible judgment.
Comments
War Games as the name denote are not games but a media to pollute the minds of the youth who opt out to the path of terrorism. Such things would not give positive guidance, hence needs to be condemned.
Prof Amrik, you are doing good. Keep it up.
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