Now that Grand Theft Auto IV has hit the shelves, let the bickering begin.

In the other corner are the game fans, livid that a bunch of gray hairs and political grandstanders want to pry fun from their joystick cramped fingers.

Let’s face it. GTA IV is a game about committing crime. And it does glorify the life of the criminal. No amount of , “See, if you get caught there are consequences. They can shoot you or put you in jail!” will erase the fact that the game makes it fun to shoot people and steal cars.

On the other hand, we need to be realistic about this. Kids know the difference between fantasy and violence. They understand not to dynamite their brother like they do in the cartoons, and they know not to take out city cops with a sniper rifle (nor should they have access to dynamite and sniper rifles. But that’s another story).

Violent crime among youth is in decline at the same time games have gotten naughtier, more anti-social and violent. Something doesn’t click there.

So the only thing you can really make out of the GTA scrap is that the two sides are fighting an ideological war of morals versus freedom. And how can you choose? That’s sort of asking what you care more about, life or liberty. They both matter.

So, as the smoke clears and the virtual gunfire dies down to a manageable clatter, can’t we start to ask what’s really going on?