A Modest Video Game Proposal: Part II

On October 10. 2005, lawyer and activist Jack Thompson wrote a letter entitled "A Modest Video Game Proposal" to Doug Lowenstein, president of Entertainment Software Association, asking him to create a video game in which the protagonist kills a video game developer. Thompson did so to protest the excessive amounts of violence in video games and the terrible effect they have on our children today. Not only is he right, he is also a hero for the dedication he is putting forth to protect our progeny. This is because our children don't just play a game, they also imitate it. This is what we anti-video game activists like to call the law of monkey see, monkey do. This imitation is dangerous because of just detrimental video games are to the mental health of minors.

When children play video games they become more aggressive and are more prone to violent behavior. This is no small wonder due to the copious amounts of violence present in series such as Grand Theft Auto. However, although "GTA" (as gamers say) is the epitome of the evil nature of video games, it is not the only game with violence unsuitable for children. Activists also view games such as Mario Kart as having negative effects on children. It's E rating by the ESRB is perhaps one of the largest farces in video game history. This is because Mario Kart is essentially a "kids" version of Grand Theft Auto. In both games the mechanics are generally the same: shoot and drive. In fact, it's no surprise that studies show that children who play Mario Kart exhibit behavior similar to those who play Grand Theft Auto. Also, those who play Mario Kart have been shown to have the desire to throw things at passing cars. Thus, we propose the immediate banning of all video games in the United States. Our children's well-being is far more important than mindless entertainment for adults without lives.