Kami

Inspired by my good buddy Nick, I checked out “Penn and Teller’s Bullshit!” episode about video game violence. It is a top notch program, with a very strong message. This 9 year old boy was taken to a shooting range and allowed to fire a real gun. They gave him 3 bullets. He fired 1. He didn’t like it and freaked out. Right at the end, Penn apologizes for showing the footage, but it makes a very solid point.

Everyone who’s ever played an FPS should fire a gun. Seriously. As mentioned in the program, most gamers have the intelligence to know the difference between reality and fantasy, but nothing drives that message home quite like firing a real, double barrel shotgun. It reminds you that killing and shooting isn’t glorious and fun, it’s scary, it’s horrific. Shooting clay pidgeons is fun, don’t get me wrong. It’s a sport, a test of accuracy, a showing of immense skill. But I never wanted to point that gun at any animal, human or otherwise. The idea didn’t even cross my mind, and this is someone who played Call Of Duty 2 competitivly, and still plays a multitude of FPS’s to this day.

I think anyone who’s ever considered a link between violent video games and real life violence should watch “Penn And Teller’s Bullshit!” with an open mind and listen to a fresh perspective.