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After Columbine, many Americans blamed the Net for the massacre. "Are videogames turning your kids into killers?" asked the cover of one newsmagazine. Last friday, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said video games contribute to an "ethic of violence." The truth is, many more kids kill themselves then others, often because of bullying, a subject about which Ashcroft had nothing to say. The question really is whether vicious kids and hostile school environments are turning kids into killers. It's a question neither politicians nor the media seem to want to ask.

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I think the reason that most parents and politicians don't want to touch the bullying issue is cause they are frightened of the backlash it might have. Think about it, what would you say if someone came a told you that your perfect angel was beating other kids up at school and such. As a parent you'd deny it to the hilt. How could YOUR kid be responsible for causing that other kid to go crackers. How DARE you even suggest such a thing. MY child would NEVER do such a thing.

It's just convient to blame video games, they make an easy target because almost everybody has either a computer or a game console, so a lot of kids are playing them. It's SO much easier than admitting to the underlying social problems like bullying, overcrowded classrooms, the spread of innercity slums and low income families. The increase in the cost of living. The rise in the number of people that own firearms. Why blame those when videogames are nice and removed from what's really wrong.

The work of the devil I tell you.

I think it's funny how people have been going bananas since the begining of time and how we always find something to blame it on, be it music, games or what ever. It's always something material, never something that could put the blame on "our selves".

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Forward that translates as

My old band teacher (yes I was a band dork ) was recently assaulted in the principal's office at his school. Strange thing is, it wasn't by a student, it was by the parents of one of his students. Seems they didn't like the way he disciplined his child. I do remember him being strict, but never THAT bad. Anyways, the teacher is okay and the parents are happily locked away in jail getting gang raped. Let's see them blame this one on video games.

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