Violence in Games vs. Real Violence

            For this blog, I decided to interview my brother, Chris. He’s the very definition of a “gamer” and he can always be caught playing a shooter game. With a little persuading, I got him to agree to being questioned. Bare with me, though. He’s not much of a talker.

Q - What shooter games do you play?

A - “Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Call of Duty World at War, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty Black Ops, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, Halo 3, Halo Reach.” He adds that he will play “Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary” when it comes out.

Here is a clip of Modern Warfare 3:

Q - Why do you play them?

A - “’Cause they’re fun.”

Q - Why do you like them?

A - “It’s fun. It’s better than playing boring games. It adds excitement and it’s somewhat realistic – more than playing ‘Viva Piñata.’”

Q - How do you react to the violence?

A – “It’s a game and if you can’t take violence don’t buy the game.”

Q – Do you react to the violence in any way?

A – “No reaction.”

Next, we watched a clip of actual violence:

Q - How do you feel about this clip?

A – “I almost started laughing whenever he got sprayed.”

Q – You didn’t feel sorry for the victim?

A – “Kinda, but I don’t know. It was funny. (laughs)”

Q - Do you feel differently about the game, now?

A - "No, it's still a game."

Sources

JockTheRipper88. "White man attacked by a gang of youths during London riots." Youtube. 18 Aug.
     2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2011.
CrucialLHD. "Mw3 Gameplay Domination on Interchange (UMP)." Youtube. 6 Nov. 2011. Web. 13
     Nov. 2011.

Occupy Oakland - How would you feel?

     The picture shown above is of a group of protestors at the Occupy Oakland event. One of these protestors was hurt by the police and the one behind him appears to be wiping tear gas from his eyes. This is merely a speculation, though. This photo was found at dailyhurricane.com. The site is mainstream and prides itself on being "News and Views from the Eye of the Storm" as their slogan states. The Daily Hurricane is run by several bloggers who have come together to discuss politics, current events, and international news.
     If I supported the protestors, this photograph would make me sympathize with this group of individuals. I would definitely feel saddened that Occupy Oakland turned out like this. Also, I would obviously be angered by the photo. My anger would be directed at the police force in Oakland, CA. As a supporter of the protests, this photo would mean a lot to me. It would mean that this person with the same views as me was beaten down for disturbing the peace. I would probably think that it could have been me if I had been there.
     On the other side of the spectrum, if I opposed the protestors, I would still feel sadness because of the man’s pain. However, my anger would not be toward the Oakland police force. It would be toward the group of protestors. The picture would take on a different meaning for me. It would mean that the protestors got what was coming to them. I would think that they shouldn’t have been out there if they didn’t expect to get hurt.

Source

Desperado. "Occupy Oakland." The Daily Hurricane. 26 Oct. 2011. Web. 6 Nov. 2011.
     <dailyhurricane.com>.