First rock n' roll, then comic books, and now video games. Politicians condeming new forms of culture they don't understand happens with the same regularity as gamers entering the Konami code.
Violence in this form of media seemed to reach a tipping point in the early 90's, when a campaign spearheaded by Sen. Joseph Lieberman, leading to a the creation of the ESRB, the self governing body that puts age guidelines on video games..
The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementry School put video games back in the news and this little douchebag is keeping them there.
Thankfully, not every politician out there is as quick to blame video games for such heinous acts, especially since science says there is no link between playing violent video games and commiting acts of violence. Unlike Sen. Joe Manchin, Sen. Leland Yee, Sen. Lamar Alexander, and Rep. Frank Wolf who are quick to point a finger at the games industry these politicians encourage others to accept personal responsibility.
While they're not exactly defending video games, they do at least feel as though other issues take precendence, like mental health and gun control. So in no particular order, regardless of how you may feel about their personal politics, here's a list of the five best politicians the industry could call buddies.
1. Chris Christie (R.-NJ) - Gov. Christie is known to be gruff. During a gun control debate on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," the discussion quickly turned to the subject of violent video games.
While I disagree with Christies' assertion that virtual violence leads to real world desensitization, I applaud him for saying that as a parent, he doesn't "let games like 'Call of Duty' in my house," adding, "the ultimate way and best way to do it would be for parents to self-police." It's refreshing to see a politician encourage parents to take control instead of asking the state step in instead.
2. Nancy Pelosi (D.-CA) - As the Minority Leader of the House, and former Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi is a rather powerful ally to have. Pelosi laid her opinion on video game violence during an interview with Fox News Sunday's Chris Wallace.
When asked about the issue, Pelosi wanted actual concrete evidence of a causal link between virtual and real life violence, responding with, "I'm a mother. I'm a grandmother. But the evidence says that in Japan, for example, they have the most violent games than the rest and the lowest mortality from guns. I don't know what the explanation is for that except they may have good gun laws."
3. John Rau - South Australia's Attorney General, Rau was instrumental in passing Australia's latest rating, R18+. Prior to January, any game that exceeded the MA15 classification was automatically given the "Refused Classification" and banned. Games like "Manhunt," "Mortal Kombat," "Left 4 Dead," "Silent Hill," and even "Marc Ecko's Getting Up," were hit with the ban. "It's a win for the gamers who wanted to have the opportunity as adults to purchase these games, but it's also a win for parents because they can be more confident that games that are age-inappropriate will not be available to people under 18," says Rau on the new rating.
4. Duncan Hunter (R.-CA) - Rep. Duncan Hunter is the latest politician not to scrutinize video games, opting instead to re-focus the argument on parents actually parenting, instead of using the television, movies, and video games as baby sitters. Revolutionary, no? Hunter wrote a column for Politico earlier this week, saying what so many of us already realize, "Video games are present in millions of homes nationwide. They are there for the purpose of entertainment, the same way different types of literature and music have entertained past generations and new forms will continue to grab the attention of future generations. Targeting video games as the problem is nothing more than a distraction from the broader challenges presented by improper parenting and far more obvious triggers of violence."
5. Ronald Regan (R.-former President)
'Nuff said.
No, seriously.
6. Colleen Lachowicz (D.-ME) - You may read what certain politicans write, or see them in interviews on television, but Sen. Lachowicz is the only one you might come across after a raid with your guild somewhere in one of Azeroth's many taverns. A self confessed gamer, Lachowicz was a level 85 orc in "World of Warcraft" at the time of her election (though she easily could've hit the level cap by now). Attacked for her choice of hobby, Lachowicz felt no shame about her online activities, counting herself in good company, saying, "I think it's weird that I'm being targeted for playing online games. Apparently I'm in good company since there are 183 million other Americans who also enjoy online games. What's next? Will I be ostracized for playing 'Angry Birds' or 'Words with Friends'?" She adds, "What's really weird is that the Republicans are going after my hobbies instead of talking about their record while they've been running Augusta for the last two years. Instead of talking about what they're doing for Maine people, they're making fun of me for playing video games. Did you know that more people over the age of 50 play video games than under the age of 18? As a gamer, I'm in good company with folks like Jodie Foster, Vin Diesel, Mike Myers, and Robin Williams. Maybe it's the Republican Party that is out of touch."
With advocates on both sides of the political spectrum, this list is a thankful reminder that we don't have to turn to fictional politicans like Mike Haggar or John Henry Eden (wait a minute...), and that there are still some real life elected officials out there with some sense.