"Gore For Sale"

This is an essay I wrote for class. I had less than an hour to write it (in class). The article I had to read came out of my textbook, and basically the assignment was to give his claim and post my argument. So, Enjoy! =)

In the article "Gore For Sale," by Evan Gahr, Gahr looks into the affect that violent video games have on the people who play them. He begins with a descriptive scene of an event that might resemble the Littleton, Colorado shooting and explains that what he described was a video game and that lots of video games exploit violence in them. Gahr makes a point of saying that the companies selling these games indirectly send out a message that violence is alright through their slogans. Garh suggests that the reason why violent video games are still on the market is because of entrepreneurship, "Violent computer games are a small but influencial part of the $6.2 billion video and computer game market" (paragraph 8). However, the question still remains, what the effects of violent video games are and what can be done about? Gahr says that video game violence is not new and a rating system was adopted but not enforced by neither the industry, stores, or parents. Violence is argued to come from social injustice, such as "urban conditions, poverty, and the ready availability of guns" (paragraph 16). The industry also tied in the demand to ban violent videos games to the elimination of their first admendment. Gahr claims otherwise in saying that in the ban of these games free speech will remain as well as safety.

Thinking about my younger cousins and nephews, being exposed to violence through video games is frightening, but at the same time liberating that they're not out in the streets, being exposed to it because they are a part of it. I think that for most kids the fact that the video games are advocating violence isn't what gets them to play them. I don't believe someone would say I want to shoot things, I want to see the blood, etc. Games are played for an objective. If shooting things is the objective of the game, that's what they will do. Just like the objective of "Monopoly" is to own more properties and have more money, they play for the fun of getting their objective done.

However, social injustice cannot be a valid reason for violence either. Any person of any race, age, and gender can pick up a gun and shoot someone. The availibity of guns cannot be an issue either because having a gun in your hand is not an excuse to use it. The real issue should be the individuals themselves. If you profile anyone who planned a school shooting, there are always simmilar factors involved. Whatever the reason is, whether it be they need anger management or are being bullied, the issue of violence should not be blamed on video games or social injustice. People just look for the excuse to blame those factors for violence instead of looking at the bigger picture. Violent video games is exposure of violence but is it really the cause?