I don't consider myself to be a loon. Just because I like burning / backstabbing / exploding all of you on TF2 and ploughing my way through hordes of zombies in L4D, I'm not going to go out on the street and start bludgeoning Joe Public to death in a mad blood lust. Like the rest of you, I play games because they are games. I think gamers as a breed are all sufficiently smart enough to realise that games are detached from real life, (unlike many watchers of soap operas - some of whom have stalked actors, sent them death threats and reacted to them like they are actually the people you see on the screen).
The issue has become more mainstream with the release of MW2 - a title that, in the UK, can only be purchased by a person of 18 years or over. Journalists and critics have highlighted a section of the game known as the 'airport massacre', and created a huge buzz about it's unneccesary violence. Unneccesary it may be, but this is just a game.
In much the same way as criticism was made about 'Monty python's Life Of Brian', much of the criticism that has been levvied on games has come from, in my opinion, ignorant people who don't actually know anything about games, or the games industry. These people will probably have formed their opinion on the back of somebody elses equally ill informed opinion and, more than likely, have not seen or played the games themselves.
I've just joined a Facebook group called 'Gamer's Voice'. It's been set up by a former MP who was the minister for digital entertainment, and a supporter of people like you and me. The groups mission statement is:
"Are you sick of UK newspapers and (my fellow) politicians beating up on gaming? So am I. The truth is, UK gamers need their own pressure group. I want to help you start one up."
I think that it's important for gamers to be aware of the games industry and stand up for the ideals behind it. Festers is a fantastic community, and I'm only here because I met some of the people from playing Half Life 2 - itself a pretty violent game. Without games I wouldn't have had that opportunity.
Fight for your rights to game!
(p.s. - I'm not trying to mobilise a revolution or anything. I just think it's important that your all aware of whats happening around you. And I'm bored at work, and when I'm bored at work I'm the worlds most capable spammer
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. A nice example with the soap opera stuff btw. I´m so sick of all the feckin discussions bout that topic which is flamed about once a year over here in Germany. I dunno why - they are just searchin for a satisfyin answer to all their questions how a young man can be that raw and martial to kill people w/o any convincing reason. 
