Yesterday I got this very nice reply from Premier Campbell (well, ok, the Premier's Office) in response to an email I sent about that stupid "how to be a bully" video game:
Thank you for your letter regarding the video game entitled “Bully.”
I am sharing a copy of your letter with the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, the Honourable John Les. I have asked that Minister Les, and his staff, include your views in any future discussions on the matter of the effects this type of product may have on young British Columbians.
Again, thank you for writing. I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts on this very important issue for our society.
So, fine. That's all very nice and everything, but I sort of feel like I've just been patted on the head.
It irks me that the matter ends with "young" British Columbians. Youngsters who become expert schoolyard bullies today will one day enter the adult sphere, and assume positions of authority. Who's to say whether or not they will have "grown out" of the mindsets and attitudes acquired during the course of gaining their expertise?
I would not be one bit surprised if the company that produced this abomination got tax breaks and other "leg-up" programs available to business.
In which case, it would seem that "business is business" is the MO locally and globally when it comes to the commercialization of vice, be it video games, human trafficking, or pornography (euphemistically referred to as "adult content" by its promoters and profiteers).
We can only hope that this issue will go under the Minister's Solicitor-General hat and not just the Public Safety hat. If the government does nothing else, it should at least ensure that our tax dollars are not being spent promoting and supporting "industries" and companies that create and market sleazy and inhumane products and services.
2 comments:
I am afraid that your fears have come true.
The bullies seem to already be in power, they are developing video games, toys and tv shows, they are pushing their way into normal society. They are bullying their kids and end up raising the more violent bullies which we see in schools now.
Yes, and some of them are traffickers and pimps in training.
The thing I have found about bullies is that if you face them down they tend to back down and slink away.
Granted, it's a tad difficult when the bully is holding a gun or some big blunt instrument. But that just calls for brains to overcome the brawn.
So if those of us who are as "pissed off" as you are ... and I certainly am ... if we all adopted the Orange Revolution slogan "Razom nas bahato" (together we are many) then surely we could figure out a way to beat back the bullies.
You'd think so, anyway...
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