In an article in iNews Cayman [posted September 22 2015] under the headline “Kagan reveals ‘Killer Instinct’ in violent video game case” it highlights the ridiculousness of the law [US} regarding this issue.

In the Cayman Islands we have many ‘girlie’ magazines banned including “Penthouse” and “Playboy” because they show female nudity.

However we allow violent games showing women being tortured, bound, and eventually killed in gruesome ways being sold in our stores. And these games are sold to persons 13 and over!

We have the same thing in the movies. We can show women being raped and massacred in the most vile and bloody manner but a loving kiss on a bare breast is not.

I have never understood it and never will.

Horror movies are just that. The more blood and the more gruesome and sickening and violent the deaths of victims by some demented half being, dressed up to look the incarnate of evil, the more successful the movie. It also receives a cinema rating so adults can be terrified out of their wits.

Even the car chase scenes we nearly always must have in the movies of today (a throwback to the Western horse back chases) we are shown the most violent of crashes, with innocent bystanders being picked off and killed by the endless cars that crash into them and go up in flames.

We live in a violent world and Hollywood and the makes of the violent games make sure we can watch it and find it enjoyable.

I don’t. I abhor it.

Yet our psychologists will disagree with me.
Most “violent video games are usually used as a stress reliever which is healthy to both adults and children 13+. Most parents do not understand that violent video games are fun and relieve stress. Today’s life is full of stress inducing obstacles such as tests in schools or working late and not getting enough sleep. When that stress is relieved most people tend to be relaxed in stressful situations.”

What utter nonsense.

I had tests at school. I had stress. I didn’t have to watch someone being massacred and getting points for blowing up a building and killing a hundred people in it to get rid of my stress. I went outside and played ball games with juniors of my own age and some older and younger than me.

Can you believe this? I actually went outside of my house into the open air, walked to the local park and physically played games instead of staring at a computer.

“Video games need to be “violent” for it to be fun” is another quote.

In the article I referred to at the beginning of my Editorial Justice Elena Kagan revealed how she and Justice [Stephen] Breyer played violent video games as part of a case they were on.

She found the game very entertaining and wanted the “next round” to come. Whilst Breyer found it “really horrible, disgusting, repellant”.

I suppose one can compare it to a boxing match or the more violent martial arts inside the ‘cage’.

However, one sobering note. According to statistics the world is not falling apart. In fact, “we’ve never lived in such peaceful times”.

If you don’t believe me read the full article on the website Slate.com – http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2014/12/the_world_is_not_falling_apart_the_trend_lines_reveal_an_increasingly_peaceful.html

However, I still cannot understand why something natural (a nude woman) is banned and a woman clothed but tied up, tortured and murdered is acceptable. And you get points for how much violence you carry out.

It’s all a game and it relieves stress. I’ll just throw this computer out of the window and hope it lands on someone’s head. Preferably one of the persons selling these violent video games to teens.