Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill : A Call to Action Against TV, Movie and Video Game Violence

Ever heard the expression"Don't knock it till you've tryed it"? Well that should apply here. All the people who love this book: Have you played a lot of videogames? No, you say? Many people have this idea that most videogames are"Run around and shoot anything that moves" type of games. First off, there are many genres other then action: Racing, Sports, Adventure, Puzzles, RPGs,etc. Second off, even most action games involve more then shooting everyone and everything. Most involve tactical planning and such. Also, using the computer does not make you a better user of firearms. I tryed laser tag once, and although I play tons of games, sucked. Because moving your wrist and clicking a mouse is much different then actually aiming in real life. As for the Columbine issue: Those kids were A. Screwed up in the first place, and B. Were shaped by their surroundings. They were outcasts, hated by all. This situation does stuff to a kid, I would know. But oddly enough, although I play many games, I don't have the urge to run out and start mowing down people with machine guns. Now isn't that odd?

This book is direct and to the point demonstrating how our society is being taught to accept violence and killing. Those who would ignore root problems and chose to look at symtoms of the issues of violence and killing take the simplistic view of placing blame on firearms and not at the mindset of people who wield the firearms. More importantly is why people, especially young people, are so quick to turn to violent and often times lethal means to settle differences. There have always been firearms in the American society, so what has caused the increase use of these firearms in a sometimes casual and cavalier manner? The facts are clearly laid out in this book showing the change in mindset amongst our youth as they have been and are currently being programed to view lethal force as a viable option to settle differences they may encounter. In my youth during the early and mid 60's a serious encounter with someone you didn't like consisted of a fist fight at the local park after school. Following the fight, win or lose, both parties shook hands and their differences were settled. Now some kids see killing as a first option in response to even minor issues. What has caused this dramatic shift? As you read through this book and chose to identify the facts it is clear the entertainment industry, in its various forms, has played a major part in searing the concious of our children. Movies and television during the early years depicted killing but without the graphic detail of today. The killers were viewed as abnormal and evil whereas today they are touted as victims who are merely doing what is natural - therefore not necessarily wrong. Video and arcade games have gone from pinball to killing simulators where a child may become an expert marksman. I believe this book is must reading for parents and everyone who is concerned for the moral state of our society. Kudos for the authors having the courage to take on the big money industries.

As a person interested in martial arts/proactive personal protection, the psychological and physiological responses to critical incidents and having had the opportunity to study the research of/work with several the best masters and combat instructors in the world; one who has worked in pubs and has had to short circuit, defuse and quell many brawls; a teacher who has worked with a large number of students considered to be "at risk ", who has had to separate feuding gangs and had to disarm flailing machetes, edged weapons and the likes;one who has attempted to provide support for victims of crime and their families, as well as at other times for the perpetrators (and their families) of unfortunate crimes;a father, partner, uncle and community conscious member I ask you to seriously consider the thrusts of this book. You may have been fortunate enough that violence has not yet personally touched you, your family or friend's lives. However, when it does, it is often totally unexpected and not pretty - lives are often changed forever.From my limited experience, I would suggest it is far better to recognize a problem exists, identify key components, and do something proactive, rather than acting after the event, striving to re-establish some order back into fragmented lives.I believe this book makes an immense contribution to doing this. I commend and thank the authors greatly for their efforts.

I have always been on of the many who have rolled our eyes when people take up arms against media violence. I have said time and again that it is the parent's responsibilty, not the entertainment industry's, to monitor what their children watch, read, see and do. To some degree, I still believe that holds true. However, this book has given me great cause to think about those ideas. It was extrremely well written and researched. The ideas and facts were presented in a manner I, and those who thought as I have, could appreciate, understand and really chew on. Dave Grossman and Gloria Degaetano have presented their facts and ideas in a realistic way. They have a wonderful, seemingly inherent understanding and insight into the problem of the entertainment industry's power over the youth of our nation. This book is thorough and thought-provoking. I highly recommend it to anyone with or without children. There is something here for all of us.

As a former reporter, I'm probably conditioned to be skeptical of claims that media violence is a problem. I was skeptical until I heard Colonel Grossman, then read his book. There is no doubt in my mind that Grossman is substantially right in his assertions. I now work for Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan, who, after consulting with Grossman, successfully urged at least two national chains, Sears and Montgomery Ward, to stop selling violent video games to youngsters. The immersion of our youngsters in violent imagery is a much bigger problem than our society acknowledges and promises to grow as an issue of public concern in the years to come.