June 1, 2010

Dear Members and Friends,

Recently a young Unitarian visitor from Toronto, Canada, was explaining to me violent war games, which are available on computer programs, not only in the United States and Canada, but also in many countries and languages around the world.  There is one violent game in which the player is desensitized by being instructed to pick up a rifle and shoot a human being.  He said it got easier as time went by to pick up the gun and shoot a person.  These violent games with an announced enemy are very popular and supposedly are for players 18 years old plus.  However, there are no safeguards and a child of any age can play these games.

In looking over the recent gang murders in Chicago, it is shown that this street violence is related to drugs and real or imagined insults which must be revenged.  Of course, the whole scene is money driven which can buy status, power, and many of the toys which technology provides, such as cell phones, blackberries, etc.  The frightening thing about this conversation with my 18 year old guest was that he was a born Unitarian raised on our basic principles, uncontaminated by other faiths.