Where Politics And Video Games Collide

I'm sure it'll disappear into the pit of CNN.com, but I sent this response in via their feedback form. It won't change anything, but maybe there's a tiny chance that reasonable voices get through. I don't want the only response to this kind of uninformed bigotry to be tanking a book rating on Amazon... we need to be able to provide a better response than that.
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Regarding the Glenn Beck show:

I was disappointed with the uneven coverage Mr. Beck has provided this past week regarding video games (in his two segments on Grand Theft Auto 4). First, his guest last week, Jack Thompson, has just been through a disbarment hearing with the Florida Bar for his abrasive tactics in his "anti-gaming crusade." To bring him on as an expert witness and not once mention this rather glaring fact is a failure to provide Beck's audience with the full truth of the matter.

Secondly, Beck brought Dr. Olsen (co-author of "Grand Theft Childhood") on as a counterpoint guest but seemed completely uninterested in letting her actually discuss the findings presented in her book. Especially paired with the UK's recent Byron Report, "Grand Theft Childhood" makes a lot of gamers - like me - hopeful that our society might finally have the chance to put the sensationalism aside and begin a constructive *dialogue* about children and video games. Beck seems far more interested in preserving the fear-driven status quo than in possibly hearing an opinion that runs counter to his own preconceptions.

Lastly, I feel the need to comment briefly about Beck's quip, "Rated 'M' for Money." The MPAA's movie rating system has at the top of its system an R rating - under 17 requires permission/accompaniment by an adult - and NC-17, which may not be viewed by someone 17 or younger. This system, which is entirely voluntary, is embraced by the vast majority of Americans as effective in helping guide their children's movie-watching choices. The ESRB's system includes T (Teen, ~13 and up), M (Mature, 17 and up), and AO (Adults Only, 18 and up). In fact, the advisories are identical, and their content thresholds for sex and violence are similar (if anything, M is slightly less forgiving than R). Grand Theft Auto 4 includes no more graphic depictions of sex and violence than an R-rated movie; to claim it deserves an AO rating is baseless. More, it is irresponsible of Mr. Beck to misrepresent the ESRB's rating scheme to his viewership, especially in light of everything that organization has done to *help* parents make educated choices about their children's gaming habit.

This country needs dialogue, not finger-pointing, if both sides of the argument are ever going to come to an understanding. I'm still waiting for a reporter brave enough to rise to that challenge. Beck, having already dismissed all online gaming journalism personalities as "losers," is clearly not that reporter.

-Dan J