So I guess people can't be trusted..........

[Queensryche]

I haven't had much to talk about, but then I saw this article and suddenly had a new reason to be pissed off, especially as I progressed through and read responses.

http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/missouri-police-warn-adults-about-nintendo-game/1298251

For me this is personal because I'm an adult and I play the game. And everyone I've talked to who plays it is, under US law, a legal adult.

Nice to know that some Barney Fife wannabe in East Bumblef**k, Missouri thinks that just because I play this game, I'm some sort of pervert preying on children. No, not really. The one person I've met via the game's online play that I don't know personally is a 24-year-old female gamer from California. And all we were doing is trading fruit we each needed in our respective towns. Besides, with features such as voice chat and the fact that you HAVE to swap friend codes to visit each other, there's a lot already in the way of preventing situations like that.

However, reading some responses to this led to a bigger overall issue, best summarized in this article:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118903209653018615.html

So now society at large is assuming one is a pedo if they have a certain set of genitalia. Lovely.

Isn't that fear that mindset just the thing George Orwell warned of in Nineteen Eighty-Four? I've got twin cousins who are 11 years old, and both of them think I'm one of the coolest people they know. I don't wanna get weird looks or be accused of anything inappropriate just because they're with me and my aunt isn't with us. According to that article, even fathers can't be seen with their own children because we're beginning as a whole to assume all men are sexual predators. I'm not ranting on this because I'm male. I'm ranting because like I said, we're becoming as a society just what Orwell feared, where certain mindsets are programmed and thought is controlled through subversive means. Though the intent is good, the way it's interpreted is what the real problem is.

To end this, I'm going to give what I used as my senior quote for my yearbook:

"In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart." - Anne Frank

She said that despite having to hide from a government that wanted her and people of her faith dead. And now society is beginning to say the opposite and that we have to be vigilant against any possible threat, no matter how likely or unlikely the possible threat is. It makes me sad that we have to assume the worst in humanity.

Sorry if this is writing is clunky and jumbled. I had to get it out though.

[Turd Ferguson]

It's because of the fear factory that the United States media has become. Watch a show like Nancy Grace for 10 minutes and you will see what I mean.

[superradjoe]

It's because of the fear factory that the United States media has become. Watch a show like Nancy Grace for 10 minutes and you will see what I mean.

not very nice of you to recommend torture to him

[Phenominal1]

It's because of the fear factory that the United States media has become. Watch a show like Nancy Grace for 10 minutes and you will see what I mean.

not very nice of you to recommend torture to him

agreed...Nancy Grace is like a hemmoroid to the legal system we can't get rid of. I actually think she's more of an obstruction of justice and contributing to the "guilty until proven innocent" mentality.

As far as the original topic, I know I haven't been a direct victim to that, but think about it in a card game setup. Let's say you played Pokemon or even Yu-Gi-Oh when it was still big and a lot of places like Toys r us had the big league game play.  Parents come in to bring their kids to play and their are people there more than twice their kids age playing. Kinda sets up the whole mentality right there.

It's a sad, sad world we are now becomming. Items like chat rooms are becoming non-existant thanks to these pervs. You can't even go into a library anymore without getting some dirty looks from parents if you're in the kids literary session looking for a book to read to your sibling or other younger family member.

...Ok, I'm done ranting on it, but that is a very interesting point you've made

[piperspitt]

Don't put too much stock in this crappy media sensationalism. I am a father of three, I coach two baseball teams, a wrestling team, a football team, help out at softball and cheerleading. I high five the kids, pat them on the back or butt, hug them, never any problems. Everybody knows I'm there for the kids and that I love kids.  The only problems stem from different philosophies on coaching or parenting.  Some people think I'm too soft, some think I'm too tough, the parents that never practice with their kids think that they should play the same amount as the kids that never miss a practice. I refuse to be scared or change who I am for fear of what could happen.  Be yourself and don't worry about nonsensical dribble.

[Queensryche]

Normally I'd buy this as media sensationalism, but because that second article came from the Wall Street Journal, I take it more seriously due to the WSJ's good reputation in journalism.

Even so, the fact that incidents like those in the WSJ are happening disturbs me. When I was 13, my parents began to let me ride my bike to the local arcade and other places around the area. Up until I was 18, unless a place I was going to was a long way from my home, I'd just ride my bike there. With today's climate of fear, any parent who does that would be labeled a bad parent.

[L2theZ]

Lots of people are just stupid, no two ways about it. Most people are highly irrational and fearful of things they hear get reported on the news when there's little reason to be (see the tons of people that opted to drive instead of fly after 9-11, resulting in a high increase in the number of traffic accidents).

[piperspitt]

Normally I'd buy this as media sensationalism, but because that second article came from the Wall Street Journal, I take it more seriously due to the WSJ's good reputation in journalism.

Even so, the fact that incidents like those in the WSJ are happening disturbs me. When I was 13, my parents began to let me ride my bike to the local arcade and other places around the area. Up until I was 18, unless a place I was going to was a long way from my home, I'd just ride my bike there. With today's climate of fear, any parent who does that would be labeled a bad parent.

You obviously don't have or work with kids or you would see right through this.  It's only a few idiots that are overbearing and a few that don't bring their kids up right.

[Turd Ferguson]

It's more than a few man. I'd say it's at least half if not more. It's just ridiculous.

[Queensryche]

Normally I'd buy this as media sensationalism, but because that second article came from the Wall Street Journal, I take it more seriously due to the WSJ's good reputation in journalism.

Even so, the fact that incidents like those in the WSJ are happening disturbs me. When I was 13, my parents began to let me ride my bike to the local arcade and other places around the area. Up until I was 18, unless a place I was going to was a long way from my home, I'd just ride my bike there. With today's climate of fear, any parent who does that would be labeled a bad parent.

You obviously don't have or work with kids or you would see right through this.  It's only a few idiots that are overbearing and a few that don't bring their kids up right.

I'll admit I don't work with kids regularly, so perhaps I'm missing some perspective on the matter.

[piperspitt]

It's more than a few man. I'd say it's at least half if not more. It's just ridiculous.

I work with about 120 different kids through out the town, it is more than a few, but not close to half. Maybe around ten percent.  Everybody has quirks and things I don't necessarily agree with, but overall most parents exhibit normal behavior and teach their kids common sense. It just feels like half because the bad ones are so bad that you can fail to notice the rest.