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Connecticut town to burn violent video games as Sandy Hook returns to school
[GUARDIAN.CO.UK] A Connecticut community is to hold an amnesty of violent video games in the wake of last month's mass shooting in Newtown.

Organisers Southington SOS plan to offer gift certificates in exchange for donated games, which will be burned. The group, a coalition of local organisations, says its actions do not assert that video games were the cause of the killings in nearby Newtown, but argues that violent games and films desensitize children to "acts of violence".
I agree with them that violent -- sometimes hideously violent -- video games are bad for children. I have a hard time with the idea of public burnings. They're too much like book burnings for my taste.
Pupils from Sandy Hook elementary school, where 26 people were killed on 17 December, returned to classes for the first time on Thursday in the neighbouring town of Monroe. Sandy Hook elementary is still being treated as a crime scene and it is unclear if it will ever reopen.

The video game amnesty will take place on 12 January in Southington, a 30-minute drive east from Newtown. The town of Southington has provided a dumpster, organisers said, where violent video games, CDs or DVDs will be collected.

"As people arrive in their cars to turn in their games of violence, they will be offered a gift certificate donated by a member of the Greater Southington Chamber of Commerce as a token of appreciation for their action of responsible citizenship," the group said in a statement.

"Violent games turned in will be destroyed and placed in the town dumpster for appropriate permanent disposal."

John Myers, chairman of Southington YMCA and member of Southington SOS, was not immediately available to speak to the Guardian, but tech website Polygon reported that the works would be incinerated by town employees.

The press release accompanying the announcement said that Southington SOS's action should not be "construed as statement declaring that violent video games were the cause of the shocking violence in Newtown on December 14".

"Rather, Southington SOS is saying is that there is ample evidence that violent video games, along with violent media of all kinds, including TV and movies portraying story after story showing a continuous stream of violence and killing, has contributed to increasing aggressiveness, fear, anxiety and is desensitizing our children to acts of violence including bullying.
Posted by: Fred 2013-01-06
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=359456