Letters: Jan. 31, 2005

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In??his??"letter??from??Gaza,"??Matt??Rees??unfairly placed the responsibility for peace with Israel on Mahmoud Abbas, the newly elected successor to Yasser Arafat as President of the Palestinian Authority [Jan. 10]. Rees said Abbas must "disarm the gunmen of the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades" and "persuade [the Islamists of Hamas] to accept a long-term cease-fire with Israel." Only then will he be able to "persuade Israel to return to the negotiating table." The article implied that the Palestinian economy was ruined by Arafat's corrupt leadership and overlooked the persistent economic destruction caused by the stifling web of Israeli settlements, roads and now the dividing wall. If Israel and the U.S. truly want a lasting peace with a viable Palestinian state, they will have to take economic as well as political steps. Focusing only on what the new Palestinian leader must do will not stop the killing.

MAE TINKLENBERG Palo Alto, Calif.

Dangerous Games?

"Video Vigilantes," on legislative efforts to keep computer and video games with violence or sexual content from children [Jan. 10], quoted a law-school professor as stating that the bill regulating realistic depiction of sexual acts in video games had a better chance of judicial success than the bill on game violence. I am against censorship yet am disturbed by tolerance of violence. Puritanical Americans may disapprove of sex in computer games, but fewer of us raise objections to violence. Whether we have government or personal regulation, the larger issue may be that our priorities as a society are out of whack.

ALLYSON RUSH MCAULEY Fremont, Calif.

Violence in video games is a hook. ??It turns the pleasure of an innocent game into a hypnotic experience, yet we trivialize the problem by asking whether parents should be making the decisions. The real question that the media should be emphasizing is, What sort of people create such sick games in the first place?

GUY GRAYBILL Middleburg, Pa.

Since when should the government regulate what parents buy for their children? Shouldn't that be the parents' responsibility? Some people are perfectly willing to complain about young children getting their hands on violent video games but will not take action to prevent it. Parents, if you don't want your kids playing violent games, don't purchase them. Look at what you're buying. Even better, talk to your kids in advance about what games they want, then research them so you can determine whether they're appropriate for your children. Stiffer regulations will not prevent irresponsible parents from buying inappropriate games for their children.

LOGAN VER HOEF Carmichael, Calif.

I am amazed at the selection of computer and video games out there for anyone, even minors, to purchase. I'm 25 years old, and it wasn't all that long ago I played video games as a child. Back then, the games had rectangles, flashing lights and beeps. They were nothing like today's games that feature killing, blood-spattered fights and prostitution. Our children can play games that send them into battlefields in Korea and Vietnam. No war should become an entertainment device. Such games insult our troops, who don't have the option of simply shutting off the game and returning to normal life.

CHRISTOPHER BARNES Emmaus, Pa.

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