UK Looters To Get ‘The Naughy Step’ As Punishment

You’ve probably heard that Jo Frost AKA Supernanny has recently piped up to claim videogames are to blame for the looters’ behaviour in London, Birmingham and other parts of England just a few weeks back.

It obviously slipped her notice then, that most of the looters caught were of a relatively decent background and upbringing but when faced with opportunity, they chose to participate.  Now, I don’t recall a single game I’ve played that allows me to steal Walkers crisps, cans of Kestrel and tampons from shops…Not even GTA can solidly be given the blame for this.

It makes me laugh but also furious that videogames always get the rap for any bad things that happen. Why?  Well, the non-gamer believes ALL videogames are for kids.  Ignorant of the fact that, like all media, there is a range of content with appropriate age ratings.  But yes, the brain-washed non-gamer sudoku and crossword completionists fail to see gaming as a respectable medium along with movies, music and literature.  In other words, they are in a position where they cannot validly make an argument over subject matter they don’t understand.

You may say that I’m not qualified to judge them.  You’re wrong.  I’ve done sudoku.  In physical puzzle books and newspapers as well as on my PS3(Go! Sudoku)  I’ve also done crosswords and play chess in the traditional sense and in games also.

But then you get the uppity celebs who feel their statements will have a bit more punch but they always fall flat as they know nothing of the content of which they point the finger at apart from hearsay and poorly educated preconceptions.  Even the likes of Noel Gallagher had something to say – rich coming from him, eh?

Mps have done the same on many an occasion to the same effect. The downside is that there are still a large number of non-gamers that are sympathetic to the supposed do-gooders’ cause.  Like sheep, they follow suit and ruin or try to ruin a lot of things for others.

So, Jo, you think you know it all, eh?  The looting wasn’t caused or spurred on by gaming.  Gaming only comes in as a common denominator because gaming is a sign of the times- most youngsters play videogames to some degree.  To me, that stereotype is just as offensive as saying that most criminals are black or of non-caucasian background.  If she had watched the news or looked into some of the cases, she would have seen that most kids involved did it under their parents’ instruction and, in some cases, their parents were there WITH them.

So, while our judicial system buckles under the strain of bureaucracy and inability to sentence many individuals why don’t we stick them on the naughty step or in the time-out corner to reflect upon their misdeeds and hope they see the path of the righteous and keep out of trouble in future?