Going over to Kevin's

"Mom, I can't go over to Kevin's anymore," my older son Cy announced. "It makes me too crazy seeing his PlayStation and knowing we can't have one."

Buried in Salon this week was an article (part of their long-running but now politically de-emphasized "Mothers Who Think" series) by a conscientious, thinking mother who decided to allow her sons to play video games, coinciding with a new wave of halfhearted "OH NO KIDS MAKE VIOLENCE HAPPEN ON THEIR TV" media hysteria. Although her sons haven't killed anybody yet, I think I speak for all old people when I say that it is only a matter of time before those poor children start hijacking cars and (the old standby) killing hookers. But then I speak for young people who know the difference between phosphorous dots and people who are alive, and say that her kids will probably turn out just fine.

Now: Salon makes you watch an advertisement or subscribe to their site with real money before you can read their articles. (That is the grim reality of trying to run a magazine that is openly critical of the President.) If the compulsory ad-watching doesn't make you mad or you've already jumped through those hoops, here's the article at Salon. But since we need to FIGHT THE CORPORATE HEGEMONY and I'm COPYFIGHTING FOR THE FUTURE and all, I've mirrored the complete text here on my site. Shh, don't tell Salon, or they'll send the powerful, influential LIBERAL MEDIA after me! Of course, if they do that, I'll know how to fight back, because I play video games. Now where did I put my SuperHealth and my Quad Damage...