Politicians bash gamers
Wow… I had no idea how biased some politicians could be. Apparently a McCain staffer has a blog and equates those who read Daily Kos as gamers who have no lives and reside in their mother’s basement:
It may be typical of the pro-Obama Dungeons & Dragons crowd to disparage a fellow countryman’s memory of war from the comfort of mom’s basement, but most Americans have the humility and gratitude to respect and learn from the memories of men who suffered on behalf of others.
I wonder how those Daily Kos readers feel being compared to a stereotype of a gamer. I’ve played D&D both when I was 11 years old and as an adult in her 30’s. I don’t live in my mother’s basement, I have a career, people who love me, I can think for myself and my skin has actually seen the light of day. I don’t hide in dark corners rolling dice. Now I don’t read Daily Kos, and I know SEVERAL republican gamers. I know gamers who were in the military and would never “disparage a fellow countryman’s memory of war.” I think that’s awfully presumptuous of this McCain staffer to post such a generalization of Daily Kos readers and gamers.
He may be thinking back to Jr High or High School all the geeks who hung out in the basement playing games while he was out on the foot ball field or sitting in the band room. But those geeks, run the world. They’re responsible for creating the computer he used to write that blog post, they are responsible for the internet where he posted that blog. D&D players are: Stephen Colbert, Wil Wheaton, Vin Diesel, James Merendino and Laurell K Hamilton. Actors, musicians, writers, producers. Founding members of Barenaked Ladies (yup, Ed Robertson played!) They are the thinkers, creators and artists. They’re the CULTURE of this country and many others around the globe. Gaming brings people together. Why are you bashing it?
I’m not sure what this argument is about, but I’m really offended that this staffer knows so little of the gaming world that he’d use it as an insult. He’s lucky he posted this after Gen Con or he’d have a swarm of angry gamers turning against him, word travels fast in the gaming community at the events.
