While much of Washington has focused on what to do about guns in the aftermath of the school shooting in Connecticut, at least one adviser to President Obama also wants the country to think about what to do about violent video games.
David Axelrod, the president's senior campaign strategist, has made a point of singling out the proliferation of casual violence in games aimed at children and young adults.
“In NFL post-game: an ad for shoot ‘em up video game,†he wrote on Twitter after watching Mr. Obama's speech in Newtown, Conn., on Sunday night. “All for curbing weapons of war. But shouldn't we also quit marketing murder as a game?â€
In an interview on Monday, Mr. Axelrod stressed that he was not speaking for the president but reacting viscerally to a television commercial that brought home the nature of some video games. “It exalts violence and cheapens life and desensitizes people to the meaning of all this,†he said. “I don't know if any of this had anything to do with this particular incident. But there's no doubt that if you spend hours a day winning a game by killing as many people as you can, that has to have some impact.â€
Mr. Axelrod added that he was not suggesting a legislative or administrative regulation but greater responsibility by parents, businesses and society at large. “We all express horror,†he said. “Let's act on it and exercise some judg ment.â€
