There’s nothing quite like a good scapegoat, and video games make for a pretty good one. I’ve heard all about the wiles of depraved developers who design “murder simulators” and the psychotic, sociopathic obsessives who crave them. I’ve heard all manner of ignorant, ill-informed opinion and have been appalled at the range and depth of pseudo-scientific theories that spout off numbers, rates, and statistics that supposedly add up to prove the evils of demon video games. The problem is, statistics can mean anything. Emphasize a certain statistic, come up with a good explanation, and then continue to spin and spin as the media soaks it up and spits it out in countless market tabloids and daytime TV talk shows. Build a panel of “experts”, show a couple clips of the latest “Grand Theft Auto” game, turn on the cameras and watch them go… It’s a sickening charade that results in thousands of shocked viewers who can’t believe what they are seeing and who can’t wait to put a stop to it. The sensational headlines, the buzz, the hype; it just continues to build. No wonder it comes as a breath of fresh air when I see even one person in a position of authority who actually employs rational thought on the subject. Someone like Governor Ed Rendell.