14 DAY TRIAL // For quite some time, President of the United States Barack Obama has used videogames, sometimes called by name, as in the case of Grand Theft Auto IV, or in a generalized form, as the go to example when it came to renouncing some of the pleasures of modern life in order to focus more on doing what is needed to increase the level of education for children or of involvement in community life.
Of course, games cannot be held responsible for the declining education level of the American youth or for their failing health on their own, but they have been singled out far more than television or lack of parental involvement.
Now, the Entertainment Consumer Association is urging gamers to take a minute in order to tell the President about all the good experiences provided by videogames, in an effort to make sure that he does not deliver more ammunition for those who have sought to blame gaming for most, if not all, the ills of modern society. All those who live in the United States can access a special page on the site of the ECA in order to send a message to the President.
Brett Schenker, who is an Online Advocacy Manager for the ECA, said that “Throughout the Presidential race and continuing into his Presidency, President Obama on numerous occasions has said 'put the video games away.' As a gamer and a voter, we're asking you to email President Obama to point out some of the ways that video games have empowered and educated you, as well as their power to build teamwork and make people healthier.”
Considering that Barack Obama has two daughters who own and probably play on a Nintendo Wii, it should not be too hard for him to see how gaming can benefit kids and the society in its entirety. Such a campaign from the Entertainment Consumer Association can only draw more attention to how gaming is changing the world for the better.