{Pour Your Heart Out - Dear The Man}

I really don't want to "go there"...but I feel it is necessary. This post could be considered graphic (no pictures, and not in a sexual way) and may offend some people...turn back now if you want.

Dear The Man,

I really can't count the ways that I love you - there are too many to list. You are an upstanding citizen and a loving person - I respect you for who you are and who you make me. After the other night, though, my respect for you has diminished a tad - and this is why.

I don't mind you playing video games - in fact, I have purchased quite a few for you in the past. It is a way for you to release some of your work tension and relax...which is fine by me. It doesn't interfere with family time and you never chose gaming over personal hygiene, which is, again, fine by me. This night in particular, though, your actions made me nauseous - so much so that I, in fact, vomited in our bathroom after running up the stairs.

You said you had a new game that you wanted to play - one that was borrowed from a co-worker. I thought nothing of it and decided to actually watch you play for once while simultaneously reading blog posts in the background. Then the moment came, it was at the beginning of the game, where everything about the plot was described in detail.

A man was minding his own business until a group of thugs came into his home and kidnapped him. This man was put on a bus - after being kicked down some stairs while blindfolded. While on the bus, the man witnessed others lined up on the sidewalk - with bags over their heads. They were being beaten - almost to death - while begging for their lives. As the bus continued down the road, I saw something that no one should EVER have to see. At first I heard a child crying and thought it could be one of our own...but it wasn't...no, the cries I heard were coming from the game itself. In front of 2 gunmen, a man stood against a wall with his hands tied behind him...begging for his life. To the right of one gunman stood a child - no more than 4 or 5 - crying and screaming. Then - just like that - 2 shots and the man against the wall fell to the ground. The cries which came from that small boy after seeing his father hit the ground were so real...so painful...so infuriating. I had no choice but to jump from the couch - barely ripping the computer cord from the wall - and run up the stairs and to our bathroom.

As I walked quickly away I kept repeating that I would be going upstairs and how I couldn't believe you were able to watch something like that. Your only response was, "It is only a video game...its not real." Have we as a society really become so numb that things like this don't bother us anymore?? No wonder why our children are threatened by gunmen at school!!

It took me a good 15 minutes to stop vomiting...and another 15 to stop crying...and even after a full 3 hours I still have not regained my composure. Call me crazy - call me emotional - call me what you wish...but honestly, I didn't ever want to see anything like that - animated or not.

I am not naive to reality and am fully aware this kind of behavior does occur in some parts of the world - but why would you feel so compelled as to bring it into our home? Is it really so much to ask that this kind of thing be kept away from the only true sanctuary we have on this Earth?! Couldn't you have at least WARNED me that something of that nature COULD happen and maybe I should leave the room?! I would have gone willingly...and respected you more for giving me a heads up. Now I'm sickened at the thought of you enjoying to play such trash...because that is what it is to me now...trash.


With a Lower Respect for You,
Wifey



I am linking up with Shell today: