I have written this letter that I would like if you might comment on because after a couple of weeks I'll be sending it out. Also I am posting this here to state to the world that gamers are not bad people!!!

Dear; Mr. Thompson,

      First off I would like to introduce myself. My name is Matthew. I am a 19 year old from New Jersey who is currently going to school for computer science. I have lived most of my life in this state and have lived plenty of the hours of my life behind some form of gaming machine, be it computer, PS, N64, Nintendo, Gameboy, it didn't matter. Gaming is more then a hobby to me, I have met some of my best friends through it and have made some unbreakable bonds with people who I not only consider friends, but family. I could generaly be considered a social outcast, sure I never got along with many of the people in my grade. And thus it drove me to stay at home and play games, or go and play games with my friends. Do I hate it? Not in the slightest infact that was the life I ended up chosing as well as the way of life that helped me find what I excell at.

   You claim that Video Games corrupt our youth and cause children and adults alike to commit random acts of violence. I would like to state common sense evidence that disproves that, a child or adult with a sane mind can understand the difference between reality and the game world. If the child or adult is no longer in a sane mind then be it video games, or perhaps even reading (which is considered educational) could then bring the child to commit crimes of any sort.  Myself as well as many of my friends could be considered proof of that very statement, we are all of sane mind and do not commit acts of violence or crime, and we have been playing video games for most of our lives. Now explain how we are not corrupt and are actualy youth who are trying to make something out of ourselves and become upstanding members of society.

   Now I would like to state to you exactly what I think of your crusade against the Video Game Companies. Now I can understand wanting to keep certain types of games away from children, but that is why we have the rating system which all stores must go by and follow for any customer that wishes to buy the games. It is not the video game companies falt if children get ahold of it, they do not actively distribute the games to customers, they distribute the games to companies who then sell them to the consumer. So if anyone is to blame it would then be those companies who are to blame, but then even still, those companies can't always be blamed because sometimes parents will even buy games rated AO and M for their children. So then who's falt is it after that? Well none other then the parents falt. So how could you really blame the companies? Sure some make violent games, but look at the movies today and T.V shows, Violence is all over the place in Entertainment, it should be expected to enter the gaming industry.
   
     So now look at the situation, violence is everywhere in entertainment in some manifestation, its not wrong to have it there, sure some viewers shouldn't see it because they might be mentaly unstable. But if one finds it entertaining in some fashion is it really wrong? Thousands Upon Thousands enjoyed the Terminater Movies of which showed tons of violence. And there is Violence in books too even in fine plays by the great William Shakespear violence can be seen, such as in Hamlet where the main character kills numerous innocent people in his quest for vengence of his fathers death due to his inability to make a decision and making wrong decisions over and over again, and how about in Romeo and Juliet, the good old moment that everyone knows where Romeo kills himself for losing the love of his life and then Juliet right after stabbing herself after seeing her love dead at her side. So what then, if you went after video games, then by all means you should also go after the movie companies as well as book authors and even places that distribute Shakespear's work or perform some of his plays. But why would you do that? Video Games are an easier target, they are new, and some of the older generation does not completely understand the gaming craze and what is truely in the mind of the gamers of today.

   Now in ending this I would also like to state that this email has been forwarded to numerous other people including close friends of mine as well as people in the gaming industries and will be posted on forums as well. So understand that nothing can be changed and mixed up because other copies are out there of the same exact material. I may be a gamer but I am far from stupid. So I suggest that you try and at least rethink you reasons for attacking these companies as you do, because realize that you are distrupting the youth that will one day have to take care of you. Who knows perhaps even one such as myself may chose to enter law school after getting my computer science degree.So look and realize that even gamers can be civil and intelligent. So don't make us out to be such bad people. Thanks to people like you we are given a bad wrap and made to look like unintelligent slobs who end up making nothing of themselves in life, which is a complete and utter lie.

Sincerly,
Matthew J. Bastinck