Xoff's BlogCommentary on state politics by Bill Christofferson, who often uses Xofferson or Xoff to shorten his 14-letter last name.
Christofferson, a recovered journalist and ex-political reporter, has been a Democratic strategist and consultant for 20 years and is now retired. He lives in Milwaukee. Follow Uppity Wisconsin Lifecasts on Zannel - Text cruiskeen to 58888 |
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Michael Mathias at Pundit Nation took the words right out of my mouth this morning:
Apparently not content to be just the worlds biggest music festival, officials at Summerfest are hosting a military recruiting exhibit called Virtual Army Experience, an incredibly violent interactive “game” in which participants shoot at people displayed on a life-size computer screen while standing on a real Humvee equipped with machine guns...
I can’t imagine what the management of Summerfest was thinking in allowing this horror show of death and violence onto the grounds, or how it would help their image as a family-friendly event to let anyone set up something in such obvious poor taste.
Peace Action-Wisconsin began a campaign against the exhibit, and has had at least some success, as reported by Kristina Paris, a longtime peace activist who called Summerfest to complain:
I just got through to a person: they reviewed the situation, have upped the age to 18 years with an ID, stopped handing out free DVD's but are still allowing the virtual killing. When I asked if a peace and social justice group could be there with an alternative to killing, they said they would be very open to most groups who pay for the booth space.
Maybe next year there will be an antiwar exhibit. At Summerfest, apparently all it takes is money. Organizers of the Veterans Day parade in Milwaukee have barred participation by Veterans for Peace because VFP is "political."
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Kiddie Killing Game Coming to a Town Near You
Here is the schedule for the Army's ridiculous "Virtual Killing Exhibit for Kids". Let your friends know that the killing machine is coming to their town soon.
Jul 04
Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show
9am-6pm
Battle Creek, MI
Jul 05
Summerfest
9am-6pm
Summerfest 200 N Harbor Dr Milwaukee, WI
Jul 05
Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show
9am-6pm
Battle Creek, MI
Jul 06
Summerfest
9am-6pm
Summerfest 200 N Harbor Dr Milwaukee, WI
Jul 06
Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show
9am-6pm
Battle Creek, MI
Jul 10
Six Flags Great America
9am-6pm
Chicago, IL
Jul 11
Six Flags Great America
9am-6pm
Chicago, IL
Jul 12
Six Flags Great America
9am-6pm
Chicago, IL
Jul 13
Six Flags Great America
9am-6pm
Chicago, IL
Jul 14
Six Flags Great America
9am-6pm
Chicago, IL
Jul 15
Six Flags Great America
9am-6pm
Chicago, IL
Jul 16
Six Flags Great America
9am-6pm
Chicago, IL
Jul 17
Six Flags Great America
9am-6pm
Chicago, IL
Jul 18
Six Flags Great America
9am-6pm
Chicago, IL
Jul 19
Duluth Air & Aviation Expo
9am-6pm
Duluth, MN
Jul 19
Six Flags Great America
9am-6pm
Chicago, IL
Jul 20
Six Flags Great America
9am-6pm
Chicago, IL
Jul 20
Duluth Air & Aviation Expo
9am-6pm
Duluth, MN
Jul 26
Rochester Air Show
9am-6pm
Rochester, NY
Jul 27
Rochester Air Show
9am-6pm
Rochester, NY
Aug 06
Great Indiana State Fair
9am-6pm
Indianapolis, TN
Aug 07
Great Indiana State Fair
9am-6pm
Indianapolis, TN
Aug 08
Great Indiana State Fair
9am-6pm
Indianapolis, TN
Aug 09
Great Indiana State Fair
9am-6pm
Indianapolis, TN
Aug 10
Great Indiana State Fair
9am-6pm
Indianapolis, TN
Aug 11
Great Indiana State Fair
9am-6pm
Indianapolis, TN
Aug 12
Great Indiana State Fair
9am-6pm
Indianapolis, TN
Aug 13
Great Indiana State Fair
9am-6pm
Indianapolis, TN
Aug 14
Great Indiana State Fair
9am-6pm
Indianapolis, TN
Aug 15
Great Indiana State Fair
9am-6pm
Indianapolis, TN
Aug 16
Great Indiana State Fair
9am-6pm
Indianapolis, TN
Aug 17
Great Indiana State Fair
9am-6pm
Indianapolis, TN
Aug 23
Indianapolis Air Show
9am-6pm
Indianapolis, TN
Aug 24
Indianapolis Air Show
9am-6pm
Indianapolis, TN
Aug 30
Cleveland Air Show
9am-6pm
Cleveland, OH
Aug 31
Cleveland Air Show
9am-6pm
Cleveland, OH
Sep 01
Cleveland Air Show
9am-6pm
Cleveland, OH
Sep 05
West Texas Fair
9am-6pm
Abilene, TX
Sep 06
West Texas Fair
9am-6pm
Abilene, TX
Sep 06
Great State Of Maine Air Show
9am-6pm
NAS Brunswick, ME
Sep 07
Great State Of Maine Air Show
9am-6pm
NAS Brunswick, ME
Sep 07
West Texas Fair
9am-6pm
Abilene, TX
Sep 08
West Texas Fair
9am-6pm
Abilene, TX
Sep 09
West Texas Fair
9am-6pm
Abilene, TX
Sep 10
West Texas Fair
9am-6pm
Abilene, TX
Sep 11
West Texas Fair
9am-6pm
Abilene, TX
Sep 12
Tri-State Fair
9am-6pm
Amarillo, TX
Sep 12
West Texas Fair
9am-6pm
Abilene, TX
Sep 13
Tri-State Fair
9am-6pm
Amarillo, TX
Sep 13
West Texas Fair
9am-6pm
Abilene, TX
Sep 14
Tri-State Fair
9am-6pm
Amarillo, TX
Sep 15
Tri-State Fair
9am-6pm
Amarillo, TX
Sep 16
Tri-State Fair
9am-6pm
Amarillo, TX
Sep 17
Tri-State Fair
9am-6pm
Amarillo, TX
Sep 18
Tri-State Fair
9am-6pm
Amarillo, TX
Sep 19
Tri-State Fair
9am-6pm
Amarillo, TX
Sep 20
Tri-State Fair
9am-6pm
Amarillo, TX
Sep 20
Scott AFB Air Show
9am-6pm
Scott AFB, IL
Sep 21
Scott AFB Air Show
9am-6pm
Scott AFB, IL
Oct 10
Foothills Fall Festival
9am-6pm
Maryville, TN
Oct 11
Foothills Fall Festival
9am-6pm
Maryville, TN
Oct 12
Foothills Fall Festival
9am-6pm
If your going to ban the
If your going to ban the Army than ban Grand Theft Auto that is bing played by kids but I guess it is ok to kill cops.
Stop, Think, Experience, Then Decide
Look, if we are going to make a big deal about this, how about addressing that Grand Theft Auto is also at Summerfest? Otherwise it just looks like this is an ant-military thing! I encourage people to at least go look at the game, experience it, and then make up their minds on the matter. One way or another, I just don't want this getting out of hand because people think one thing about the exhibit when they would experience another if they actually went through it. Yes, I think they should put an age limit of 18 on it and kids 13-17 would need parental permission in order to go through, but they have the freedom to put up this exhibit just like we have the freedom to protest it. I just ask that people do this in an educated manner so as not to get the other side so riled up.
Another Point of View
Mathias calls the Virtual Army Experience "incredibly violent" and "a horror show of death and violence". I've seen this display - which is inside an enclosure and not viewable by the passing public - and I wonder why Mathias needs to be so dramatic.
The fact is, the exhibit is based on the America's Army PC game - which is rated T for teen by the entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).
From the ESRB website: Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.
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