COMMENTARY



 Video Games Trivialize War's Reality


 BYTONYMARRERO
 I find it ironic that one of
the most popular video games
in the country right now has
players whooping it up as
they pretend to shoot guns at
two-dimensional aliens, while
at the same time 7,000 miles
away U.S. troops are fighting
a real war, suffering real
casualties, sending home the
real dead.
 A photo on the front page
of The Tampa Tribune last
week showed a group of U.S.
soldiers wheeling one of their
wounded comrades, battered
and bloody from the raging


battle for Falluja, into a
Baghdad hospital. The
caption said the soldiers were
unsuccessful in their efforts to
save him.
 Then, on the front page of
the business section, a photo
showed gamers young and
old waiting in the line for the
latest video game, "Halo 2."
The game is a sequel that has
players using lots of firepower
to once again save the world
from invading aliens.
 Another photo with the
story featured a cardboard
character Microsoft is using
to promote the game, a


camouflaged soldier with
guns in both hands.
 These shoot 'em up games
have been around for years.
But this is the first time that I
personally have witnessed the
hype over one hit at the exact
same time American soldiers
are embroiled in deadly
combat.
 It just doesn't sit right with
me.
 I have to admit I was
surprised by how bothered I
am by this. I'm young enough
to have played my fair share
 See MARRERO, Page 13


MAUL


Continued From Page 6
simply respond to the
demands of a marketplace
gone mad?
 This state of affairs cer-
tainly seems to be one of
those chicken and egg
situations, doesn't it? The
truth, however, involves more
personal responsibility. We
can put that chicken back in
its egg any time we chose.
Market dynamics are that
simple.
 This is why I am in favor of
the first-ever "Quiet Novem-
ber" celebration. It could
become a national move-
ment: "Hype-free Novembers
for Mental Health."
 How about this: What if we


all made the commitment to
put credit cards away until
the end of the month? If we
can't afford it now then
maybe we really should wait
until December. If we can't
afford it in December then
maybe next year.
 Somebody stop me.
 I can't help but think of that
old children's story about the
emperor and his new clothes.
A lot of advertising presents a
message suggesting each one
of us will only know true
security, belongingness,
fulfillment, promise, hope,
validation or contentment -
peace and joy even if we
purchase the particular


product or service repre-
sented.
 The price is so high, both in
money and in terms of the
less tangible investment of
belief, that we as consumers
find ourselves in the same
position as the fabled naked
emperor. We are too deeply
vested to ever admit that we
were duped.
 Let's not be fooled. We all
know what really makes us
free.
 Derek Maul is a writer who
lives in Valrico. You can view
his work at derekmaul.com
or reach him at maulhal-
l@aol.com.


REESE
Continued From Page 6
move to the center, as some
of the chattering class are pre-
dicting. When the president
said he had not made any
mistakes, he was being quite
sincere, not being mule-
headed. He will not change
his policies one bit. Why
should he? In his own mind,
he was right, and now the
electorate has validated that
belief.
 As for the Democrats, they
will have to decide if they
wish to be the regional party
of the Northeast and the Left
Coast, or if they would rather
win national elections. It
should be clear to them that if
they are going to write off the
South, they are going to write
off ever winning a national
election. The last ron-
Southern Democrat to win
the White House was John F.
Kennedy, 44 years ago.
 For starters, they need to
 dump that urban fixation on
 gun control. I was willing to
 overlook Sen. Kerry's dismal
 record on that issue in the
 interest of war control, but a
 majority of Southerners were
 not. They also need to dump
 the homosexuals. The South
 is the last outpost of Christen-
 dom, and a majority of
 Protestant Christians are
 either homophobic or at least
 uncaring about the agenda of
 homosexuals. They are going
 to have to recognize that,
 despite the distortion of
 television, blacks are only 13
 percent of the population,
 and kissing up to the National
 Association for the Advance-


Finally, they should
recognize that what
goes for the South
usually goesfor the
rural areas of the rest
of the country.

ment of Colored People is not
going to save them from
electoral defeat. They are
going to have to accept the
fact that what flies in Massa-
chusetts usually crashes in
the rest of the country.
Finally, they should recognize
that what goes for the South
usually goes for the rural
areas of the rest of the
country.
 In other words, the divide is
 not so much regional as it is
 metropolitan and rural small
 town.There is justice in the
 universe. At least now
 President Bush will have to
 clean up his own mess. He
 will have to find a way to get
 out of Iraq and avoid wars
 with Iran and North Korea.
 He will have to find a way to
 get his own deficit spending
 under control.
 He will have to find a way
 to fix Medicare and Social
 Security. And he will have to
 take responsibility for the
 next terrorist act inside the
 United States.
 As for the rest of us, we'd
 better see to our own affairs
 and try as best we can to
 prepare for, the economic
 problems that will engulf us.
 Write to Charley Reese at
 P.O. Box 2446, Orlando, FL
 32802.


Thanks for Helping. Thanks for Playing.

 Thanks to all the.sponsors and participants in the recent Plant City Lion's Club Annual Charity Golf Tournament
 on October 15, 2004. During a day of golfing fun, we raised $10,500 that will go toward scholarships,
 the prevention of blindness and other important community programs in the Plant City area.


KING UON SPONSORS
South Florida Baptist Hospital

PRIDE SPONSORS
Rudin McClosky
-Suinshine State Federal Savings
 and Loan

 CUB SPONSORS
 Amjricare Ambulance Servkee
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 Felton's IVrket
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 Platinum Bank
 Sparky's Oil Company
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 Sunrise Homes, Inc.


 TEAMS & OTHER CONTRIBUTORS
 Albertsons
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 Applebee's
 Athletic Club
 Badcock
 Bank df America
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 Colonial Bank
 Cruise One
 Davey Miles
 DHL
 Edward Jones, Tim Shuff
 Edwards, Platt and Raulerson
 Effective.Signs -
 Florida Aquarium
, Florida Brick and Clay
 Florida Insurance Center
 Grow Mor


Hal Paul Enterprizes, Inc.
Hillsborough Community College
Hillsborough County Property
Appraiser
Holiday Inn Express
Jack T. Gibbs Realty
Johnnie Byrd, Sr. Alzhiemer's Center
Kash n' Karry
Mane Team Hair Salon
Mastertaste
Myers and Wright
O'Connor Automotive
Pearhouse and Opp, P.A.
Plantation House Ramada
Poppell Insurance
Power Shop
Publix
Redman, Hines and Norman
Reproductive Technology, Inc.


Roger Allen
Southtrust
Steven Robert
Stu Anderson
Suntrust
TECO
The Lakeland Center
Trinkle, Swanson, Byrd & Coton
Walden Lake Country Club
Walden Lake Realty
Wal-Mart


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