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From: ekblaw@uiucdcsp.Uiuc.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: Violence and the arts
Message-ID: <6700003@uiucdcsp>
Date: Thu, 22-Aug-85 20:37:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: uiucdcsp.6700003
Posted: Thu Aug 22 20:37:00 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 25-Aug-85 00:17:15 EDT
References: <6601@ucla-cs.ARPA>
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Nf-ID: #R:ucla-cs.ARPA:-660100:uiucdcsp:6700003:000:1221
Nf-From: uiucdcsp.Uiuc.ARPA!ekblaw    Aug 22 19:37:00 1985


Unfortunately, there is evidence of D&D causing deaths.  These deaths are
not usually homicides or suicides, however.  Several teens have been injured
or died by role-playing to the extreme - acting out adventures in made-up
dungeons.  The problems are usually those of suffocation or pneumonia due to
spending too much time in tunnels, caves, or other "dungeons".  However, your
point of refuting the Doctor's statement is very sound.  There is no evidence
that I know of where a D&D player has gone out and murdered people on the
premise that he/she "learned violence from the game."  Indeed, the percentage 
of D&D players who are criminals AT ALL is much below the average of other
games; especially sports.  Perhaps the level of intelligence needed to 
adequately play the game (to understand strategies, find traps, etc.) is high
enough that the players realize the difference between reality and fantasy, or
maybe we (the D&D players) are simply too smart to get involved in illegal
activity.  Whatever the reason, I have to agree; the doctor is a quack.

Robert A. Ekblaw, ekblaw@uiucdcs.

"Preserving the mental, emotional, and social health of people everywhere, even
if I have to batter them silly to do it."