Virtual Racism – A New Form of Hate Propaganda Essay Example

manipulating white fears into action" (79).To advance their messages, hate organizations must catch people in a vulnerable state, and use their fears to corrupt them. Hate groups aim at recruiting two main segments of society: young adults alienated from society, and distraught people angry with the federal government. These are the most vulnerable people to succumb under the power of influence. So along with this recruitment, new forms of rhetoric materials must be implemented and incorporated into the new wave of hate propaganda--the virtual realm of cyberspace.

During recent years there have been immense technological advances that have provided negative implications. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization lead to expose and combat all forms of racism and challenge hate propaganda, states, "Hate groups are manipulating available technology to create violently racist and anti-Semitic versions of popular video games"(ADL). Video games are a popular form of entertainment and are now being used to corrupt, deceive, and demoralize our nations' youth. Racist video games instill hatred in the hearts and minds of the young, and increase hostile and aggressive behavior.

Government intervention is eminent in needing to regulate and/or ban this promotion of hate and violence marketed to the youth. The Internet is fairly easy to use and the accessibility of these racist/violent video games is extremely easy. "Ethnic Cleansing" is such a game that is used as white supremacist propaganda to advertise and market their "thought to be justified" argument on white superiority and dominance. Therefore racist video games are a new form of hate propaganda and should be regulated against from being marketed and easily accessed by the youth.

Violence against non-whites is incorporated into these violent

video games resulting in an arousal of aggressive and hostile behavior. This essentially will have profound negative effects and consequences on children as well as adolescents to adults.Since the introduction of video games they have contained a high degree of violence. Racist and violent video games can be accounted for juvenile delinquency and misconduct. Children tend to interpret this violence against humans as okay and justified if it is seen daily on their television screen.

Children copycat and imitate actions that they see; they are visual learners and have not developed cognitive recognition between the distinctions of reality vs. virtual reality. A study done by Dale Irwin and Robert Gross (1995), two social psychologists, investigated this subject and compared the effects of violent or non-violent video games on second graders. Irwin and Gross found that, "the boys who played the violent video games displayed more verbal and aggression to inanimate objects and playmates during a subsequent free play session" (5).

This research demonstrates that playing violent video games can increase a person's aggressive thought, behavior, and feelings. Case studies provide clear evidence that there is a direct correlation between violent video games and an increase in aggressive tendencies and behaviors. Although there were no case studies about racist video games and a relationship with aggressive behavior. Human nature directs boys to violence, resulting in video game manufacturers to market and provide more violent games to attract their attention and money.

Time spent playing video games has increased and it has been reported that boys tend to play more than girls as well as favor violence. A cause and effect relationship could be found in all aspects of

this topic such as an increase in violent games results in an increase in amount of time spent playing. This effects and decreases the time spent involved in academics like studying and doing homework. This decrease in motivation of school results in an overall decrease in performance in school and academic grades.

To touch upon the subject of favorite video games according to Dr. David Walsh, an author from Media Family, an online journal:A small-scale study found the most popular categories of video games of males were: fantasy violence, with 32 per cent of players preferring such games; sports (29 per cent), general entertainment (20 per cent), human violence (17 per cent), and educational (2 per cent). -(Media Family)This study demonstrates that violence was the most popular choice, especially with males. Another case study, performed by Leonard Holmes whom has a PhD in psychology, found the direct relationship concerning violent video games and an increase in aggressive behavior in a controlled laboratory experiment. In brief, college students competed against each other in either a violent or a non-violent video game. The winner was allowed to buzz the losing opponent with a sound of various decibels and intensities.

Research found that students who played the violent video game blasted the opponent louder and longer with the highest degree of intensity. This aggressive behavior deriving from violent video games directly exemplifies the positive relationship that is claimed. With increased aggressive behavior, in some cases, come violent acts imposed upon innocent people.Manifestations of this arousal in hostile and aggressive behavior can be seen in real life.

Evidence of this can be seen in April 1999 at Columbine High

School by the actions of two male students named Eric Harris and Darren Klebold. A large fraction of this violent rampage is claimed to be derivations of violent video games, music, and other sources that could have implanted messages into their minds. These two male students engaged in a rampage of violence and hatred by shooting either random people, or stereotyped students like "jocks," nerds, or mainly popular kids. Harris and Klebold struck the nation with fear and soon copycat and imitated crimes sprawled out of this deranged misfortune. The fact that copycat crimes, such as other mass school shootings, resulted emphasizes that people imitate actions, especially actions of violence.This unfortunate mishappening has been linked with a popular violent video game entitled "Doom.

" "Doom" is a first person shooting game where the player acts is a rage of violence and kills any living thing that crosses his aim/scope. In Harris and Klebolds' personal web site they modified and customized this game to their own liking. In their personal version, that could be easily accessed on the Internet, there were two shooters instead of one, extra weapons, and the opponents could not shoot back. In essence, these two deranged students eventually acted out their manipulated version of the game in real life onto innocent classmates. This is clear evidence that violent video games threaten the well being of society.There have been other manipulations of "Doom" such as "WPDoom.

" WP stands for "white power," and promotes the extinction of non-whites and other ethnic minorities. In WPDoom, the main character kills blacks instead of vicious aliens. Games such as these impose a serious threat and produce negative consequences

that have resulted in aggressive behavior whether in a controlled laboratory experiment or the real world."Ethnic Cleansing" (E.C.) is another game that incorporates racism into the mainstream plot.

This severely racist video game was created by a white supremacist organization called Resistance Records. Resistance Records is a hate group that manufactures and sells hate paraphernalia. This game is used as hate propaganda to market and sell this game to the youth in hopes to influence and corrupt their vulnerable minds, while in the midst of recruiting them as a white supremacist. This will potentially increase the possibility of violent acts upon ethnic minorities and increase the populations of Klan members or white supremacists.E.C.

promotes the genocide of Blacks, Latinos, and Jews while engaging in a plot to regain American democracy in the hands of only whites. This would put whites in a dominant position and they would have the upper hand in all aspects of life. The player is in a battle to exterminate (cleanse) the nation of these different nationalities. In ADL's report of E.C. they state, "The primary purpose of the game is to 'kill the subhumans' i.

e. the Blacks, Latinos, and Jews, who are portrayed as the personification of evil" ("Racist Groups").This perception of being represented as the personification of evil derives from white hate groups' views on different nationalities. These racist views come into the belief that whites are more superior to non-whites. Supposedly, inferiority comes in the form of character differentiation such as race, skin color, religion, and so on.

Blacks, Latinos, and Jews are "evil" in the sense that they are naturally inferior and morally/ethically wicked. White supremacists claim

that these races are at fault for everything wrong in their lives, or the human race in general, and are the imperfections of God.According to James A. Baldwin, an author of white power books, "The power of the white world is threatened whenever a black man refuses to accept the white world's definitions." (Brainyquote) To many of them, God's most serious imperfection would be the creation of the now dark angel Lucifer. Lucifer is represented as the essence of all "evil" in the world and in the underground world.

Therefore, Gods one fault would be the creation of evil; this imperfection results in the imperfections exemplified as non-whites.These imperfections are now incorporated in virtual reality as a form of hate propaganda against the inferior chosen people according to white hate groups. In E.C.

, this virtual racist video game, the player can choose to be either a neo-nazi skinhead, or a KKK member fully clothed in the infamous and significantly symbolic white robes. These white robes are significant in the aspect that they portray the purity, cleanliness, and superiority of white people.Ethnic Cleansing is set in a New York type city that has been overthrown and destroyed by "subhuman gangs." The player must now proceed to kill these "subhumans," and save this "white world." Stereotypes are also overly exaggerated in this racist video game. These stereotypes can lead to discrimination, violence, decrease academic performance, and damage self-image and memory or other such negative effects, because victims of stereotypes will be hurt consciously and self-esteem levels will decrease.

ADL comments:During the game monkey and ape sounds are heard when Blacks are killed, poncho wearing Latinos say 'I'll

take a siesta now!' or 'Ay Carumba!' while 'Oy Vey!' rings out when Jewish characters are killed. The game has a high level of background detail and various National Alliance signs and posters appear throughout while racist rock blares on the soundtrack. (ADL)There are backgrounds of swastikas and other hate related insignia depicting white power, which will provide negative effects such as supporting hate groups and ideologies which in turn creates more hatred and recruits more people. There is a video clip in Ethnic Cleansing of William Pierce discussing and promoting the need for a white revolution.

He justifies this argument by claiming that whites are the chosen superior and dominant race and should have complete control of the nation. Pierce is the author of Turner Diaries, a famous white supremacist book justifying white supremacy.Resistance Records is also producing a video game based on the novel Turner Diaries where the player can use biological, chemical, and nuclear warfare to virtually eliminate non-white ethnicities (Resistance Records). The use of virtual extermination of a particular race is almost life threatening to the race and creates more hatred upon a race.

While investigating the website of Resistance Records, the actual producer and manufacturer of E.C., I came across the advertisement for Ethnic Cleansing. It appeals to players by attracting their attention for a white revolution by stating in bold letters, "Celebrate Martin Luther King Day with a Virtual Race War!" This game can be bought on Resistance Records at the price of $14.88 and is used by right wing hate groups to corrupt and recruit the minds, hearts, and dollars of our nations' youth.

Ethnic Cleansing is an extremely

racist/violent video game that plays on the fears of whites as having subhumans rule the nation. This is clearly a tactic and strategy used by hate organizations as a form of hate propaganda. ADL states, "Ethnic Cleansing allows players to interact in a racist environment in which they indulge their fantasies." (ADL) These fantasies of being to assassinate and virtually exterminate all minorities and non-whites can provide negative implications.

There are other racist video games that embody the similar theme of genocide. Examples are "Shoot the Blacks," WPDoom-WP standing for White Power, Aryan Nation, and other racist video games that can be easily accessed from children to adolescents to adults.Electronic gaming industries, such as Resistance Records, promote these violent/racist video games to children whom are predominantly the market force. They themselves acknowledge that people between the ages of 12 and 25 make up a substantial percentage of the audience; therefore, these games are targeted directly to this market force. The accessibility of racist/violent video games is unbelievably ridiculous.

Retailers and Internet sites make little or no effort to restrict the sale and access of products relating to violent/racist content.For example, Ubid.com, an online auction company allows the buy and sell of hate related material. Access to these games is extremely easy and can be obtained without parental consent.

"Sex Sells" is a common phrase used by the media to argue the need for sexual material, as does violence sells. "Violence Sells" is a phrase that is necessary to be used as this grabs the attention of potential players. This racist and violent content is used as an instigator to propagate violent and malicious acts. This

can lead to racist motivated hate crimes that inflict damage upon the victim and their race either physically and/or mentally. Racist organizations use this philosophy of "Violence Sells" and the fact that people imitate actions to solicit their propaganda to the potential recruits.