"It's too real and too much like the Columbine tragedy," says one concerned parent regarding a video shot at Rocklin High School in California depicting students pretending to play Call of Duty with imaginary weapons. Oh come on, really?
There are no guns in the YouTube video "COD Black Ops JamT productions", which features students participating in a pretend game of Call of Duty on their high school campus. There are no weapons whatsoever. Guns and knives are pantomimed, special effects (not including blood) are added in post. The only real violence is the throwing of a chair in anger, which is quickly followed up by a hug.
It's the modern day equivalent of playing cowboys and indians out in the woods with your pals, and parents are comparing it to 1999's Columbine Massacre, in which two students at Columbine High School in Colorado killed 12 students and a teacher before turning their weapons on themselves.
I could understand outrage if the students that crafted this video had been running around with realistic weapons. I could understand people being upset if the special effects included copious amounts of blood. This is just play. It's fun. Kids are supposed to be doing this.
Aren't they?
Check out the full report at Sacramento's ABC News 10.
Video parody taped at Rocklin High raises concerns [News 10]