There’s A Soldier in All of Us

“There’s a soldier in all of us.” That is the tagline for Black Ops, Activision’s newest video game in their series of Call of Duty, and was shown in one of their commercials. This commercial features average people, with special guests Kobe Bryant and Jimmy Kimmel, in everyday clothing running around shooting guns along with explosions. With this commercial came controversy that emerged over the fact that it depicts war as something that is fun and glamorous. However, they fail to mention the physical and mental health concerns in soldiers, as well as the tragic outcomes of war on both sides of the battlefield. It is true that this commercial fails to send the message that the reality of war is a horror that should not be taken lightly, but has this commercial gone over the limit and should be banned? I personal do not feel this way. Although it does depict everyday people as soldiers, people should be logical to tell the difference between video games and real life. If they cannot achieve this differentiation, then they are not mature enough to handle these types of games as the rating of Black Ops is rate M for Mature. Of course there will be some issues with these commercials (it is a “war game”), but it is up to parents and guardians to ensure their next generation knows the difference between a game and life.