Medal Of Honor, Moms, and The Taliban

“Americans are dying and I can’t imagine who would really want to sit and shoot U.S. soldiers on a game,” says Meredith, commenting on the upcoming October release of Medal of Honor. Karen Meredith is a mom. Like many Americans, Meredith is also severely distraught over losing her son in our country’s so-called “War On Terror.” Meredith, appalled by EA’s blatant insensitivity, stated “I find it disrespectful and irresponsible for EA to be putting this game out at this time.”

See, Meredith doesn’t have any intention in fighting for a ban of Medal of Honor, but instead made an understandable plea to EA, hoping they would shelf the title until the American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan is more of a scar instead of an open wound.

It isn’t that easy, however; Meredith claims she is even more surprised over the personal attacks she’s received via online commentary. “I’m called ignorant here. ‘Stupid mother… stupid mothers who are too traumatized, your son died.’ I think it’s telling me to get over the death of my son,” she explained. We’ve “lived” through the release of Call of Duty and the controversial “airport” scene, so I’m unsurprised by the hostile outlash of a select few. Jeff Brown of EA Corporate chalked Meredith’s grief up to “nonsense,” adding “I think this is all nonsense generated by people who haven’t played a video game in the last twenty years.”

Many players are boasting of Medal of Honor and it’s current significance, but is this really something to be prideful of? The sales are rising and so is the body count, with American casualties surpassing the 1,000 mark in Afghanistan alone and this doesn’t include a count for US mercenary groups, non-US soldiers, NATO, suicides, and of course, civilians. “His life is over, and I have to deal with this every day…it’s just not a game,” says Meredith.

“I find it an act of treason that EA would allow a player to kill US Servicemen. There is no excuse that would make this acceptable. Where is the respect and honor for the US Military?” says a regular-Joe, commenting on EA’s choice to allow players to “side” with the Taliban in Medal of Honor.

“In the multiplayer set-up, soldiers are fighting against the Taliban much like Allies fight Nazis in WWII shooter games. In Medal of Honor multiplayer, we give gamers the opportunity to play both sides,” EA said in a statement.

“Most of us have been doing this since we were seven - if someone’s the cop, someone’s gotta be the robber, someone’s gotta be the pirate and someone’s gotta be the alien. In Medal of Honor multiplayer, someone’s gotta be the Taliban.” Major news networks likely won’t count, but with almost one million Iraqis and Afghanis killed in both wars combined, we’ve been playing a debatable game of “cops and robbers” since 2001. With all due respect, Meredith and/or any other concerned parties should direct a plea of objection toward her country, not EA.

[Source: Sify News]