Teenagers are growing up in a scary age, where skyscrapers can crumble like block towers and millions of miles away men and women hatch plots that could bring our country to its knees. Logically, we look to others for answers.

The most accurate and pure manifestation of our nation’s leaders’ detachment from the realities of war can be seen in the games our children play.

Game Consoles such as Gamecube, X-Box, and Playstation, allow the player to participate in a variety of challenges: an NFL game, a fantasy quest, or a realistic war — from the safety of one’s family room couch.

A ten-year-old can feel perfectly comfortable blowing-up buildings with his friends, and never know the ramifications of his actions. "The best selling games of the past year glorify and reward extreme violence,” states this year’s annual MediaWise Video Game Report Card, which researches and grades the effects of different forms of media on children. Of course, in the video game fantasy world, one can receive “full health” again by finding magic objects, or if worse comes to worst, restarting the game. What is this teaching our children, the future leaders of this nation? They do not need to hold themselves responsibe for their actions.

In violent video games, children learn to use aggressive, confrontational approaches to conflicts. Where have we seen aggressive solutions before? It seems that our leaders may exercise a similar indifference in this new “clean” war. With new technologies, our Commander and Chief can execute extreme measures in the safety of his office. Even our military can commit mass destruction simply by deploying a missile or dropping a bomb.

Of the 435 members of Congress and 100 members of the Senate there is only one with children in the military. No wonder they are so willing to deploy troops. Could there be a more personal reason for not having reinstated the draft?

Slowly, we are growing more and more accustomed, perhaps even immune, to the horrors of wartime. As men, women, and children who die unnecessarily blurr into mere statistics, we forget the realities of war and the dehumanization it causes.