Dragon Magazine goes political

TalonComics

First Post

• Apr 11, 2002

• #11

What I thought was interesting is that I covered something similar to this topic about 3 months ago or so? I can't remember the post title but it was regarding a death row inmate requesting a catalog of D&D material.

So the answer is yes, they can buy gaming material via mail order.

If someone thinks they can find that post it had a lot of responses on it.

~Derek

 

log in or register to remove this ad

B

bwgwl

First Post

• Apr 11, 2002

• #12

ignore your feelings about convicts - this issue isn't really about that.

what the editorial is saying, and proving by legal precedent, is that the wardens of those prisons are performing illegal actions by denying the prisoners their magazine subscriptions.

that's what this issue is about - someone is doing something illegal and it needs to be corrected.

i applaud WOTC for taking a stand on this. they could have distanced themselves from the prisoners and just said, "oh well, you can't get our magazines." they could have just let the prisoners complain by themselves about their treatment. but they made the effort as a corporation to defend the rights of their consumers. that is good customer service, and i think everyone should acknowledge it, again, no matter what your opinion of convicts is.

the editorial then goes on to illustrate some of the positive aspects of role-playing and how it could actually help in rehabilitation in a prison situation. i think that is a bold step to take, but i'm glad he said it.

 

Darkness

Hand and Eye of Piratecat [Moderator]

• Apr 11, 2002

• #13

TalonComics said:

What I thought was interesting is that I covered something similar to this topic about 3 months ago or so?... it was regarding a death row inmate requesting a catalog of D&D material.

...

If someone thinks they can find that post it had a lot of responses on it.

Click to expand...

I went looking for it. Heh. Without the Search function enabled, those 119 pages of threads (3154 threads, to be exact) since the beginning sure looked quite intimidating at first, LOL. But luckily, I quickly remembered that you can also sort the threads by thread starter.

Anyway, here you go:
http://www.enworld.org/messageboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1042

 

Dark Psion

First Post

• Apr 11, 2002

• #14

Just don't give the prisoners any d4 dice. Those things are worse than caltrops.

 

Crothian

First Post

• Apr 11, 2002

• #15

Dark Psion said:

Just don't give the prisoners any d4 dice. Those things are worse than caltrops.

Click to expand...

LOL, ya that could be a problem.

 

H

hong

WotC's bitch

• Apr 11, 2002

• #16

Sir Hawkeye said:

Those are not what I would call "bold political stances that need support". I mean, how many people are going to argue against helping feed the poor? Or am I just a lot nicer than I think I am?

Click to expand...

"Oh, Lizard..."


(runs away before the thread collapses)

 

Limper

First Post

• Apr 11, 2002

• #17

This isn't really political its silly and Dragon magazine has a long tradition of being silly.

 

M

MulhorandSage

First Post

• Apr 11, 2002

• #18

I haven't had a chance to read Johnny's editorial (and I'll admit to possible bias, since I've known him for twelve years and respect him), but *if* a prisoner has been granted access to other forms of popular entertainment that include conflict and levels of violence equivalent to an RPG, I don't see why they shouldn't be allowed to play RPGs.

Prison rights isn't one of my priority concerns, but if games are being discriminated against solely because they're games, in *any* environment, then the issue is far from silly to me.

Scott Bennie

 

Corinth

First Post

• Apr 11, 2002

• #19

They get action movies and the evening news, so they ought to get RPGs. All three have the same levels of violence.

 

L

Lizard

Explorer

• Apr 11, 2002

• #20

SemperJase said:

Unfortunately, their points were not on the mark. Prisoners do not have an inalienable right to play D&D.

Click to expand...

Actually, it's been established that prisoners DO have basic first amendment (and other) rights, limited by the practicalities of being in prison. Material cannot be arbitrarily restricited -- there must be a reason relating to safety, security, control, etc. A prison can't keep prisoners from reading, say, the Koran, just because the warden thinks it's a "heathen" book.

And, of course, "prisoner" doesn't just mean "Mad Bob the Psycho Axe Murderer". It includes people who smoked a joint or two, or engaged in prostitution, or who weren't sufficiently servile to a cop in a bad mood.

Besides which, D&D is good therapy. It teaches math, reading, cooperation, long-term planning, and general social skills. It can also channel aggression into non-destructive pursuits. All of these are good things.