Dragon's Prison editorial: an interesting fact

[Dr. Confoundo]

I just got my copy of Dragon in the mail, and having read the discussion about the editorial previously, I wanted to read the actual editorial and see what the hubbub was about. But I found the first two paragraphs much more interesting than the later prison related information. I showed it to my mother, and phoned my eldest brother to tell him that he was famous...

...for it was my eldest brother Mike who was teaching that Recreation and Parks class on D&D that the fundamentalists tried to ban. I was young when it happened (about eight), but I've heard my mother refer to it a few times in the intervening twenty years.

It's kinda wierd to see your families' deeds writ large in a national magazine.

Doc

 

[LcKedovan]

I just got my copy of Dragon in the mail, and having read the discussion about the editorial previously, I wanted to read the actual editorial and see what the hubbub was about. But I found the first two paragraphs much more interesting than the later prison related information. I showed it to my mother, and phoned my eldest brother to tell him that he was famous...

...for it was my eldest brother Mike who was teaching that Recreation and Parks class on D&D that the fundamentalists tried to ban. I was young when it happened (about eight), but I've heard my mother refer to it a few times in the intervening twenty years.

It's kinda wierd to see your families' deeds writ large in a national magazine.

Doc

Hahaha, Cool.

"It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it"



-Will

 

[King_Stannis]

can you elaborate a bit more for those of us who don't get the magazine? i'd be interested to hear about it.

 

[Dr. Confoundo]

can you elaborate a bit more for those of us who don't get the magazine? i'd be interested to hear about it.

Sure. Johnny Wilson, the Group Publisher of Dragon wrote in his editorial about a situation that happened about 20 years ago. (Remember, this was the height of the anti-D&D movement... Christian fundamentalists saw gaming as Satan's biggest influence on America's youth, far worse than drugs or alcohol.)

My brother, who was either in high school or just graduated, was teaching a D&D class for the Redondo Beach Parks and Recreation Dept., showing 10-12 yr old kids how to play. Some of the anti-D&D camp found out about this, and decided to raise holy heck about it.

The anti-D&Ders brought dozens of people to testify against D&D at the Parks and Rec. Commission meeting, and later, the City Council meeting, where the merits of D&D were debated. As my other brother just mentioned to me, many of the Christians went off in detail, describing how they had been heroin addicts, or prostitutes, and how their Christian beliefs had saved them from Satan's influence... All of which has bupkis to do with D&D. Their arguments were, as they often are, deeply flawed and not compelling.

The much smaller pro-D&D camp, on the other hand (including my brother and Johnny Wilson), spoke eloquently about the hobby, discussing it's merits as a game, as well as a teaching tool. (IIRC, even my mother got into the act, telling how she was happy her sons were playing the game.) Eventually, our side was victorious, and the fundamentalists went off to find some other people to pick on.

 

[King_Stannis]

as you said, it must have been a real kick in the pants to see it brought up so many years later.

glad your brother prevailed.

 

[der_kluge]

When I was in college, my Mom called me into the living room one day (I lived at home during college) and said that the local A.M. radio station talk show was talking about D&D. This particular talk show was known for always having a handful of uber-religious right-wing people calling in talking about how God needed to save people's souls, etc, etc. This particular discussion was no different, and a lot of people were calling in about how D&D was Satanic, bla bla bla. Did I mention this was in the middle of Arkansas?

At any rate, I called in, and chatted with the host, and explained that I play the game about once a week, was in college studying computer science. I described how the game was played, how it had nothing to do with satan worship, and how it had enhanced my knowledge of medieval cultures and mythology.

After I hung up the phone, they changed the topic on the talk show.

 

[PenguinKing]

After I hung up the phone, they changed the topic on the talk show.

Of course - once people start being reasonable and rational about the subject, ratings drop like a rock.

- Sir Bob.