When I used to play the popular SOE MMO, Everquest, I made my rounds on the Nameless (formerly Innoruuk) server.  I was Kshali Mourningmoon, a high level pink druid that was a killer healer and raid leader.  Once a month I went up to Orlando and became Kshal, the red haired necromancer, and once a week I drove over to West Palm Beach and became Kali the Tremere in Vampire Darkages or Tala the atheist niece of the Norse god Loki in D&D.  However, by day I was simply GamerGrrl, an employee of one of the numerous juvenile detention centers operating in Florida.

However, according to the GOP, my game playing means that I live a “bizarre double life” and live in a fantasy world.  Or does that not apply to me because I’m not running for a state senate seat like Colleen Lachowicz who was called out by the Republican Party a few weeks ago (Google it, you’ll get tons of hits)??

When I mentioned this rather strange political attack made by the GOP to my other half, who is also a gamer, he just looked at me and said who’s living in the fantasy world? Those of us who game and exercise our creative side, or Republicans who failed biology class or are trying to figure out why airplane windows don’t roll down.  Good question.

Seriously, why are those of us who choose to spend our free time playing games, of any types, freaks or weirdos? I really rather be running a game of Vampire the Masquerade or Paranoia for my friends than going to a bar and drinking.  I rather play the zombie board game “Last Night on Earth” instead of playing golf or bowling.  I don’t really care for watching TV, there’s only so much sporting I can get in with my weight lifting, and quite frankly the pocket book can’t really support going out all that often.

Playing a MMO (massively multiplayer online rpg) doesn’t make a person “sick”, “evil”, or “addicted.”  If a person has an addictive personality, they are GOING TO FIND SOMETHING to get addicted to be it drugs, drink, or a video game.  If a person can lead a productive life and their gaming sessions are truly on their own time and not their company’s time or the tax payer’s time, SO WHAT? Who is it hurting?

With that being said, I’d really like to poll the GOP and see if any of them would admit to being gamer’s and “wasting” their life playing games.  I wonder if any of them would stand up and admit it, or are they all that out of date?  All I have to say is good luck, you just pissed off the greater gamer community.  I for one probably won’t be voting Republican again.