Bloggers bash President Bush’s gaming session with wounded troops

While on his tour to visit wounded Soldiers across the US, during a visit to a Waco, TX, rehabilitation hospital, President Bush tried his hand at playing a computer game with a few soldiers who were transported to the hospital from Iraq to rehabilitate from their injuries. The game he was playing with the soldiers was one that simulated a firefight in a Baghdad neighborhood.

One wouldn’t see anything wrong with that but apparently news of this gaming session had a few bloggers pitching a fit about the “shoot out in Baghdad.” Among the other games Bush witnessed the soldiers playing included a car or boat simulation game at a facility in San Antonio. Bush spoke with the wounded soldiers and spoke out about his administration taking steps to improve the flawed health care services for the countries returning veterans.

But all the bloggers heard was “shoot out in Baghdad” and automatically accused the president of trying to pretend to be a Soldier. Though many were rants that tend to go off on a tangent or off topic all together while a few were out right attacks like comments made by Exit Stage-left who wrote:

“First, did he wear his flight suit? Just because you play a god blessed video game, you did not fight against the “bad guys” you twit.

It’s an insult to the men and women you are sending in to lose limbs and their lives. You playing a video game does not make you a soldier, you giddy moron.

And second, your administration has done nothing, NOTHING to help returning soldiers. Nothing. You have ignored them time and again. You have fought all efforts to give them better care. You are an entitled, ignorant prick, Mr. President.

I find you offensive. Meanwhile I’m watching my wife’s family go through their own personal hell with the death of my brother in-law’s military partner. Tom Crowell was my age. He was Justin’s partner in the OSI and was killed along with two other agents. They were doing the same job Justin did on his tour. Justin wanted to make a career out of the military. He was a good agent an a very good investigator. He wanted to do his 20 years. He did not. He knew they were sending him back to Iraq, just like they did Tom. Justin will be with his wife and his family. Tom will not. For them there was no restart button, the bullets were real, you don’t get any “life packs” or supercharged powers. You don’t play in an air-conditioned room with tons of admirers/donors watching your every move.

No. You go out, you get dirty, you pray you make it back.”

All Bush did was play a game, probably the same game have the military gamers may already have in their collection. As I’ve said many a times before, I’ve played with a few of these soldiers-in-combat or war-themed games. In fact, we may be investing in World in Conflict when it comes out just to be able to challenge one another online once and awhile. Does that make me an Army wannabe? No. That’s why I can agree wholeheartedly on a comment left in response to the article posted on Game Politics in which the writer added:

“Let me say right up front that – my opinion – George W. Bush is a freakin’ disaster as President. But c’mon. The troops – many of whom have lost limbs – were rehabbing and enjoying the game. What’s the problem? Bush has plenty of real issues over which he can be criticized. Let’s not manufacture one from a few moments of game play.”

Read [Game Politics] Also Read [The Huffington Post] Site [Exit Stage-Left]