I've been asked to post this around a bit to relevant newsgroups,
hopefully it's not the start of something unsavoury. Cross-posted to
various rec.games.frp and Follow-ups set to rec.games.frp.misc.

Chris

jknioum@camino.delmar.edu (Jay Knioum) writes:

>Hey, all...

>This was originally posted to alt.games.whitewolf by James Desborough
><Grim@postmort.demon.co.uk>, and I'm re-posting here, as per his general
>request.

>Stay loose...

>Jay Knioum
>The Mad Afro

>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

>From the Daily Mail (UK)
>***********************************
>THE DRAGON LOVERS IN HIGH DUDGEON

>  The goblins and wizards in the imaginary world of David Nicholson and
>his club have been banished.  For three hours every Friday night, the 25
>members - who ranged in age from adults down to 12-year-olds such as Mr
>Nicholson's son Michael - met to play boardgames such as Dungeons and
>Dragons.  Butnow, Northamptonshire County Council has stopped the clubs
>activities as part of a crackdown on fantasy and role-playing games in
>its schools and youth clubs because it claims they could encourage
>violence.  Mr Nicholson's Nene Valley Role-Play and Fantasy Wargame
>Society at Moor Road Youth Centre in Rushden, was banned from county
>council premises pending an enquiry.  He said: "I was absolutely
>flabbergasted. The games we play are pure fantasy. They are certainly a
>lot less violent than some of the current computer games.  'It is
>harmless fun. It just encourages you to use your imagination. There is
>also an element of art and craft. We spend hours painting the figures and
>scenery.'  But David Atkinson, director of youth services for
>Northamptonshire, said that the tide was turning against pastimes that
>encouraged violence.  'There is a national debate in the youth service
>about the suitability of certain activities. We are erring on the side of
>caution.  'We have a duty of care to the young people who use our
>facilities. In the case of role-playing games, I am sure 99 per cent of
>them are harmless, but it is the other one per cent we have to worry
>about.	'They are highly imaginative and tend to take things to their
>extreme. There is a genuine worry the fantasy violence could spill over
>into reality.' ***********************************

>OK. This represents a threat, and a restriction of our right to game,
>within Britain. We certainly don't want to go the way of the States and
>we certainly don't want this ban to go national (as is suggested in the
>above article). I'd appreciate it if someone more au fait with computers
>could fwd this article to other NGs and if anyone knows an e-mail address
>for Nothamptonshire County council or anyone from Mr Nicholson's gaming
>group could they mail me privately. The vast majority of organised clubs
>are in schools and youth clubs, we need to show this council (and all the
>councils) that the hobby is relatively harmless and emphasise the
>positive things.

>(A worried)

>GRIM