We don’t like getting “political” on The Outerhaven unless there is a true need, and in recent times, there has been a true need. Over the last month or so, the government has ramped up raids and attacks on people they believe are “illegal aliens” in the US. Except, as anyone who has read the ACTUAL news knows, that couldn’t be further from the truth. They’re doing basically terror campaigns to make people fear ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and more, arresting people illegally, including US citizens. They even used Pokémon and Halo to try to promote themselves as the “good guys.” Yeah, really.
Our fearless leader, Keith, wrote about the Halo incident, and I wrote about the Pokémon one, where the actual publisher denounced what happened with their IP, making it clear they did NOT give permission for this to happen. I even brought up Microsoft’s silence on the matter in the latest Nintendo Entertainment Podcast
But the question remains, why did DHS and ICE do this? Well, on BlueSky, a journalist, Alyssa Mercante, got the answer, and it’s as infuriating as you’d expect it to be:
“We will reach people where they are with content they can relate to and understand, whether that be Halo, Pokemon, Lord of The Rings, or any other medium. DHS remains laser focused on bringing awareness to the flood of crime that criminal illegal aliens have inflicted on our country. We aren’t slowing down.”
Yeah, there’s so much wrong there, it hurts, not the least of which is the “crime wave” they have been saying is happening right now, when it’s the ICE officers, National Guard and many others in uniform who are doing the real crimes, and then trying to gaslight the victims so that they “come off as the real problem.”
Second, their use of video games is infinitely hypocritical, because A) the games they’re using have nothing to do with “illegal aliens” or anything to directly tie to what ICE and others have done. And B) the Speaker of the House, head of Health and Human Services, and even the President have gone on record NUMEROUS TIMES blasting video gamers, saying we’re all lazy, live in our mother’s basements, and are “taking money from the government.”
Yet, they’re using these popular franchises to “connect with people?” So which is it?
Regardless, using these IPs without PERMISSION is wrong and is an abuse of power and general decency to try to degrade the people actually being hurt by comparing them to video game characters. I wish I could say this kind of thing will stop, but we all should know better by now.
Source: Blue Sky
