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Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has hit the headlines after telling listeners of a radio phone-in that he was concerned about the 'corrosive' effects of playing the popular playground game 'cops and robbers'.
"Young children can spend a large part of their lives playing cops and robbers, and they always want to play the robbers", he said. "If left unsupervised they can build extended narratives about robbing banks, shooting policemen, and getting off with girls. It concerns me that by allowing children to shout 'Bang, you're dead!' at each other this could lead them to rob actual banks later in life.
"Patents should supervise their children and make sure they only play cops, and when robbers are caught they shouldn't be shot, they should be given a stern talking to and given a chance to redeem themselves in society.
"That's the game I make my children play and they tell me they enjoy it perfectly well."
Mr Clegg went on to criticise "cowboys and Indians" for depicting the violent oppression of a vulnerable ethnic group, and called upon retailers to show discretion when selling cap guns, cowboy hats, feathers and war paint.
Reaction from other political figures has been mixed. It is reported that David Cameron laughed without stopping for eight full minutes when he was told of mr. Clegg's remarks, whilst opposition leader Ed Milliband publicly disagreed.
"This is the sort of hysteria we saw in the 1980s over Dungeons and Dragons", he said, "and look how that worked out.
"I've got a 13th level gnome illusionist-Druid with a +2 bardiche, and I grew up completely normal.
"Would you like to see my character sheet?", he added.
In other news, violent crime per capita is lower than at any point in recorded human history.
"Young children can spend a large part of their lives playing cops and robbers, and they always want to play the robbers", he said. "If left unsupervised they can build extended narratives about robbing banks, shooting policemen, and getting off with girls. It concerns me that by allowing children to shout 'Bang, you're dead!' at each other this could lead them to rob actual banks later in life.
"Patents should supervise their children and make sure they only play cops, and when robbers are caught they shouldn't be shot, they should be given a stern talking to and given a chance to redeem themselves in society.
"That's the game I make my children play and they tell me they enjoy it perfectly well."
Mr Clegg went on to criticise "cowboys and Indians" for depicting the violent oppression of a vulnerable ethnic group, and called upon retailers to show discretion when selling cap guns, cowboy hats, feathers and war paint.
Reaction from other political figures has been mixed. It is reported that David Cameron laughed without stopping for eight full minutes when he was told of mr. Clegg's remarks, whilst opposition leader Ed Milliband publicly disagreed.
"This is the sort of hysteria we saw in the 1980s over Dungeons and Dragons", he said, "and look how that worked out.
"I've got a 13th level gnome illusionist-Druid with a +2 bardiche, and I grew up completely normal.
"Would you like to see my character sheet?", he added.
In other news, violent crime per capita is lower than at any point in recorded human history.
