3/9/16 Papers Please?

    I always worry when weird shit is introduced to kids via their number one way to entertain themselves, video games.  This has to be at the top of the list in weirdness factor.  What does it accomplish?  I picked up Chubs after school and as always asked him how his day was and it was all very generic, same old, same old.  Then he mentioned a new game he saw that he wanted to download, but Mama said no.  The game as you guessed by the title is Papers Please.
    In the game you play a border patrol  agent and your job is to go around I assume harass the common folk with the phrase Papers Please.  Once you start the interaction there are a couple scenarios that can happen.  The guy with no papers can go to jail, he can get sent back to his country, the border agent can accept a bribe to let the illegal go on his merry way.
    I believe there are levels too, although I am going by my boys explanation.  You start at a border crossing, you can move up to working at an airport, or even working the brush chasing illegals with contraband.
    There's more, you get a salary, and with it you must choose whether to upgrade your gun, vest, and other tactical gear, and as if that wasn't enough, you get a family to support.  You can't use all your money just to go out and hunt humans.  You must weigh the factors that if you are sloppy, your family might starve.
    I have nothing but respect for Border Patrol.  I've seen shows like Border Wars and they do not have an easy job keeping drugs from coming into the country.  This type of game could be teaching young boys (specially) to have a mistrust for anybody brown in color, though.  After all, who are they keeping out?  Kids don't know any better.  They might think all Mexicans  they run into are packing heat, some weapon of some kind, or drugs as mules.
    It must have been designed pretty well and colorful for my boy to find it and maybe even play it because his explanation left me saying what?! and wow!! for about five minutes.   
    Later in the evening, Chubs was asking Wife if we have Papers, like in the game.  He is already familiar with the phrase, but he doesn't even know what papers they are referring to.  I guess our world is changing, we must accept it.  People in Europe (based on the movies we see) are used to walking around with their papers, maybe in ten years time, we too shall be ready for that reality.