CAR PGa Cocktail

======================================================================

CAR-PGa Membership Form

This material is confidential and only for finding talent, facilities, and demographic information. Please send to CAR-PGa, 1127 Cedar, Bonham, TX 75418

Date:
Name (surname first):
Address (current):

(permanent):

Phones: (home):
(work):
(fax):
(e-mail):

Birthdate:
Sex:
Occupation:
Place of work or school:
address:

Educational background, name and location
High School:
When?: Degree?: Major(s) or specialty:
College:
When?: Degree?: Major(s) or specialty:
Graduate School:
When?: Degree?: Major(s) or specialty:
Graduate School:
When?: Degree?: Major(s) or specialty:
Other formal training:

List details on back for those which apply (identify by number). Use extra pages, if needed.

1. Languages (a. speak, b. read, c. write; evaluate each on a scale of fluent, functional, marginal, decipher with translating dictionary). Also indicate those in which you can reasonably secure help in translating.
2. Access (in libraries) to microfilm copies of newspapers since 1975 (list; give dates; indicate if indexed).
3. Access to standard indexes (Lexis, Nexis, PsychNet, ERIC, Sociological Abstracts, Psychological Abstracts, etc.).
4. Member of local game club (name, where meets, indicate if officer).
5. Role-playing games played (indicate if as referee).
6. Game convention experience (indicate if refereed, led seminar (subject), convention administration, etc.
7. Hobbies, extra-curricular activities, and special interests (whether involving RPG or not).
8. Useful job skills (lawyer, printer, police, writer, public relations, etc.). Include jobs held in past and those of close relatives and associates (specify areas of expertise) who could help with research and translations.
9. In-service training applicable to RPG (such as "cult awareness seminars").
10. Have electric typewriter (make and list of fonts).
11. Have computer (type, compatibility, fonts, modem, laser printer, etc.).
12. Have copier (type, zoom?, sizes of paper handled).
13. Experience in civil liberties organizations (which and when, capacity).
14. Anything in background that may cause a problem for CAR-PGa (criminal record, school expulsion, etc.). This will not exclude you from membership, but we just want to avoid being ambushed by it.
15. Anything we left out that might be useful.

======================================================================
CAR-PGa Members' Manual

As we state in our recruiting material, there are no dues in CAR-PGa, but members are expected to work. There are essentially two types of work meant by this statement: research and advocacy.

RESEARCH

This sounds more intimidating than it really is. The main part of researchis just keeping your eyes and ears open to anything involving role-playing games. When you encounter something, then get it in some form of documentation. This may be a photocopy of a newspaper article or a videotape of a TV newscast. It might just be a written account of a strictly verbal incident. This, of course, isn't as good as the sounder documentation, but at least it is considerably better than nothing.

This documentation, with source, including page numbers, is to be sent to the Chair, 1127 Cedar, Bonham, TX 75418. There it will be cataloged and filed in the CAR-PGa files and be noted in the new Material section of the Newsletter. This will make it available to any member needing the material.

On occasion, the Chair or another officer will contact you directly for research on something that has occurred in your area. This is the reason for the question on the application form concerning what newspapers you have access to in libraries. Frequently the anti-game forces will "document" their anecdotal cases with references to some obscure newspaper. It may be obscure to CAR-PGa, but it is someone's hometown paper. If we have members in enough places, these papers can be accessed easily. Much of the time it turns out that the "document" is merely quoting one of the anti-game organization's people - they are really citing themselves as proof!

ADVOCACY

It does little good simply to accumulate vast quantities of information if nothing is done with it. It is this pro-game activity that is the reason that we do all this research. As a result, much of our work is involved in public relations.

Ideally, this would be done by the Chair (who has assess to all that data) but the mass media generally would rather contact someone closer for obvious reasons of cost. As a result, any member may be called upon to fulfill this function some time. What's even worse, this will most likely occur in a crisis situation, typically involving either some tragedy in which RPG has been blamed because it is easier than doing a proper investigation, or when one of the anti-game traveling circuses has come through, upsetting honest, but gullible, people.

This can be minimized by sufficient preventive measures, but can never be avoided totally. Preventive action includes getting in contact with the local media before there are problems. Strangely enough, this is one area in which the member in a small town "in the middle of nowhere" has an advantage over the member in some big city. At least the small town member can not only get to see reporters without having a major story, but can even get to know them personally. This makes later contact a lot easier and gives you the opportunity to tailor your story to what they personally want. This makes it a lot more likely that you will be published/broadcasted.

Have a press kit on hand at all times. This should include the Literature List for your own reference and possibly copies of the Evidence sheets as handouts. This will cover most of the general questions they are likely to raise and you can go directly to the specific situation at hand.

The first rule in dealing with the media is to never fake it. The mass media has been brainwashed since 1979 to be anti-game. They are comfortable in this position. It has definite implications that they were wrong if they have to change; and no one ever wants to admit they were wrong.

If you make even one minor error, they are likely to pounce on it, whereas the anti-gamers, because they have had so long to indoctrinate without our side being heard, have no such problem. You can be the one who tips this the other way. Document how the anti-gamers are in error. If you don't know the answer, admit it. However, don't just let it stay there. Offer to get the information or refer the reporter to the State or Provincial Coordinator, Regional Director, or to the Chair.

If there are several members in a given area, one of them should be designated as the speaker for the organization there. When this is done, other members should have no contact with the media except to refer the matter to that representative. This does not, however, preclude them from writing letters to the editor, nor does it prevent more than one member meeting the press at the same time as a panel. This latter method is particularly useful when various members have their own particular expertise in various various aspects of the subject. The representative(s) should be knowledgeable, believable, articulate, and available.

PUBLIC RELATIONS
DON'T
Don't speculate.
Don't discuss liability or legal action.
Don't place blame.
Don't talk off the record - anything said to a reporter is fair game.
Don't be thrown by hostile questions.
Don't give exclusives - we need maximum exposure and exclusives only make the excluded media mad.
Don't reveal any confidential information or sources.

DO
Tell the truth, even against gaming - it establishes credibility the anti-gamers don't have.
Release only confirmed facts. The more independent confirmations the better.
Be concise.
Show concern - we generally get involved only when there is a tragedy, so sympathize with the victims.
Defuse negatives.
Dispel rumors.
Remain calm.
Be accessible.
Provide updates and show a willingness to help fill in the blanks in information.

AFTERWARDS
Assess the situation.
Continue to communicate with the media and public in general.
Evaluate the handling and critique the system.
Correct the flaws.
Test the corrected system.
Share what you have learned with the rest of CAR-PGa.

OFFICERS
Some have said that we have too many officers in CAR-PGa; that all we really need is a Chair and maybe members. If we had the funds of B.A.D.D. or NCTV, that may be true, but a love of the truth will never raise the kind of money that hatred of anyone not like the hater does.

CHAIR
The chair is the coordinator of the whole thing. The Chair "presides" (in quotes because it is done by mail) over the Board of Directors, coordinates and catalogs the library of documents, and generally (although there is no requirement that this function be done by the Chair) edits the Newsletter.

REGIONAL DIRECTORS
The incorporation laws require that any corporation have a board of directors who establish policy for the organization. It would be easy to have all these in one place where they could meet face-to-face, but it would also unintentionally create a bias toward viewing that one region's situation as being universal. Therefore, CAR-PGa directors are spread throughout the world to get as wide a range of viewpoints as possible to enable the organization to function better.

Their major duties are those of any corporate director and as coordinator of recruitment and research within their regions, otherwise, it is the same as for other members.

STATE (PROVINCIAL) COORDINATORS
For some strange reason, the mass media will be willing to go across their state to get a story, but not across a state line, even if it is closer. As a result the SC or PC is important as a media contact. Three times, so far, major PR disasters have been defused and avoided by the prompt action of SCs near the situation. Because they are more likely to know gamers from local game conventions, they are in a better position recruit than the RD might be.

AUDIENCES
We have several audiences for our work and each of them has different needs and so the approach will be different to each.

GENERAL PUBLIC
Much of our work is directly aimed at the general public and ultimately all of it is. However, contact is on a personal level (face-to-face talking, game demonstrations, etc.) or is indirectly through the mass media.

The vast portion of the public is really apathetic about gaming - they have no personal interest in it, but they don't believe the anti-gamers and are quite willing to let gamers have their fun. The main approach to this group is one of general rights. The denial of rights to anyone endangers the rights of everyone. Therefore they have a vested interest in supporting gaming against these attacks even if they have no interest in playing themselves. The other portion of the general public is so identifiable as to constitute a specific audience themselves.

MASS MEDIA
The mass media is really two audiences. The publishers/broadcasters are interested only in making money and they do this by selling readers or audiences to advertisers. Few of them really care what is published as long as it gets this income, which is one reason for the rise in the tabloid mentality, both the supermarket "newspapers" and the TV "talk shows." Most of the printed media (but it is questionable who is in the majority in the electronic forms) consider this attitude a little obvious and therefore ultimately self-defeating, and so try to be a bit subtler.

The reporter is the second audience in the mass media. The reporters are the ones you will deal with directly, but they are restricted by the policies dictated by the first group and while their personal sympathies are more likely to be with us, their course of action is greatly restricted. They have a reputation for being liberal, but actually they are now generally politically conservative, although not reactionary as their bosses generally are. Therefore, when dealing with the mass media, one must remember this mindset. We must walk a tight line between the requirements to be honest, not to try to "put one over on them," and not to betray our beliefs on one hand, and the need not to come across as a fringe group, or worse, a threat to the world they consider to be real.

In dress, deportment, vocabulary, etc. we must be as least threatening to this view as possible without surrendering our beliefs. The anti-gamers have been working since the early 1980s to portray youth culture as criminal. As a result, games are considered youth culture and so get lumped with rock music, horror movies, and even drugs. Therefore, our image must call this attitude into question. On TV this means suits (unless they came to you at a game convention), no smoking under any circumstance, and a tendency to resemble the characters on one of those 1950s sit-coms on Nick at Night.

OTHER GAMERS
Those already into RPG are the main source of our membership, even though we have some valuable help from those who care nothing about RPG, but merely need some of the material we have and vice-versa, so we work together. There is no need to go into details about gamers. You know what they are like and they defy description.

The principal rule here is to avoid getting sidelined. Gamers like to talk gaming as much as playing, but it eats up time. All gamers have their favorite games but this is no time to be lobbying for yours or putting down theirs.

Be careful when bringing up CAR-PGa at game conventions. Some of those who put on these cons are territorial to the point of paranoia and don't want anyone to do anything on their own initiative. Try to work with them and you might get a seminar on the schedule. Otherwise work under deep cover and hope the other conventioneers will help convince them that a party-line stance is ultimately hazardous to the future of the con. Never get CAR-PGa involved directly in this action, but leave it for those outside CAR-PGa to carry the ball on this one.

At least with gamers, you can be totally yourself. They know how gamers really are and are not too likely to misinterpret things unless you really foul things up.

FAMILY, NON-GAMERS, FRIENDS
These can be supporting or a total pain. Try to be calm. Explain the reality of things, with a demonstration, if possible. Don't burn any bridges. You will get too old for parental interference soon enough, no matter how long it may seem now, but family ties are difficult to repair once damaged.

CAR-PGa
This is the easiest audience of all. Let us have some information periodically and work on any project that interests you and the rest will take care of itself. Because we are the peer-review process, we may call you on some things, but likewise you should call us on our statements too. Don't let this bother you, it is the way the system works, and remember, we are on the same side.

CHANNELS
This does not refer to Channel 13 on TV, but rather the channel through which you reach your intended audience. Like the message, the audience will determine the channel used.

The general public will be most easily reached through the mass media or by public demonstrations. Shopping malls may be interested in the latter, especially if there is a game store there to sponsor your demo.

The mass media will sometimes come to you, especially if you have done your homework in establishing media contacts. If not, you can use a press release if anything of note comes up. If you are not given coverage, try a letter to the editor. Even some TV stations have these on a once a week basis following the night newscast. Call-in talk shows may be beneficial as long as the one conducting the show is not one of those bigots who makes some insulting comment and then disconnects anyone who dares to disagree.

If there is a major event, such as a con, a press kit giving background information should be provided. These should be kept brief. The full Chamber of Commerce packet is useful only for major cons which generally have their own PR staff anyway.

Other gamers can be contacted by using the existing game media. An article, or at least a letter to the editor of national publications, a newsletter for a local game club, or the bulletin board at the local game store will get the word out.

CAR-PGa has two-way communication in place. You send your stuff to the Chair and we send it out in the Newsletter. The Newsletter is also available, both for articles and LTE, for your input to go out. If there is really a problem, and we try to prevent it, you can always send a letter directly to the other members. However, the present administration, at least, will ensure that this is not necessary.

OTHER POINTS
All CAR-PGa material beyond simple housekeeping notices and offical CAR-PGa papers, are by-lined. In all these dealings with whatever audience, remember that no one, including the Chair, speaks for CAR-PGa. The author is totally responsible for what is said.

We are a network of researchers and advocates, no an organization. You can use your identification with CAR-PGa as credentials to show that you do know something about the subject, but the statements are your own and always subject to peer review as with any other research.

THE POINTS SYSTEM
While CAR-PGa charges no monetary dues to its members, there are dues nonetheless - "work for the cause." While this is good in theory in that no one is discriminated against because of lack of excess cash, and the organization is spared any temptation to go after the money rather than the organization's purpose, there is still the problem of just what constitutes a "paid-up" member.

The points system provides this objective means of determining who is paid up and who is delinquent. It is a nuisance and reeks of legalism, but at least it is a clear-cut method.

Points are earned by various activities on behalf of the cause. They expire after one year from the time the work was originally done. Each member is responsible for reporting points earned, with supporting material unless intrinsically obvious (sending in a document is its own supporting evidence and its own reporting as well, while conducting a conventions seminar should be supported with the convention program).

Five current points are required for Active status which includes voting privileges. Current point status is included with the Newsletter, but non-subscribers are responsible for keeping up with their own. Work throughout the year will insure against suddenly dropping below the voting minimum.

The points are:
ONE POINT: Membership application, Fandom Directory (when it comes back in Spetember, 1994), Newsletter subscription, survey response, article clippings (with full citations including page, if possible), letter to the editor of a local publication if printed, term paper copy, article published in the CAR-PGa Newsletter, and "cluster items" (BBS postings, convention schedules, peripheral subject material, etc.) in groups of at least five at once.

TWO POINTS: State [Provincial, etc.] Coordinator, letter to the editor printed in a national publication, local radio/TV appearance, lead seminar at local convention, provide court decision (with citation), coauthor a CAR-PGa publication.

THREE POINTS: Regional Director, author of nationally published article, sole author of a CAR-PGa publication, network radio/TV appearance, lead seminar at a national convention.

FOUR POINTS: Author a published book on RPG and provide a copy.

FIVE POINTS: Author a peer-reviewed paper and submit copy with citation.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of things that get points. If you have done something not on the list that you think benefits gaming, be sure and let us know and we will determine the points it should get.

Not only for the points, but in all activities, be sure and keep the Chair informed. Your work may give others ideas on how they can help too.

======================================================================

CAR-PGa Literature List

This is only a partial listing of the resources on hand. Ask about any specific subjects you may need help on. We currently have about twelve filing cabinet drawers full of all sorts of material relating to role-playing games.

These works are available from CAR-PGa at the rate of 15 cents per page. "Small" pages are two pages to a sheet and count as a half-page, rounded up to the nearest whole number. The rate essentially covers only copying and postage, so we have to have a first-class stamp minimum (IRC if outside U.S.). Any contributions in excess of this will be welcome and help defray the research costs.

The materials are all available from CAR-PGa, 1127 Cedar, Bonham, TX, 75418.

Abyeta, Suzanne and Forest, James (1991, December) Relationship of role-playing games to self-reported criminal behavior. Psychological Reports, 69, pages 1187-1192. Gamers are lower in criminal tendencies than rest of population. 6 small pages.

Bay-Hinitz, April K., Peterson, Robert F., and Quilitch, H. Robert (1994, Fall). Cooperative games: a way to modify aggresive and cooperative behaviors in young children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27(3), 433-446. Four and five year olds have less behavior problems after cooperative games, enjoy them more, and even start modifying rules of competitive games to make them cooperative. 14 pages.

Blackmon, Wayne D. (1994, Fall). Dungeons and Dragons: the use of a fantasy game in the psychotherapeutic treatment of a young adult. Journal of Psychotherapy, 48:4, 624-632. Use of RPG to bring suicidal schizoid who resisted conventional therapy to an ability to relate to others and self. 9 small pages.

Borges, Silvia (August 1994). RPG, a clinical approach. English translation transcript of speech at Wunderblock Centro de Estudos, Rio de Janeiro. Use of RPG in making contact with and treating street children. 5 pages.

Bromley, David G. (1991, May-June). Satanic cult scare, Culture and Society, pp 55-66. Overview of the satanic panic movement from a Virginia Commonwealth University sociologist; adapted from his paper in The Satanism Scare. 12 pages.

Canadian Bookseller (1990, June). Role-playing games, creative sidelines or dangerous obsessions?, author. Games as a bookstore sideline; CAR-PGa's "warmline" service to answer attacks against games. 1 page.

Carden, Janet (1988, Fall). Guidelines for RPG play. Familiar, page 18. An article on ethical playing. 1 page.

Cardwell, Paul, Jr. (1993). Role-playing games and the gifted student. Bonham, TX: CAR-PGa. Analysis of how RPG can be used in talented/gifted curriculum. Covers a couple dozen each academic subjects and learning skills aided by these games. 8 pages.

Cardwell, Paul, Jr. (1994, Winter). Attacks on role-playing games. Skeptical Inquirer, pp 157-166. Overview of the attacks on RPG. 9 small pages.

CAR-PGa (1988, 1989, 1990). CAR-PGa Annual. Bonham, TX: author. We had to stop publishing these when our annual accumulation was more in the nature of half of a filing cabinet drawer. However, these are a good source of some of the early anti-game material including anti-game police manuals that were supposed to be kept secret from the citizens being libeled in them. $15 each. Binder cover $1.50 (all three years will fit into one binder cover).

CAR-PGa (ongoing). Academic survey: an interim compilation. The returns on the CAR-PGa Survey on Role Playing Games as an Acedemic Subject. Constantly updated as new returns are received. Currently at 60 pages.

CAR-PGa (1995). Directory of game periodicals. A listing of information about all types of periodicals (commercial magazines, APA, newsletters, etc.) for all types of games (role-playing, miniatures, wargames, board games, play-by-mail (if they include more than just the moves), etc.). Future editions depend on demand.

CAR-PGa (1992). Two surveys. The first is a 3-page questionnaire to produce data to aid in getting RPG accepted as a valid part of contemporary culture studies on the college level. The second is a sociological survey of female gamers. 4 pages.

CAR-PGa (1992). What is CAR-PGa? Bonham, TX: author. A basic recruiting flyer for the avid gamer. 2 pages.

CAR-PGa (1994). What are role-playing games? Bonham, TX: author. A basic introduction to role-playing games and CAR-PGa for the non-gamer. 2 pages.

CAR-PGa (1994). Members manual. Bonham, TX: author. An internal manual for CAR-PGa members on purpose, organization, policy, and public relations techniques. 4 pages.

Carroll, James L. and Carolin, Paul M. (1989, June). Relationship Between Game Playing and Personality. Psychological Reports, part 1, pp 705-706. Simon replicated in Central Michigan University study comparing gamers to non-gamers. 2 small pages.

Clarke Wilkes, Jennifer (1994). Blood on the board. Bonham, TX: CAR-PGa. A satire on the mass media coverage of RPG as if chess were a new game. 2 pages.

Collins, Arthur W. (1980, September). Reflections of a Real-Life Cleric. Dragon, #41, pp 6-8. A United Methodist minister's essay on the theological aspects of RPG. 2 pages.

DeRenard, Lisa A. and Kline, Linda Mannik (1990). Alienation and the game Dungeons and Dragons. Psychological Reports, 66, pp 1219-1222. Gamers diverge from peer-culture in mass media awareness, but not in more significant aspects. 4 small pages.

Diniz, Omar (1994, May). RPG as auxiliary in psychotherapy. CAR-PGa Newsletter, page 1. How RPG can be used in therapy. 1 page.

GAMA (no date). Retailer survival kit. Plano, TX: author. Leaflet for retailers to use in public relations. 4 pages.

GAMA (1988). Introduction to adventure games. Plano, TX: author. A general-audience introduction to RPG. 4 pages.

GAMA (1991). How to deal with parents. Grinnel, IA: author. Leaflet for game dealers. 4 pages.

Hickman, Tracy Raye (1989, July). Ethics of fantasy. Gateways, July 1989, pp 32-36. A Christian with a media background discusses RPG from both aspects. 5 pages. Computer printout of two additional parts, 7 and 8 pages.

Hicks, Robert (1989, September). Satanic cults: a skeptical view of the law enforcement approach. Richmond, VA: Department of Criminal Justice Services. A criminologist looks at police handling of satanic panic and effect on constitutional rights. 34 pages.

Hicks, Robert (1989, November). Dungeons, dragons, witches, censors, and librarians: a Satanic brew. Richmond, VA: Department of Criminal Justice Services. Criminologist's speech to Intellectual Freedom Committee, Virginia Library Association. Satanic panic as it affects libraries and freedom to read. 22 pages.

Hicks, Robert (1989, December). None dare call it reason: kids, cults, and common sense. Richmond, VA: Department of Criminal Justice Services. A criminologist looks at satanic panic. 25 pages.

Hughes, John (1990). Therapy is fantasy: role-playing, healing, and the construction of symbolic order. [unpublished]. Australian National University honors paper in medical anthropology on the use of RPG in the self-treatment of cilinical depression. 23 pages.

Jaffe, Rona (1989) (personal communication to Paul Cardwell, Jr.). Refutation of Thomas Radecki's assertion that her novel, Mazes and Monsters is a documentary. 1 page.

Lanning, Kenneth V. (1989, October). Satanic, occult, ritualistic crime: a law enforcement perspective. Quantico, VA: National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. Satanic panic from a law-enforcement perspective, by an FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Academy instructor. 11 pages.

Lips, Thomas J. (1993, September 15) (personal communication to Jennifer Clarke Wilkes). No evidence of game/suicide connection, by mental health consultant, Health & Welfare Canada. 3 pages, plus one -page abstract of Simon paper.

Mercy, James A. (1988, June 8) (personal communication to Paul Cardwell, Jr.). No evidence of game/suicide connection, by Chief, International Injuries Section, Centers for Disease Control. 1 page.

Missouri v. Molitor, 729 S.W.2d 551 (1987). Thomas Radecki's "perception" of a RPG/murder connection is not qualified to be admissible as evidence. 5 pages.

People of New York v. Daniel E. Kasten, 573 N.Y.S.2d 731 (1991). Murder case involving unsuccessful use of the "D&D defense." 2 pages.

Powers, Ron (1984, June 17). [untitled] Sunday Morning, CBS-TV. Pat Robertson's methods in attacking RPG are condemned. 2 pages.

Sampson, Judith (1982, September). Adventuring with shaky hands. Dragon, #53, page unstated. Playing RPG despite cerebal palsy. 1 page.

Sean Richard Sellers v. State of Oklahoma, 809 P.2d 676 (1991). Multiple-murder often cited as "proof" of dangers of playing D&D. Radecki and Pulling admitted as "expert witnesses" to no avail. 14 pages. 112 S.Ct.310 (Death sentence upheld by Supreme Court.). 1 page.

Sellers, Sean (1990, Feburary 5) (personal communication to Mike Stackpole). Still opposes RPG, but denies D&D involved in his crimes. 2 pages.

Shupe, Anson (1989, March 9). Pitchmen of the Satan scare. Wall Street Journal, A12. Anthropologist looks at money-making aspects of satanic panic. 1 page.

Simon, Armando (October 1987). Emotional stability pertaining to the game Dungeons & Dragons. Psychology in the Schools, pp 329-332. A clinical psychologist uses the Cattell 16 PF test to show gamers are perfectly normal emotionally, comparing new and veteran gamers. 4 small pages.

Stackpole, Michael A. (1989). Game hysteria and the truth. author. A study and refutation of the attacks on RPG, particularly from B.A.D.D. 38 pages.

Stafford, Greg (1988). Games don't kill. Plano, TX: Game Manufacturer's Association (GAMA). A refutation of Geraldo Rivera's 12-13 October 1987 anti-RPG hatchet-job on Entertainment Tonight. 8 pages.

Starker, Steven (1979, January). Fantasy in psychiatric patients; exploring a myth. Hospital & Community Psychiatry, 30:1, pp 25-30. Far from getting lost in fantasies, psychiatric patients generally suffer from too little fantasy. 6 pages.

State of Illinois Department of Professional Regulation v. Thomas E. Radecki, 91-6666-LEG. Consent decree suspending medical licenses for at least five years from 10 April 1992 for "immoral conduct of an unprofessional nature with a patient." 3 pages.

State of Louisiana v. Brian Wayne Widenhouse, 582 S. 2d 1274 (1991). Another murderer tried to blame RPG unsuccessfully. 14 pages.

State of North Carolina v. Jeffery Karl Meyer, 412 S.E. 2d 3398 (1992); and State of North Carolina v. Mark Edward Thompson, 401 S.E. 2d 385 (1991). "Ninja killing" during robbery; D&D book ownership gave defense gimmick, but to no avail. Seperate trials. 8 pages for Meyer; 9 pages for Thompson.

State of Ohio v. William R. Anderson, no citation number yet. Aggravated robbery tried the "D&D defense" with no more success than the murderers have had. 9 pages.

State of Winsconsin v. Daniel R. Dower, 412 N.W. 2d 902 (1987). Another murderer claiming games made him do it, without impressing the court. 3 pages.

Steve Jackson Games, Inc. v. United States Secret Service, 816 F. Supp. 432. First peacetime prior censorship case in U.S. history and which resulted in destruction of publishing equipment was illegal. Award of only one-quarter actual damage was sustained on appeal. 13 pages.

Sutton, Roger (1984, November). D&D phenomenon, "In the YA Corner" column, from SLJ School Library Journal, page 82. Use of RPG in stimulating library use by youth, by a Chicago branch librarian. 1 page.

Tole-Patkin, Terri (1986, Summer). Rational coordination in the dungeon. Journal of Popular Culture, 1-14. Introduction to RPG from a sociological viewpoint. 14 small pages.

United States of America v. Mark L. Patrick, 935 F. 2d 745 (1991). Kidnapping does not lend itself to blaming games either. 3 pages.

Watters v. TSR, Inc., 715 F. Supp. 819 (1989). Court rules no connection between RPG and suicide. 11 pages.

Zayas, Luis H. and Lewis, Bradford H. (1986, Spring). Fantasy role-playing for mutual aid in children's groups: a case illustration. Social Work with Groups, pp 53-66. A study of the use of RPG in treating disruptive-behavior problems by the cooperation required in playing. 14 small pages.

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT (SRS)
A point-by-point examination of anti-game publications.

Allen, Ray (1990). Teen Suicide Prevention. Grand Prairie, TX: American Cultural Traditions, Inc. While the publisher is now defunct, the booklet contains some excellent material on the subject and as a result is widespread in suicide prevention operations. However, it also has some major errors, particularly regarding RPG and it's alleged relationship to juvenile suicide. 32 small pages; SRS 9 pages.

Dear, William (1984). Dungeon Master. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Research so far shows that Dear's press conference grandstanding during the disappearance of Dallas Egbert in August-September 1979 was the origin of the attacks on role-playing games, as none have been found before that date. Original not available through CAR-PGa (try used book stores or interlibrary loan). SRS 10 pages.

del Re,
Michele C. (1989, January-March). Fantastiche cacce e autentiche morti. Critica Sociologica, 24-41. Straight B.A.D.D. party line got into a scholarly journal, although they had to leave the country to do it. SRS based on reply accepted but never published by Critica Sociologica. 18 small pages; SRS 12 pages.

Douse, Neil A. and McManus, I.C. (1993, November). Personality of fantasy game players. British Journal of Psychology, 505-509. Partly successful attempt to get anti-game study into a peer-reviewed publication party successful. Despite flawed methodology and ridiculous presuppositions, the authors still had to conclude games were harmless. 7 small pages.

Pulling, Pat (1988). Interviewing techniques for adolescents. This booklet was written by Pat Pulling and published by B.A.D.D. as part of their program to indoctrinate police into believing that role-playing games are a criminal activity. 10 pages; SRS 13 pages.

Pulling, Pat (1989, plus later additions). Items which should be listed on a search warrant. Original list is from Pat Pulling's The Devil's Web but has been enlarged by unknown sources (not excluding Pulling) and widely circulated in the police "cult awareness seminar" dog and pony shows. It is a scavenger-hunt list and has no relevance to any crime, but it is taken seriously in these tabloid courses. 2 pages; SRS 9 pages.

Pulling, Pat (no date, latest reference is 1985). Law enforcement primer on fantasy role-playing games. This pamphlet is the first of B.A.D.D.'s attempts to indoctrinate the police to persecute gamers under color of law. 12 pages; SRS 8 pages.

White, Richard (1992). Dungeons & Dragons: adventure or abomination? Virginia Beach, VA: Christian Broadcasting Network. Despite it's date, most of the material is from the early days of game-bashing. 4 pages: SRS 5 pages.

The "Trophy List" Exposed. An examination of anti-gamers' case histories, giving the real reasons for these tragedies. Over half lack enough information to research (and help would be appreciated), none were caused by games, and around 5% never played the games at all, yet still are claimed. An ongoing project. 20 pages with citations; 2 pages just basic names, places, dates, outcome, and explanations of probable causes.

Currently In Progress

Cardwell, Paul Jr. The attacks on role-playing games: another pool table for River City. A book-length study of the attacks on RPG, their history and refutation.

Media bias. A study of the mass media coverage of RPG. Preliminary studies show that through 1994, the wire services have projected 111 articles on RPG. Of those, 87 had a majority of paragraphs anti-gaming, nine neutral, 12 in which had no category had a majority, and only three were majority favorable, and those were from the endangered UPI. Project suspended due to loss of Nexis access, but will continue when reestablished.

Some We Didn't Do

In addition to these CAR-PGa works, there are several commerically available books on the subject which are of value. You can probably get most of them at your local bookstore or on interlibrary loan from your public library.

Carlson, Shawn & Larne, Gerald (1989). Satanism in America: how the devil got much more than his due. El Cerrito, CA: Gaia. $12.95 paperback. A shorter (and cheaper) coverage of the subjects in Richardson, Best, and Bromley. Appendixes by Robert Hicks, Supervisory Special Agent Kenneth V. Lanning, and RPG researcher Michael Stackpole.

Hicks, Robert D. (1991). In Pursuit of Satan: the police and the occult. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus. $23.95. The satanic panic from the law enforcement perspective. Hicks is with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.

Ideas (1991, May 29). Dungeons & Dragons. CBC, ID 9190, $5.00 (from CBC, Box 500, Station A, Toronto, ON M5W 1E6). Canadian radio network documentary.

Richardson, James T., Best, Joel, and Bromley, David G. (eds.) (1991). Satanism Scare. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. $44.95 (24.95 in paperback). The best single book on the subject, an anthology of papers by leaders in their fields.

Victor, Jeffrey S. (1993). Satanic Panic. Chicago: Open Court. $16.95 paperback. Small coverage of RPG but good overview of the phenomenon, particularly from the folkloric and sociological bases of these beliefs.