DiCarlo Brookens
GameLog Entry 1
While playing “Grand Theft Auto San Andreas,” I was shot by a Ballas gang member while coming out of a Binco clothing store. That’s when I decided to wage what started out as a one-man war against the Ballas, and anyone supporting them (like the black tank top crack dealers who patrol the alley ways). I figured that getting revenge wouldn’t only make me happy, but put my gang family, Grove Street, back on the map by securing more turf. Plus, I’d make my brother, Sweet, proud of me.
Making all of this happen, of course, meant murdering as many Ballas as I could within a thirty-minute time limit. In the heat of the battle, due to lack of ammunition,
I unfortunately lost many members of my own gang, about twelve in total. Also,
because I was in a fit of rage and aiming poorly, I killed many civilians, old and young (and mostly African American, since that’s the area the Ballas call home). My actions echoed the reality of gang warfare in the inner cities, and the choices members make to thrive and survive. Much like the theory of ethical egotism, as CJ, I’m doing whatever will promote my own most happiness, and so is everyone else.
Some of the ethical choices CJ and the other characters face revolve around killing. You have to quickly decide whether to shoot (for instance, if someone innocent is in the way), and when to shoot. More often than not, we caught Ballas gang members hanging out on their blocks, or in alleys relaxing, drinking and talking. As I shot down Ballas in succession for about four minutes a trip, I couldn’t help but think how it was kind of unfair how easy it was for me to shoot them because I caught them off guard where they assumed they were safe. But when they started shooting back, I left my guilt behind and kept unloading. The choice was to kill first or be killed.
Of course, you could just run away, but that would go against the values represented in the game, such as, loyalty to the gang family, respect, power (at least on your neighborhood turf), and even money. For example, one of the biggest benefits of going on missions for Tenpenny and Big Smoke is that you make more money, something I liked. Still, it couldn’t compare to the adrenaline rush I got from taking out “the enemy,” which reminded me of how that happens in real life. Given the choice to make a morally right decision and not seek revenge, instead I thought “how dare this Ballas dude kill me, after I spent the money from a mission on my wardrobe.” Plus, I was even more upset about having to go to the hospital where I had to pay the fees, leaving me with only about a thousand dollars in my pocket, no weapons and my customized car was gone (it was left outside the clothing store when I was first shot). So, like an ethical egoist, I (CJ) chose revenge, and did the morally wrong thing to make me the most happy.
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