Father Takes Sons To War Zones To Teach Them A Lesson

A Swedish journalist, Carl-Magnus Helgegren, decided to teach his two
young sons who were obsessed with war-based video games a real lesson.
So he took them to visit Israel and Syria to show them the harsh
realities that exist in war-torn regions, and make them realise what
guns are really used for, according to sky News.

After the 10-day trip, the boys were completely transformed. The idea
came at the dinner table one night last year, when Leo, 11, and Frank,
10 begged their father to buy them the latest 'Call of Duty game'. He
was quite concerned with their obsession for the popular shooter - he
wondered if his boys actually realized the real effect that war has on
its victims. So Helgegren devised a brilliant plan to impart a much
needed lesson. He cut a deal with his sons - if they agreed to travel
with him to an area plagued by war and spend time with war victims, he
would buy them any video game of their choice on their return.

"I wanted to show them the negative effects war has once the guns and
the canons have silenced," he explained. "The people affected are
someone's father and brother and sister and mother."

Leo and Frank didn't believe their father at first, but agreed to the
deal when they realized he was serious. So the family of four embarked
on a tour of Israel and the Golan Heights in the occupied parts of
Syria, in April this year. Their first stop was at Jerusalem where
they stayed with an Israeli family, so the boys could get a sense of
the local culture. "I wanted them to meet all parts of society,"
Helgegren explained.

Helgegren took Lee and Frank to a clinic at the camp where "kids were
being stitched up every single day because they had been hit in the
head with the butt of a rifle."

So Helgegren said to his sons: "You don't see this in the game but
this is what you can use a gun for. Guns are being pointed at children
your own age."

The trip completely changed the boys' mindset and helped reduce their
lust for violent video games. They now understand the pains of people
who are separated from their families, according to their father.