The sun beat down on the soldiers’ face as they trudged through the sand in the tiny villages of Iraq. With guns slung over their shoulders, they walked carefully, trying to avoid an ambush. They watched with anticipation for stray bullets that would fly at them from the hidden enemy.

For those involved in the Iraq War, it is a time of great anguish. More than 2,000 members of the U.S. military died while thousands more were left injured and emotionally scarred.

Most would never want to relive the terror the war brought or to have anyone else go through it.

So why would makers of video games release a game that reconstructs a war and allows players a chance to act as a U.S. soldier or a rebel?

There are plenty examples of video games taking wars and tragedies and then turning them into a contest. Games such as Halo, where players unleash multi-player destruction and Conflict: Global Terror, where players wage a war against terrorism in the Philippines and Colombia, are played often by young adults.

Some argue that these games help people connect to eras in history that seem too remote to grasp. Others argue that these games offer a healthy release for aggression.

Neither of these arguments is based on logic.

First of all, while it is important that we learn and study these parts of history so the mistakes are not repeated, it can be done through a more tactful way.

We can learn about historical events from history books, film documentaries, government documents and first-hand accounts. We don’t have to take something as painful as a war or a terrorist attack, and then parade it around for people to play as a game.

Wars and tragedies are not games. There is no question that these games make a mockery of the pain and suffering the victims of these events had to endure.

Second, these games are far from being a healthy outlet for aggression. How can murdering innocent villagers or dropping bombs on countries be healthy for anyone — whether it be real or not?

If anything, violent video games have desensitized the harshness of violent acts. It teaches an unsettling lesson — if someone gets blown up, just start over. Unfortunately, life does not have a restart button.

In 2005, a study at Michigan State University showed that playing violent video games leads to brain activity patterns that are characteristic for aggressive thoughts. Eleven out of 13 participants showed an increase in violent behavior after playing 60 minutes of video games that featured shooting at people, such as the game Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror.

Another study at Iowa State University took 227 college students and tracked their behavior and video game playing habits. The study revealed that those who played more violent games in junior high and high school where more aggressive in their behavior.

The conclusion many psychologists have offered is this: Playing violent video games shapes the way we react to certain situations. In video games, the reaction time has to be quick.

People learn to pull out the gun and shoot before the other guy does. This reaction becomes part of their reasoning so that when real-life conflicts arise, they are more likely to react the way they did in the video games.

Some video game companies have countered the allegations that violent video games cause violent acts by replacing human characters with fictional beings or by replacing the color green for red blood. Violence is violence. It doesn’t matter who or what the victim is.

This debate will continue for years. Legislators in at least seven states have desperately tried to combat the effect of violent video games by placing restrictions on what age groups can rent or buy certain titles.

The video game industry has cried that the age restrictions are a violation of their First Amendment rights.

Their defense? They label video games that have a violent nature so the industry will continue to create these games. After all, they say, people can govern themselves and choose not to participate in games imitating some of the worst sins of men.

Tomorrow, these games that make a mockery of human suffering will still be here. It will not be legislation that changes the effects these games have on us.

We have to be the ones to push these violent games out of the market forever — simply by refusing to play or purchase them.