Politicians, Yet Again, Think The Constitution Doesn't Apply To Video Games

from the how-many-times-do-we-have-to-go-through-this dept

Wed, Jun 14th 2006 5:18pm — Carlo Longino

Politicians are once again pointing the finger at video game companies for peddling filth, turning kids into sex-crazed violent criminals, generally being a massive danger to society and all that other stuff they like to go on about in the name of "protecting the children". They're once again raising the possibility of some sort of ban on selling certain games to minors, despite such laws repeatedly being ruled unconstitutional. In lieu of such a ban, some lawmakers think it would be a great idea for the government to get involved in the video game rating process by forcing it to be more "transparent" and making game publishers submit their games to "independent" outside adjudicators rather than an industry-supported board. Just how independent any such government-mandated group could be is pretty questionable when it would be subject to political whims of lawmakers or government officials. The head of a video game trade group makes the most salient point when he says that without effective parental involvement, any rating or ban will be pointless. So instead of trying to crack down on constitutionally protected free speech, perhaps lawmakers would be better off reinforcing parents' roles rather than trying to take them over.

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58 Comments

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bob, 14 Jun 2006 @ 5:23pm

mooo
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jake buck, 14 Jun 2006 @ 5:33pm

ummmm
Don't they restrict the purchase of R rated movies and movie tickets to minors without a parent or guardian? How about pornographic magazines and books? Why should videogames be any different?
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Jun 2006 @ 5:45pm

Re: ummmm
hello... they already do this... if your not 17, you cant buy a Mature rated game.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Jun 2006 @ 5:47pm

the 80s
Didn't they do this back in the 80s with music. Where is Twister Sister when you need them. Doesn't seem to be a whole lot of talk concerning bad music anymore does there? Must have cleaned up our act and started flying straight.
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Mike (profile), 14 Jun 2006 @ 5:52pm

Re: ummmm
Don't they restrict the purchase of R rated movies and movie tickets to minors without a parent or guardian? How about pornographic magazines and books? Why should videogames be any different?

Those are voluntary, not by law.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Jun 2006 @ 6:03pm

I'm relieved that all of the other problems I thought our nation was facing have been resolved.
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Gomorrah, 14 Jun 2006 @ 6:08pm

Re: Re: ummmm
Ummmmm, actually, no. They are enforceable by law. You should study up a bit more.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Jun 2006 @ 6:09pm

You know, I bet politicians would make great trash-talkers on multi-play frag fests, such as Halo 1 & 2.
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rijit (profile), 14 Jun 2006 @ 6:25pm

parent parents parents
Here we go with the blame the parent thing again. I am sorry but it is no more feasible for me to police my 16 year old every second of the day than it is for anyone to learn the entire Klingon language in a single afternoon. Yes I talk to my kids about their interests, games, movies, etc. I police their lives, make sure they eat, go to school, don't make bombs or kill people. You want more than that, learn the entire Klingon language in a single afternoon and we will talk.
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Mike (profile), 14 Jun 2006 @ 6:25pm

Re: Re: Re: ummmm
Ummmmm, actually, no. They are enforceable by law. You should study up a bit more.

Oh really?

MPAA Ratings Information: "The movie rating system is a voluntary system sponsored by the Motion Picture Association of America and the National Association of Theatre Owners to provide parents with advance information on films, enabling the parent to make judgements on movies they want or don't want their children to see."

So, uh, sorry. It's voluntary.
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Mike (profile), 14 Jun 2006 @ 6:27pm

Re: parent parents parents
I am sorry but it is no more feasible for me to police my 16 year old every second of the day than it is for anyone to learn the entire Klingon language in a single afternoon.

No one is saying to *police* your kids every second of the day, but to teach them how to deal with the challenges they may face, rather than to shield them from those things.
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takua108, 14 Jun 2006 @ 6:35pm

Exactly. I've never heard of a scenario in which a child has snuck away from his parents in order to explicitly play violent videogames in order to orchestrate a mass killing spree. In fact, I've never heard of a scenario in which the maniac child's parents ever even cared that he was playing violent games. I think that if you as a parent put a reasonable amount of effort into watching what your child is playing and teach him or her moral values and such, you child will probably not go around killing people due to videogames.
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Nick, 14 Jun 2006 @ 6:47pm

Re: parent parents parents
Yes, blame the parents.

No one forced you to have children, you chose to do that. You chose to take on the responsibility of raising a child in a free and open society.

Why should my tax dollars pay federal employees to limit my freedoms in order to protect your child? Why can't you trust your teenager? What life lessons have you failed to teach them? How and why is this my problem exactly?

Where does your responsibility end and mine begin?
Why did you have children if you felt you couldn't handle the responsibility on your own?
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Trojaneyez, 14 Jun 2006 @ 7:00pm

Re: Re: parent parents parents
I agree with Nick, parents seem to have issues now a days.. I hate the fact I have to pay out more in tax dollars cause your child is on the lose while your at work, and when your child knocks a girl up (or gets knocked up) and they suck money off the government. Or how about when you ignore you kid when he develops a drug habbit and lands him/her self in rehab that I HAVE TO PAY FOR. and then when your kid becomes a bum and works a low paying job for the rest of his/her life and then has 5 kids that everyone else has to pay for. My parents work the 9-5 job, and i've gone from poor to wealthy in the 18 years that I lived with them. So don't tell me that it depends on income and other BS cause that's just a bunch of crap... stop going to the bar nightly stop fucking someone else behind your wife/husbands back.. grow the hell up .. /end rant
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Ted, 14 Jun 2006 @ 7:01pm

Truth
In my local blockbuster, I can rent:
~Braveheart
~Enemy at the Gates
~Fight Club
~Resevior Dogs

but not
~Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
~Fable
~Halo 2

Braveheart. FREAKING BRAVEHEART. That movie is nothing but Mel Gibson turning big english guys into small chunks of meat, but I can't pop a few aliens if I want to.

And I have also learned most of written elvish in one afternoon. Much more complex than Klingon might I add.
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|333173|3|_||3, 14 Jun 2006 @ 8:26pm

Re: Truth
Written in Feanorian or in latin charecters?
in the books it is usually published in Latin cahrecters, so that readers can pronounce it, but it technically should be in Feanorian, which would take some effort to learn. Also, I would like to know where you found the complete listing of all elvish (Sindar and Quenya), with every word in it. The one in the Silmarillion is far from complete, although many words are built up from simpler ones (Such as Mordor, etc.)
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anonymous, 14 Jun 2006 @ 8:27pm

Re: Truth
dude, ur a freaking geek. Anyone who learns a language not spoken on Earth (ex. Klingon, elvish, latin) is an idiot for wasting their time. Sure, i like lord of the rings, and yes some of my friends take Latin in school, but wtf, elvish?
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1337 10v3r, 14 Jun 2006 @ 8:32pm

Re: Re: Truth
don't insult my race! Nerds are a complex and intellectual sect of society. We are the people that are dragging you stereotyping bastards into the future!! All hail the race of nerds!!

P.S post your D&D username if you are ONE OF US!!
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testing one, two, three, 14 Jun 2006 @ 8:34pm