Governator Wasting More CA Taxpayer Money On Unconstitutional Violent Video Game Ban
from the terminate-this-wasteful-spending dept
At last count, at least 10 states had passed laws banning the sale or rental of violent video games to children, and every single one of them has been thrown out as unconstitutional. At this point, any state that passes such a law is knowingly throwing away taxpayer money to defend the law in court -- and, for the most part they're doing it to pander to the electorate, so they can talk about how they "protected the children" despite more and more evidence that violent video games aren't a threat to kids.Perhaps the most bizarre of all of these state laws is the one in California, where our governor starred in numerous violent films. Yet, Schwarzenegger has been at the forefront of supporting this law. After a lower court followed all those other states in throwing out the law as unconstitutional, the Schwarzenegger administration quickly appealed, and the new case is set to begin this week, with most noting that it's unlikely that California will somehow buck the trend and get the law approved. Instead, we get a waste of taxpayer money (in a state that's going bankrupt) so that an action hero of a ton of violent films can claim he's "protecting the children" from viewing a little show violence.
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Filed Under: bans, california, constitutional, violent video games
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V-chip!
The gov't already runs ads for V-chips in TVs, why not for video games too?
I guess they'd rather trample our 1st amendment rights instead.
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Re: V-chip!
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Is that you, Governor Palin? :P
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How will they "ruin a whole generation"?
Note, more than one generation at this point has played/is playing violent video games.
Also note, according to government statistics youth violence was at a 40 year low in 2004 and was dropping further. Since video games, violent or otherwise, have come onto the seen major drops in youth crime are evident.
How is it *not* unconstitutional?
You need to re-read the Constitution, and actually learn the meaning behind the words. The point to this country, the *only* point, was to allow as much liberty and safety as is possible to the people who populate it. Foreign visitors included.
Even hackfest type video games have different puzzles within them, usually fairly abstract, that you must solve to advance further. Some video games actually teach you some pretty useful critical thinking skills.
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Watch what your kids are doing and educate them properly. Problem solved. "Protecting the children" is a parent's job and as a parent, I rely on my own conscience to tell me what I should be teaching my children and what steps I should take to minimise the exposure that they will have to potentially harmful materials (physical and mental).
One problem with the piece though; just because Arnie starred in violent movies doesn't mean he can't argue against MINORS being exposed to violence. All Arnie's violent movies were rated appropriately and therefore (in theory) wouldn't have been accessible for children.
Which brings up the next point. If you're banning video games, you have to then ban the movies and the news.
How is it that rational, intelligent people can't seem to grasp that video games are not the problem? I fear that too many people want an easy scape goat for their inadequacies in the parenting department!
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While we're at it, Goldilocks was guilty of trespassing and vandalism, The Three Little Pigs is an example of terrorism, and the Bible if full of sexual misbehavior and mayhem.
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But of all the people, the governator? yeah... he can really speak for non-violence cant he
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Parents
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Excuse me while I go learn to spell with Barney instead of playing WoW...
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Terminator_(SNES)#The_Terminator_.28SNES.29
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That will make things better.
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Yes, that's 100% true.
My 16 year old son plays video games a lot - he's quite well mannered.
My 12 year old daughter is a little brat. Maybe we were 'too lenient' on her in years past. But she barely ever plays video games.
We're not easy on her now though, lol - but take my advice, don't be 'too nice' when they are young, you'll pay for it later.
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I don't think violent games cause kids to be violent, though. Violent kids always have another deficet in their life somewhere that steers them that way. Video games do not cause it. But, I think parents have the right to decide what their kids are playing.
THe argument that Arnold can't say anything because of his films is BS. His films were all rated R and required you to be 17 or with a parent/guardian.
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How would this ban be any different that the ban against selling porn mags to minors? Should Playboy sue for not being allowed to sell to minors?
Why are these companies determined to sell to kids directly these video games..I doubt it's because of their constitutional rights, its because of money. They're not concerned about rights, or a child's health.
And for every study you can site about violent games effects, I could site an opposing study.
Using common sense, collectively games, music friends all determine a kid’s behavior. To believe a video game can not have a positive or negative impact is naive.
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Lets just reject human nature and give kids more of a reason to be deceptive.
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Try banning scapegoating instead
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Seems ok to me
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Re: Seems ok to me
But it isn't a law. It's up to the theatres to adhere to the motion picture rating system and limit admission.
Why not extend that to violent video games?
They did. The ESRB performs the same function. Likewise, it's up to the retail stores to adhere to the age guidelines.
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How would this ban be any different that the ban against selling porn mags to minors? Should Playboy sue for not being allowed to sell to minors?
Are the people posing on here who are are against the ban, also against the ban of selling porn to minors?
If you support the ban against selling porn to minors, then please explain the difference?
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violent video games
There's just the overwhelming hatred of Orcs and the rest of the Horde. And the Burning Legion. The Flood and the Covenant, too; not fond of them. The other gladiators in the Quake Arenas and Unreal Tournaments. The monsters and demons in Olduvi Station. And those nazi guards in Castle Wolfenstein; can't stand them want to shoot every last one.
So yeah, a perfectly well-balanced individual with no hang-ups whatsoever.
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Even if I'm not supporting any form of censorship, I often have a good laugh about all those prudes in America and their nipple affairs and whatnot. In the US where people believe they have a civil right to carry around guns, trying to protect children from violence in media probably provokes the same kind of reaction.
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Waste?
Waste of money? How could lawyers getting rich be a waste of money?
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ㅁㄴㅇㄻㄴㅇㄹ
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Repercussions
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