Video Game Political Action

[trooper6]

Hi all,

I don't know everybody's political feelings on the matter, but there is video game drama brewing up in Sacramento. And for those who want to take action, here's a way to do it.

So the deal: An anti-Video Games Bill was passed. The bill regulated the sale of video games to minors, like pornography...unlike movies, books or television. A judge found the bill unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds (all similar anti-video game laws around the country have similarly been rule unconstitutional). So Arnorld Schwarzenegger has announced that he plans on appealing the ruling...costing the people of California a lot of money. So if you are against his intentions, then here is a web site that expedites your ability to write him a letter.

http://www.videogamevoters.org/takeaction/stoparnold/

There you go!

Comments

[joe71.livejournal.com]

This from the man who brought the world Predator, the Terminator franchise, Commando and so on.

I wonder how many criminals he's created as a result of his movies?

I mean, if he really thinks that the fictional violence causes crime, then he should do something about all of his previous works, or at least apologize, or something...

[trooper6.livejournal.com]

Seriously.

And I've been thinking about the things that are regulated in their sale to minors: cigarettes, alcohol and pornography...and I just don't see how video games how fit into this same category. (Now, to be honest, pornography doesn't seem to fit into the same category as cigarettes and alcohol...but I'm not going to fight that fight).

Anyway...I think about DVD sales. While people under 17 can't get into Rated R movies (completely voluntary self regulation on the part of the MPAA)...there are no restrictions at all on minors picking up rated R movies on DVDs at their local Best Buy. And you can buy really cheap rated R DVDs, whereas Video Games are way too expensive for most minors to be able to pick up without some sort of parental support.

[joe71.livejournal.com]

Well, I personally agree that pornography should be regulated.
Not banned, mind you, 'cause well, who doesn't like a little...ahem... :)
But yeah. Video games are similar to movies and should be treated the same.

And, if kids are young enough that they shouldn't be exposed to this stuff, it's the parents decision to ensure that they aren't.
And I have kids, so I feel that this isn't an unreasonable expectation of parents.

[trooper6.livejournal.com]

By different category, I meant that cigarettes and alcohol are proven detrimental to physical health...and cigarettes are addictive...and there is alcoholism. Pornography, on the other hand, is not detrimental to physical health or addictive...so it does seem to be in a separate category.

Now, considering the existence of Age of Consent Laws, it also makes sense to restrict pornography to the Age of Consent--though I think pornography is 18+ while I think some states have Age of Consents of 16+...that should be probably made to be the same for logical consistency's sake (i.e. you can have sex but not watch it seems odd--the idea of 16 year olds having sex makes me nervous...but I'm not going to push my old-fashionedness coupled with the fact that I didn't have sex until I was 18 onto other people).

But, video games are not pornography. They aren't even close. And they aren't even more violent that bunches of mainstream movies out there. Like you, I think this is the decision of the parents. I mean, my parents showed me a bunch of rated R films when I was young--mainly The Godfathers 1 & 2 and bunches of other "Great Film" types. And we talked about the films afterwards, and I think it was really good for me. And that was my parents' perogative (on the other hand, they refused to let me watch a number of family sitcoms that they thought were of really, really bad quality and mind-numbing...so go figure.) I wouldn't want to live in a society that would have prosecuted my parents for corrupting the morals of a minor because we watched Mississippi Burning...or because they let me play some video game. Now there are bunches of video games I wouldn't let my hypothetical kids play until they were teens, but I don't see why, if my hypothetical 15/16 year old couldn't play Silent Hill 2 if they were so inclined--even though it is rated M.

[trooper6.livejournal.com]

Note...change *addictive* to read *physically addictive*

[joe71.livejournal.com]

Got it. I see what you're saying.

With our kids, we will make those decisions when they get older 'cause they're still younger. The oldest is only 8...

Interestingly, we don't allow them to play video games at all right now. Not because of the content, though. They've only started to read, so we are encouraging that. We do allow them to watch TV, but they watch a lot of educational stuff mixed in with the not-so educational stuff.

[varanus.livejournal.com]

Sent.

[trooper6.livejournal.com]

Thanks! The Governator is such a hypocrite.

[varanus.livejournal.com]

No kidding. I'm totally amazed every day. And as far as these issues are concerned, he's the crown jewel of Republicans (eww).

I wonder if he's trying to do that gross thing that Lieberman (and unfortunately there for a while, Hilary Clinton) did--using video games to make easy political hay, since games were assumed to appeal only to kids or arrested-development adults. Unfortunately, gamers are older, richer, and more numerous now than they were five years ago, so I think it's not going to be nearly so easy or successful.

But still. Gross, gross, gross.

[chyzar.livejournal.com]

What a hypocrite. I hope someone better will replace him when he's finally gone.

Sent...and forwarded.