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Massachusetts Legislators Consider Games-as-Porn Bill
gamepolitics.com — Legislators in Massachusetts will hold a hearing Tuesday on a bill that would treat violent games like smut. That is, it would be a crime to sell them to a minor. Jack Thompson originally advised the state on the bill in 2007. It is similar to Thompson's Louisiana bill that was declared unconstitutional in 2006. So why is Mass wasting time with it?
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- shegaelic, on 03/17/2008, -0/+18if this bill is not constitutional, why would they waste time (& tax money) to consider it?
- CyberSkull, on 03/17/2008, -0/+20"4 teh childrunz" sounds great on a re-election campaign. And if anyone votes against it, they hate your kids.
- void42, on 03/17/2008, -0/+10 They waste time and money on it because they are politicians in an election year. They want to make it look like they are doing something without actually having to accomplish anything. With this media friendly topic they can crow about saving the poor kiddies from the evils of video games, and when they ultimately fail...again, they can point at their political opponents/"activist judges" and say it is all their fault for destroying our children.
California had a similar thing years back with toy guns. One side wanted real gun control, the other wanted no gun control, but they were able to compromise in the middle and ban toy guns that were not fluorescent orange. It looked good in the media while at the same time accomplished nothing at all. - mkling176, on 03/18/2008, -0/+4i want to see an actual campaign ad that includes "4 teh childrunz"
- blast_flame, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1And if they vote for it they hate your freedoms.
Hey! Maybe we can use some of those new terrible terror laws to our advantage!
- void42, on 03/17/2008, -0/+10 They waste time and money on it because they are politicians in an election year. They want to make it look like they are doing something without actually having to accomplish anything. With this media friendly topic they can crow about saving the poor kiddies from the evils of video games, and when they ultimately fail...again, they can point at their political opponents/"activist judges" and say it is all their fault for destroying our children.
- disappointed, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1I guess it's all to do with that qualifier, "similar".
- SpookyPig, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1I don't quite get how it would be unconstitutional.
Not saying I am in any way for this bill, i don't see how it is illegal.- facelesscoward, on 03/18/2008, -0/+3Games are speech, and you can't regulate speech unless that speech is two people having sex on camera with no artistic, educational, or scientific value according to some judge's arbitrary standards or you're the FCC or a public school. Honestly, I love our constitutional rights, but with all of the other violations going on at the federal level, I'm having a really hard time getting up in arms to defend the interests of large corporations that don't give a ***** about us.
- CSHYDRASHOK, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1Lots of unconstitutional laws get passed all the time why not try and pass another one?
- CyberSkull, on 03/17/2008, -0/+20"4 teh childrunz" sounds great on a re-election campaign. And if anyone votes against it, they hate your kids.
- MadDoggie, on 03/17/2008, -0/+13I live in Massachusetts and I have never, ever, seen any employee at any store here sell an M-rated game to someone under 18. Most large-chain stores already have policies set in place because brain-dead parents can't be bothered to actually take care of their own offspring.
- Servitor, on 03/17/2008, -3/+8It's the *parents* who buy their children these games anyway. And it should be up to the *parents* to control what gets into their children's hands, including what games and other software.
- Planets, on 03/17/2008, -9/+1And if the parents cannot take proper responsibility, you don't just go, "Oh well, their loss." The children suffer that way. When this happens, there has to be a definite, enforceable law.
- fasda, on 03/18/2008, -1/+8where do kids get 50-60 dollars for a game and who gives kids 50-60 dollars without asking what the hell its for
- theshizzler, on 03/18/2008, -1/+2You know that kids 14 years old and up can legally have jobs and earn money, right?
- fasda, on 03/18/2008, -2/+1and how many 14 year olds do you know with jobs?
- blast_flame, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1And in all reality 14 year olds are probably old enough to play these violent and sexual games.
- theshizzler, on 03/18/2008, -1/+2You know that kids 14 years old and up can legally have jobs and earn money, right?
- blast_flame, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1There are a few holes in that logic. Firstly who decides what is responsible? Will we ban parents from giving their kids fast food? Will we have kitchen inspections to ensure that parents aren't feeding kids unhealthy food? Will we have kitchen raids to stop the parents from disposing of the unhealthy food? Secondly you assume that the state is a good parent. Quite frankly most parents even the ones doing bad things will be better parents than the state.
- fasda, on 03/18/2008, -1/+8where do kids get 50-60 dollars for a game and who gives kids 50-60 dollars without asking what the hell its for
- MillionsLivio, on 03/18/2008, -0/+3I agree for children, but it's a bit different for teenagers. I think the current M-Rated system is a joke, how is it a game like Halo is deemed inappropriate for a 16 year old? The system needs an overhaul and they need to rate the games in a more realistic manner, putting Fable and Doom III in the same rating level is a joke.
- Planets, on 03/17/2008, -9/+1And if the parents cannot take proper responsibility, you don't just go, "Oh well, their loss." The children suffer that way. When this happens, there has to be a definite, enforceable law.
- vault, on 03/17/2008, -1/+18For any gamers voting Democrat, here's a bill Hillary Clinton sponsored http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Entertainment_ ...
You can expect more of that if she makes it into the White House.- sk11, on 03/18/2008, -0/+2It's America, why don't the gaming companies simply bribe their politicians like every other part of industry and commerce does?
- vault, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1There is http://www.theesa.com/
I don't know how effective they are, though, or how much money is actually being spent compared to the 'family values' lobbies.
- vault, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1There is http://www.theesa.com/
- sk11, on 03/18/2008, -0/+2It's America, why don't the gaming companies simply bribe their politicians like every other part of industry and commerce does?
- whatthefu, on 03/17/2008, -0/+13Why is the government regulating morals anyway? Moreover, there is no clear definition of violence.
- void42, on 03/18/2008, -0/+7Because the public can't be arsed to do it themselves. it's so much easier to be told what to think than it is to try and come to a conclusion yourself, hence the success of certain cable news outlets and radio shows.
- carpespasm, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1you mean NPR right?
- Ashkc88, on 03/18/2008, -0/+7Because people want the government to babysit them.
- Falldog, on 03/18/2008, -0/+6No different from what the FCC does.
- Regbooker, on 03/18/2008, -0/+5The funny thing is that extreme violence in video games always calm and relax me after a bad day. It's a nice "therapy" since I vent the anger produced by my boss/girlfriend/family in the game and prevents me from manifesting that frustration in "real life".
- badassninja, on 03/18/2008, -1/+1I know, I hate it when they push those Christian morals on me, like murder and theft.
- blast_flame, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1It could be argued that murder and theft are imposing your values upon someone else. For instance theft says that you believe that you have more right to someone else's property than they do while murder enforces the value that someone else should die.
- void42, on 03/18/2008, -0/+7Because the public can't be arsed to do it themselves. it's so much easier to be told what to think than it is to try and come to a conclusion yourself, hence the success of certain cable news outlets and radio shows.
- fuzzmeister, on 03/18/2008, -0/+4As a Massachusetts resident, I'll come right out and say this bill is one of the least well-thought-out, stupidest things I've heard of in quite a while.
- pussieLicker, on 03/18/2008, -8/+1Looks like it's time for me to go over there and show them what REAL porn is...
with my dick...
in their ass...
I'll admit it's not much but it can do some massive damage when used correctly- mkling176, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1pussieLicker, somehow your name makes me think you will not do this
- SquigglyP, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1i don't think they have too many midgets deciding on legislation in Massachusetts, but I guess there's an off-chance.
- borez, on 03/18/2008, -0/+5Yes well... I always 'knock one out' over Tetris
- Takfam, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1Getting a Tetris is like searching for a great relationship. You wait and you wait and you wait for the right piece. Finally you get fed up and try to improvise in a piece that doesn't fit, but as soon as you do that, the piece you REALLY wanted shows up and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.
- liloldadyo, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1You see worse things in movies available to minors, and read worse things in books available to minors, why should another form or media and what some call art be discriminated against by the government?
- ryan83189, on 03/18/2008, -0/+5You kids are just too young to remember a time before video games, when violence didn't exist. Jack Thompson is trying get us back to that, as soon as it's safe to take his head out of the sand.
- SquigglyP, on 03/18/2008, -0/+6yeah. Those were the days.
Before the Pong riots.
- SquigglyP, on 03/18/2008, -0/+6yeah. Those were the days.
- amanilaenvelope, on 03/18/2008, -0/+5since when is playing Rez considered porn ? i would've thunk that Rez is more of a drug issue.
- DarkSamus, on 03/18/2008, -1/+4***** them, ***** them in the mouth
- aimhelix, on 03/18/2008, -1/+4This bill is full of fail.
- cubbiesx, on 03/18/2008, -1/+1Finally the government will require developers fill my need for hardcore sex sims. Wait...let me read that again.
- frogman54, on 03/18/2008, -0/+7I support this bill completely. Video game characters are perverts. I heard that Master Chief doesn't wear anything under his armor and Mario does a "dinosaur show."
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