Illinois Gov. Seeks Violent Video Game Ban 651
Foobar_Zen writes "Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois has apparently decided to build on past "wins". He seeks to impose legislation that will prohibit the distribution, sale, rental and availability of mature video games to children younger than 18. Breaking of this law would be punishable by up to one year in prison or a $5,000 fine." From the article: "The Illinois Retail Merchants Association blasted the governor's proposal as a way for retailers to become "the violence and sensitivity police for the state of Illinois." Update: 12/16 21:14 GMT by Z : Lum's take on this over at Broken Toys is excellent.
Availability? (Score:5, Interesting)
Ridiculous (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Availability? (Score:5, Interesting)
Which is the only relevant question. I really have a hard time imagining WHY people could object to this. Any law that empowers parents to raise their children, within the bounds that limit abuse, is a good law. Under common law, and iirc, written law, in the States, children are classified somewhere between a slave and a citizen. They do NOT have full rights of an adult citizen, but have rights that are clearly spelled out. The "right" to do what you want without your parents permission is not one of them.
Yes, of course parents can't always watch over their kids. They are going to get access to unwanted media when they are outside the view of their parents, including video games that they aren't "allowed" to play, but at least the parent has a little more control.
Personally, I think laws like this should be extended to include ALL media (games, books) should be bought by people over an age defined by the individual state (perhaps one state wants it set at 15 and another at 18) as long as that age does NOT exceed 18 or exclude emancipated teenagers.
Re:Err.. talk about a biased article.. (Score:2, Interesting)
Illegal to let a minor into an R rated movie without his parents. The law even stipulates that you card both the parent and the minor.
And these efforts have gotten us...? (Score:3, Interesting)
The law will likely be hard to enforce (or, if actually enforced, will pull resources from enforcement of other laws). The law helps create more demand for violent games while being unlikely to hinder access to them. Kids that obey the law (or their parents) won't get the games, but those that don't will find ways to get them, and become more popular in the process (by providing access to the forbidden for others), thus ensuring an unhealthy feedback loop. (forbidden things will get you what you want, but only if you don't think about what you do want).
Finally, if parents care, kids are probably less likely to either want to play the games or to disobey their parents (if they have the money to do what they want). However, if they believe the gov't will prevent their child from gaining access to the games, they may not deal with it, and they will be hit with something they didn't see coming. Parents that don't care won't be able to stop them from getting the games (and aren't dealing with it now). I don't see this law being able to do what parents haven't been able to do before.
Those of us who don't have children still have to deal with the messes laws make of them. Making things forbidden to some and desirable for all only ensures unhealthy habits (and a society unable to deal reasonably with its desires) for years to come, the consequences of which are a "gift" to all.
Cook County is Blue, but virtually all... (Score:3, Interesting)
Blagojevich's main interest here appears be to position himself for national office. He ran on a platform of "It won't be business as usual." He was right. It's worse! Downstate state workers are being laid off while others are being hired in Chicago. Family and friends make up a large proportion of the higher paying jobs and appointments being handed out. It's a blatant power grab by the "Chicago Democratic Machine". The mayor's office in the capital, Springfield, was won by a Democrat with a large war chest provided by Chicago interests. And so it goes.
"Do the Right Thing. It will gratify some people and astound the rest." - Mark Twain
Re:Availability? (Score:2, Interesting)
That or I have to make the pancakes while he does my research and rents the movie, and I don't make the best pancakes in the world.
Re:America's Army (Score:5, Interesting)
Then I realized it's none of the states business.
I think it's wrong that some people are so stupid that they can't point out their own country on a map; would I be right in wanting a law to have them euthanized? Barred from serving in jobs where you have to deal with the public? Educated at gunpoint?
Freedom is a nasty business, but it's far preferable to having someone else make your decisions for you, whether it's you as a kid, you as a parent, or you as a retailer.
Re:America's Army (Score:3, Interesting)
lots of people have problems with age limits on certain goods when there isn:t a real difference between that 15 eyar old and that 18 year old consuming it. So cocaine doesn`t really apply. I was always told growing up its ok to drink, but doing it in excess is just stupid because you get nothing out of it but the chance to kill yourself and that driving after drinking is out of hte option because you put others at risk.
This stuff is legal when people are over 18, so it will always be out there and I don`t see why people should be jumping through hoops when someone else doesn`t want their children exposed to it.
As for your last comment, htere is huge dissention as to whether or not violent or sexually mature video games are guaranteed to be harmful. I grew up with them nad so did most of my friends. We mostly turned out just fine. The one kid who didn`t suffered from several other things that probably meant he shouldn`t have those games. I understand where you are coming from, try to see where the other people are coming from. Some of us have a rational reason for hwat we feel.