St. Louis video game law struck down

[Guest Kingpk]

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has struck down a St. Louis County law that would prevent the sales of video games to minors. The ruling stated that video games are protected under the First Amendment as a form of free speech and therefore cannot be regulated by the government. The court found that the county's reasons for regulating sales, which included influencing minors with violent imagery, were largely unfounded and that the government has no ample reason for regulating the sales of games to minors on behalf of parents since parents were reportedly involved in purchasing decisions 83 percent of the time, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

 

"We do not mean to denigrate the government's role in supporting parents, or the right of parents to control their children's exposure to graphically violent materials," the ruling stated. "We merely hold that the government cannot silence protected speech by wrapping itself in the cloak of parental authority...To accept the county's broadly drawn interest as a compelling one would be to invite legislatures to undermine the First Amendment rights of minors willy-nilly under the guise of promoting parental authority."

 

The court added, "if the First Amendment is versatile enough to 'shield [the] painting of Jackson Pollack, music of Arnold Schoenberg, or jabberwocky verse of Lewis Carroll, we see no reason why the pictures, graphic design, concept art, sounds, music, stories, and narrative present in video games are not entitled to similar protection."

 

The court's full opinion (it's a PDF file, though)

 

Thank Joe a higher court finally put out an opinion on this issue. I agree with what they ruled: the government has no right to completely regulate things that parents can't do themselves if they actually paid attention to what their kids play. I mean, the games industry has a ratings system that's very clear on what objectionable content is in the game and most major rental and retail outlets either ask for ID or ask for a parent to be present during the purchase of an M rated game. What more do they have to do to get these lawmakers off their backs?

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

This is an issue I really don't care that much about. Violent video games should be treated the same as explicit albums. Anyone can buy music -- anyone should be able to buy video games. I don't think it's a form of free speech, but whatever...

[Guest TheMikeSC]

This is an issue I really don't care that much about. Violent video games should be treated the same as explicit albums. Anyone can buy music -- anyone should be able to buy video games. I don't think it's a form of free speech, but whatever...

Speaking as somebody who used to run a games store, the number of parents who actually give a darn about violent games is miniscule.

 

Heck, I got NUMEROUS gripes from parents when I wouldn't sell a violent game to little kids. After I decided to sell whatever any kid wanted to them, I never got a single complaint afterwards.

 

If parents don't care --- why should anybody else?

-=Mike

[Guest razazteca]

Would be considered a censorship issue?

[Guest Lightning Flik]

Speaking as somebody who used to run a games store, the number of parents who actually give a darn about violent games is miniscule.

 

Heck, I got NUMEROUS gripes from parents when I wouldn't sell a violent game to little kids. After I decided to sell whatever any kid wanted to them, I never got a single complaint afterwards.

 

If parents don't care --- why should anybody else?

            -=Mike

Just to add from the resident Blockbuster CSR, I'd have to agree. It doesn't really matter what the games are like, they rent them out anyways.

 

Dammit, I've had just about every 4-9 year old kid that has come into work this past month of May, and every single one of them has pretty much seen stuff like Hannibal, Ring, and other PG-13 plus movies; along with Splinter Cell, MK:DA, and any other killing related stuff.

 

And you know what? Their parents APPROVED of them watching this stuff.

 

Edit: Mind you, the kids know that it's all fake. Or so I say when I question them about watching the movies or playing the killing games.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Speaking as somebody who used to run a games store, the number of parents who actually give a darn about violent games is miniscule.

 

Heck, I got NUMEROUS gripes from parents when I wouldn't sell a violent game to little kids. After I decided to sell whatever any kid wanted to them, I never got a single complaint afterwards.

 

If parents don't care --- why should anybody else?

-=Mike

I got the same reactions from parents when I worked at a theater. Our two managers were really anal about letting 16-year-olds in to see R-rated movies. I hated carding people, but in a way it was fun turning away teens from seeing "Scream," especially when I worked the box office. A group of 16-year-olds would try to get tickets, but yet none of them had I.D. Then when you asked who drove them here since none seem to have a valid driver's license (sp?) they stood there confused...