THE DO-GOODERS NEVER LET UP

THE DO-GOODERS NEVER LET UP

Despite what the politician below says, there is no clear scientific evidence that censorship of violence has any net benefit. And how is he going to keep violent games away from kids while allowing adults their right to access them?

Young people shouldn't be allowed access to video games in which they commit crimes like murder and rape to gain more points, says state Rep. Roy Burrell, author of a bill that would ban the sale of such games to minors. Burrell said he knows his House Bill 421 is going to draw criticism from retailers when it is heard today in the House Criminal Justice Committee, and he expects charges that it is unconstitutional. "Sooner or later, the lights ought to come on that it is harmful for children to play these games," Burrell said. "They teach children to plot and plan murders. Sometimes kids can't separate games from reality. "It's not about video sales. It's about kids."

Jessica Elliott, director of governmental affairs for the Louisiana Retailers Association, said she believes the bill is unconstitutional, considering that several federal courts have ruled that similar laws in other states have been deemed. "Courts ruled that it's under free speech and the First Amendment like a book or work of art," she said.

Miami attorney Jack Thompson, a leading advocate against the sale of violent, pornographic, mature-rated video games to children, is scheduled to testify in favor of Burrell's bill. He said the bill is sculpted to avoid being unconstitutional by leaving it up to the courts to decide whether a game is harmful, much like the obscenity statute is drafted. "There's a lot of parental angst over the fact that these games are coming at out kids, and there must be some way to keep them away from our kids," Thompson said. He said numerous studies have found proof of harm and "there's more evidence of that than there is that smoking causes cancer."

Thompson has drafted or helped draft video game bills in Washington, Delaware, Maryland, Georgia, Alabama and Florida. The ones in California, Washington and Alabama were challenged in court. The important thing, he said, is to "leave it up to a jury to find that the material is harmful to minors because of sex or violence. Don't have a statute defining what is harmful."

Elliott said retailers would have a hard time determining which games would be harmful to minors without playing them, she said, and "what's violent to you might not be violent to me." She said members of her association don't sell video games that are rated "adults only" because of extreme violence and sexual scenes but they are available at some game rental establishments, on the Internet and at some stores. Many stores do carry games labeled "mature" because of language and graphic violence, but they don't have explicit sex scenes.

Source

Hat tip to Political Correctness Watch http://tinyurl.com/z2cec for this one.

Look if you don't like violence, t & a, booze or rock & roll don't listen or watch and don't let your children listen or watch. You want to act like the American rendition of the of the Islamic moon-bats feel free to do so! However don't tell me what I like, what I can look at, what I can say, or what I can do. I'm a rebel to the core, you tell me I can't or shouldn't do something, that's just what I'll do!

Mind you own business and keep your politically correct pie hole closed, before someone closes it for you!