Supreme Court Debates Violent Video Game Ban

[Bilge_Rat]

WASHINGTON — In a lively and sometimes testy Supreme Court argument on Tuesday over a law banning the sale of violent video games to minors, the justices struggled to define how the First Amendment should apply to a new medium.

They tried analogies — to books, films, cartoons, comic books, fairy tales and rap lyrics. They argued about what the drafters of the Bill of Rights would have made of an extremely violent game like Postal 2.



“What’s a deviant violent video game?” asked Justice Antonin Scalia, who was the law’s most vocal opponent on Tuesday. “As opposed to what? A normal violent video game?”

“Some of the Grimm’s fairy tales are quite grim,” he added. “Are you going to ban them, too?”



But Justice Scalia said there was nothing in the tradition of American free speech that would allow the government to ban depictions of violence. The thought, he said, would have been foreign to the drafters of the First Amendment, drawing a needling comment from Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., the lone dissenter in the Stevens case.

“What Justice Scalia wants to know,” Justice Alito said, “is what James Madision thought about video games.”

“No,” Justice Scalia responded, “I want to know what James Madison thought about violence.”



http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/us/03scotus.html?hp

I rarely agree with Justice Scalia, but I do on this, Government has no business regulating the content of video games.

[GoldenRivet]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/us/03scotus.html?hp

I rarely agree with Justice Scalia, but I do on this, Government has no business regulating the content of video games.

agreed.

its just more BS from the big brother getting their hands on every damn thing we do.

its ridiculous.

[AVGWarhawk]

There is so much more to exam why do they bother with video games? Come on...is there not something more pressing to rule on?

[the_tyrant]

Compared to video games, "nasties" from the 70s are much worse
don't believe me? get yourself a copy of Ilsa, she wolf of the SS
they didn't ban those movies, why ban video games?

[Dowly]

Compared to video games, "nasties" from the 70s are much worse
don't believe me? get yourself a copy of Ilsa, she wolf of the SS
they didn't ban those movies, why ban video games?

Slasher/gore/exploitation movies are much harder to get your hands to than games.

Besides, why they'd ban them, they're awesome flicks. :rock:

[Ducimus]

There is so much more to exam why do they bother with video games?

Why? Two words.

Precious Snowflakes.

These legislators forget that Kids are not always the target audience. Many Gen X'ers are avid game players, and their all in their 30's or early 40's now. Their adults, i think they can handle it.

[Rilder]

I'm pretty sure that crappy farmville game causes more violence then violent video games from housewives neglecting their children cause of their "crops"

[the_tyrant]

Slasher/gore/exploitation movies are much harder to get your hands to than games.

Besides, why they'd ban them, they're awesome flicks. :rock:

Not with the internet though
Anyways, I agree with you 200%:rock:

[Task Force]

Hmm, banning violent vediogames... yea, that will really help.:shifty:

Why dont they go ahead and ban violent books, and the news (theres violence in those storys). Dosent the government have anything better to do.

[Raptor1]

I'd like them to ban the news, it could achieve so much...

Anyway, I thought we were mostly through with this stuff when they disbarred Jack Thompson, guess not...

[Task Force]

I'd like them to ban the news, it could achieve so much...

Anyway, I thought we were mostly through with this stuff when they disbarred Jack Thompson, guess not...

I agree... They cant even get their storys right.

[AVGWarhawk]

I'm pretty sure that crappy farmville game causes more violence then violent video games from housewives neglecting their children cause of their "crops"

:yep:

[Takeda Shingen]

Gah, I would hate for this to go the way of censorship in Austrailia.

[gimpy117]

by what i have heard, there is also little to no correlation to violent video games and violence.

[Penguin]

They don't intend to ban video games, but restrict the sale to minors. The intention of the law is not censorship, it is for the protection of the kids.
How would this law differ from laws which prohibit minors to buy liquor, smokes or a Playboy magazine?


















yes, someone has to play devil's advocate:arrgh!:

[the_tyrant]

look on the bright side, all video games are banned in greece

[Ducimus]

Gah, I would hate for this to go the way of censorship in Austrailia.

In this country? Nevah! Nothing like that would ever happen! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVuwREbGh3w&feature=related)

[Penguin]

look on the bright side, all video games are banned in greece

please refrain from topics you know nothing about :damn:

[gimpy117]

They don't intend to ban video games, but restrict the sale to minors. The intention of the law is not censorship, it is for the protection of the kids.
How would this law differ from laws which prohibit minors to buy liquor, smokes or a Playboy magazine?


Someone under the age of 17 cannot buy an M-rated Game already. Trust me, I tired to buy halo 2 when I was 16. I was denied sale. My dad had to do it for me. This Proposed law is pointless

[the_tyrant]

please refrain from topics you know nothing about :damn:

sorry about that, checked my sources, and I have found that I am Very incorrect

[Sledgehammer427]

I don't see what banning violent video games would really do....?

There are already laws in place that keep the sale of these games to minors from happening. I had my father buy me a couple when I was younger and every time he did he asked to make sure none of it would go to my head. I'm not sure if it was for show but either way, I took it to heart and that's the way it is even today.

[Penguin]

@tyrant: accepted, I sometimes get oversensitive when people from NA make wrong statements about the Old World - guess it's the same the other way around

Someone under the age of 17 cannot buy an M-rated Game already. Trust me, I tired to buy halo 2 when I was 16. I was denied sale. My dad had to do it for me. This Proposed law is pointless


I thought that the ESRB ratings have no legal bindings and the retailers follow these rules voluntarily - while alcohol, tobacco and porn are restricted by law.