Clinton writes new video game bill

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BlanchPrez
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Clinton writes new video game bill

Post by BlanchPrez »

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/gta ... id=6140535

I can't say I'm totally against the idea behind this bill. As of right now, there is nothing enforcing the ESRB.

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Post by Neuro »

And why do you think this is an exercise appropriate to the federal government?
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Post by BlanchPrez »


[quote="Neuro"]And why do you think this is an exercise appropriate to the federal government?[/quote]

I don't know that I feel that so much as so far, the video game industry has done nothing to prevent it. They've created the ESRB, but then do nothing to enforce it. It's complelty useless. I would rather the government not make a law that enforceses it, becuse it will lead to censership, no matter what the writters of the bill say. But, as I said, I'm not against the IDEA behind the bill.



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Post by Gotetsu »

When I first saw this thread upon opening the Forum, the title was shortened to "Clinton writes new video game..." and I thought "Cool, another new Leisure Suit Larry game!" Then I saw that it was about his Nazi-bitch wife, and went "Ugh!"

But I did read a couple of paragraphs. Seems like sensationalist grandstanding to me. People who buy the GTA games for the "sexual contant" more then likely have other, more pressing issues they need to deal with. And there's no amount of law-making that hasn't already been done to stop that.

Censorship sucks!
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Post by Cthulhu »

I disagree that an unenforced ESRB is completely useless. It still serves as a guideline for parents to choose what their children can and can't play. As far as I'm concerned, the less government babysitting we have, the more parents will have to step in and mind their children.
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Post by Gotetsu »


[quote="Cthulhu"]I disagree that an unenforced ESRB is completely useless. It still serves as a guideline for parents to choose what their children can and can't play. As far as I'm concerned, the less government babysitting we have, the more parents will have to step in and mind their children.[/quote]
:word: , :word: and :word:

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Post by BlanchPrez »


[quote="Cthulhu"]I disagree that an unenforced ESRB is completely useless. It still serves as a guideline for parents to choose what their children can and can't play. As far as I'm concerned, the less government babysitting we have, the more parents will have to step in and mind their children.[/quote]

While I don't disagree with this statement, here's what happens.



How many times did you buy something your parents told you never to buy behind your parents back, and they never knew? I did, lots of times, and that included video games. I never played my video games around my parents, so they never knew. And you can ask Gotetsu, my parents are not the "video game to babysit" kind of parents.



So, a young kind in this same situation goes into a store to buy a video game rated AO. The store does NOTHING to stop him. Why should they? There is no consiquence for letting him buy it, and they get his money in the process. This is what bugs me.



Let me us a different example. There is a law that forbids selling porn to minors. Because of that law, any little liquor store that sells porn mags ID's everyone that buys those mags, and does not sell to obviouslly kids. (Okay, maybe not all of them, but some do). Why? There's consiquences for selling porn to the kids.



Now, idealy, this law is not needed, because it's the parents responsiblity to keep porn out of their kids hands. But that doesn't stop the kid from getting it some other way, behind their parents back. This law helps to make that behind the back purchase a little harder.



Does it stop it entirelly? No. Do I expect it to? No. But my point is laying sole blam for kids getting adult content video games at the feet of the parents only goes so far. At some point, I think the retellers need to have some responsibilty for making sure that some 12 year old isn't buying BMX XXX.



Just like I would want the liquer store owners to be responsible for not selling that same 12 year old a porn mag.



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Post by Neuro »

I think it's all about personal responsibility.
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Post by BlanchPrez »


[quote="Neuro"]I think it's all about personal responsibility.[/quote]

Care to expand on that?



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Post by Neuro »

Sure, I think that it isn't the federal government's place to enforce decency or child-rearing standards. I think you're responsible as a parent for the content your child views and for rearing the child in such a way that instills the values you find appropriate. Beyond that, it's up to the child to do the right thing or not. Children aren't incapable of ethical choices. They know what's up. If a child is willfully disobeying a parent, that isn't the problem or domain of the government or anyone else, really.
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Post by opwunder »

So, Blanch, did playing those games you weren't supposed to warp you into someone other that what you would have become had you not played them. I snuck a few dirty mags out of the ol' liquor store (if they wouldn't sell them that is) and kept 'em under the bed or behind the dresser. And they certainly didn't make me the worse for it (I can just here the comments now). When my father found them though, you can bet your bottom dollar that my bottom wasn't sat on for a while (I still think he kept them for himself, but that's another story).

My friend down the block, wouldn't even look at them when I tried to show them to him. He became a priest (nuff said)...

I have to agree that it is up to the individual parents and children to make these decisions for themselves as long as there is some form of information dissemination (such as a rating system) so that an accurate decision can be made.

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Post by Infernus »

Will never see a vote because it doesnt hold water. Federal law cannot enforce anything based on a privately operated rating system. They would need to create their own equivalent of an ESRB rating system, then they could enforce it.

This is also not only a foolish waste of time and money better spent in the middle of WAR, but a clear step in the wrong direction. We need to put this burden where it belongs, on the parents. Not the guy behind the counter making min wage during his after-school job.

Simple example - You have sheltered little jimmy from the darkity dark evil of Grand Theft Auto - because you know it is a murder simulator. You give him safe games. Little Jimmy goes to play at his friend Timmy's house, Timmy has parents who have taught him the difference between reality and video games and have purchased GTA for him. Little Jimmy plays the game anyways, but wasnt properly prepared or monitored by his parents and has difficulty distinguishing reality from simulation. Jimmy may react intelligently and learn this on his own, or continued exposure to things his parents never prepared him for may turn him into one of the news headlines Senator Clinton points at. (And dont delude yourself into thinking Video games are the only source of violence or sexual content. How old were you when you first saw porn? How old were you when you first saw someone killed on Television or the Movies? How old were you when you first read a book where one character kills another?)

Educate your children. Monitor your children. If you cant do that, dont have them. Prepare your children for reality, teach them to distinguish between right and wrong, fake and real. You are not able to prevent them from being exposed to things before you think they are ready.
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Post by Andok »


[quote="Neuro"]Sure, I think that it isn't the federal government's place to enforce decency or child-rearing standards. I think you're responsible as a parent for the content your child views and for rearing the child in such a way that instills the values you find appropriate. Beyond that, it's up to the child to do the right thing or not. Children aren't incapable of ethical choices. They know what's up. If a child is willfully disobeying a parent, that isn't the problem or domain of the government or anyone else, really.[/quote]

Something must be wrong. I completely agree with Neuro! :eek: :razz:

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Post by Gotetsu »

I let my daughter play GTA. I just turned the volume down, because she doesn't really need to hear all the Fuckity-Fuck-Fuck that goes on. But she just enjoyed driving and crashing the cars. And who doesn't play that game for that anyways?

Yeah, as many of you know, I'm a big advocate of parental responsibility in child-rearing. I don't need the government telling me what my kid can and can't see. Sure, on this issue, their heart is in the right place. Kids shouldn't be playing GTA behind their parents' backs. However, how often does a law stop at it's intended purpose? Every law and legal Act creates a potential for abuse of power (Patriot Act, anyone?), no matter how noble the intended purpose is. Sooner or later, some ambulance-chaser will cite this law in an unrelated case, and then there will be trouble.
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Post by smartmonkey »

My parents always knew what I was playing, video game wise. If (heaven forbid/god shield us) I ever had kids, you can be -damn- sure I'll know what they're playing.

This law is probably going to explode in mid-air and crash - and I don't mind at all. The people advocating it would do better to start paying attention to what their kids are doing, rather than blaming the people producing games for a living.
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Post by BlanchPrez »

All right, this post is not intended to try and convince anyone of my point, as that is obviously not ever going to happen. Instead, I am going to point out some facts about me that, personally, I don't think I should have to because of previous posts. So, here we go:

1. I am NOT (repete NOT!) against video game violence or even video game sex.
2. I am NOT for video game censorship
3. I DO believe that the buck stops at the parents.
4. I, as a parent, want the ability to buy my kid whatever game I want. If I buy GTA for my kids, thats my decision, not the governments.
5. HOWEVER, I do NOT want my kid to have that same freedom on his own. Right now, there is nothing stoping a 6 year old with his own money buying GTA from Best Buy, and that bugs me.

That's it, I'm done with this thread.

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Post by Gotetsu »


[quote="BlanchPrez"]Right now, there is nothing stoping a 6 year old with his own money buying GTA from Best Buy[/quote]
Except his parents.



Ok, I'll stop.

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Post by Neuro »


[quote="Gotetsu"]And who doesn't play that game for that anyways?[/quote]

Actually, I'm in it for the police car and ambulance stealing and crashing.

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Post by Gotetsu »


[quote="Neuro"]Actually, I'm in it for the police car and ambulance stealing and crashing.[/quote]
But that's just a specialized facet of the overall draw of the game. Steal and crash vehicles with impunity. I personally like to make jumps in the delivery van.

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