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"Killing police officers. Carjacking. Picking up prostitutes, stealing their money, murdering them. Being rewarded with topless strippers. This is a sample of what Oklahoma's children are bombarded with from a number of popular video games."
Thus begins a press release issued by Oklahoma State Rep. Fred Morgan (R), trumpeting unanimous House passage of HB3004, video game legislation he proposed.
"I think there are grandparents and parents that have no idea what's in these games and I think that's a shame," Morgan said. "The industry has successfully challenged every law passed by local or state government but because citizens are continuing to demand that something be done, legislatures continue to try to find reasonable and constitutional ways to restrict access to these extremely violent, sexist and graphic games. The growing body of research shows that these games are harmful to impressionable children."
According to Morgan's press release, HB3004 "expands the definition of 'harmful to minors' to include the inappropriate violence often found in some of today's most popular video games. This includes violence that is glamorized or gratuitous, endorses or glorifies torture, and does not show the consequences of violence. It also includes video games that may depict lead characters freely resorting to violence without thought to the consequences."
Under Morgan's bill, retailers who sell violent games to minors could be charged with a misdemeanor and fined up to $1,000.00. The measure will now move on to the Oklahoma Senate for consideration.
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March 17 2006, 12:26:52 UTC 6 years ago
Won't it be frustrating?
Wouldn't it be frustrating to those goverment? If those proud video game legistators keep on wasting paper writing many bills.Wasting trees. How sad, trees are used for paper. Its just sad that they kept on wasting many papers on unconstitutional bills.
March 17 2006, 15:06:25 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Won't it be frustrating?
I'd be equally concerned about the tax money being wasted, myself.6 years ago
March 17 2006, 12:28:11 UTC 6 years ago
Actually, this is what Oklahoma's population (not just their children) are bombarded with from various forms of media. And in the case of video games, only ONE (the GTA serie) actually features those aspects.
I propose we rename the Bill the Ban GTA bill, and that it gets thrown out on Constitutional grounds due to the fact it restricts Free Speech.
John Marshall must be laughing in his tomb at all the idiots passing those bills right now.
March 17 2006, 12:31:45 UTC 6 years ago
*sarcasm* Gee another bill WoW
"Killing police officers. Carjacking. Picking up prostitutes, stealing their money, murdering them. Being rewarded with topless strippers. This is a sample of what Oklahoma's children are bombarded with from a number of popular video games"Well im guessing either they are talking about gta san andreas or bmx xxx both games that shouldnt be in the hands of kids...*slaps head* *begin sarcasm* duh damn i keep forgetting only children play video games...why oh why do i continue to forget that*End sarcasm*
"'harmful to minors' to include the inappropriate violence often found in some of today's most popular video games. This includes violence that is glamorized or gratuitous, endorses or glorifies torture, and does not show the consequences of violence. It also includes video games that may depict lead characters freely resorting to violence without thought to the consequences."
Wouldnt any of the mario rpg's on the gamecube fall under that category and also couldnt they say we love katamari and the orginal also fall under that...or is it like most bills where they are stupid enough to believe that something like this will just be to target gta? which is of course a game not suitable for kids..so is commen sense gone among most of these people?
"I think there are grandparents and parents that have no idea what's in these games and I think that's a shame"
Yea and there are parents and grandparents who buy it for kids who are no where near the age for that game..like the mother that bought it for her 8 year old child and then bitched because i guess the name
March 17 2006, 12:36:14 UTC 6 years ago
Lol Dammit dennis make a edit feature
Yea and there are parents and grandparents who buy it for kids who are no where near the age for that game..like the mother that bought it for her 8 year old child and then bitched because i guess the name GRAND THEFT AUTO wasnt enough for her to realize it aint a game for little billy.then there was the grandmother who bought it for her 14 year old grandson and even though 3 years isnt that much to me i think by that age they realize the difference between right and wrong so im cool with a kid that age playing it."The industry has successfully challenged every law passed by local or state government but because citizens are continuing to demand that something be done, legislatures continue to try to find reasonable and constitutional ways to restrict access to these extremely violent, sexist and graphic games. The growing body of research shows that these games are harmful to impressionable children"
Because it violates the first amendment..of course the second someone would try to take away the first amendment of these politicians they would be bitching left and right..Fucking hypocrites
in case anyone cares there is a new journal up on mine i had a idea the other day (its rare but it happens) on how to help out parents with this whole video game crap since it seems someone needs to hold their damn hands.some of you may like it and some of you may not but it could work
March 17 2006, 12:32:19 UTC 6 years ago
Why oh why?
Yeah, it will be a laugh to millions of people that those legistators kept writing many bills despite the fact that those unconstitutional bills were rejected.I can't believe my eyes that these legistators were stubborn and still harden their hearts! Why oh why do these legistators not learn that their bills were rejected and was considered unconstitutional? Sending and repeating those bills over and over again are annoying to the goverment, it is sad that this can go unpunished.
March 17 2006, 18:09:11 UTC 6 years ago
They know they're unconstitutional, they just don't care...
It's all about the positive press the media gives them.March 17 2006, 12:34:15 UTC 6 years ago
Solutions?
I believe they are called "parents."
March 17 2006, 12:37:29 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Solutions?
Yea but remember parents dont know what these "nintendo toys" are about and also they have to work a job so they just cant take the time to do research*pure sarcasm*
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March 17 2006, 12:54:29 UTC 6 years ago
What he really means....
..."legislatures continue to try to find reasonable and constitutional ways to restrict access to these extremely violent, sexist and graphic games."...Henceforth what he really means is legislators love wasting millions of taxpayers dollars on what will be an unwinnable court battle to trump their legislation that will gain them votes and appease the masses because they can't solve the REAL problems out there that are effecting society. I feel like i'm starting to become an anarchist in some ways. Government is really starting to piss me off.
March 17 2006, 12:56:05 UTC 6 years ago
Re: What he really means....
P.S - i'm not an Anarchist and never will be but my opinion of government itself is extremely negative right now.6 years ago
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March 17 2006, 12:54:47 UTC 6 years ago
chipping away....
Wow....just...wow....its bad enough the gov found a way to chip awayat "right to bear arms" till it was nothing but if this actualy passes at law it will be a huge blow to freedom of speech /expression ect. even tho thats a long way off if they get enough morons to support it who knows what will happen.
Next thing you know saying the sentence "i hate the president" will get you 2 chargess of trason and conspiracy to commit treason >.>....think 1938 germany and you will get the idea chipping away until it no longer exist.
In any case i hope somthing this blatantly unconstitutional doesnt pass...i still have some hope left for this countrys integrity(sue me my grammar sux :( ).
March 17 2006, 12:56:41 UTC 6 years ago
That's hard to do when the foundation of such legislation is unconstitutional to begin with.
P.S. - I hate kids.
March 17 2006, 12:59:55 UTC 6 years ago
Before i go play magna carta or go back to sleep
am i the only one who when i hear this "for the children" crap i wanna quote george carlin"Fuck the children"
March 17 2006, 13:03:33 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Before i go play magna carta or go back to sleep
Yes, Yes, Yes, I absolutly hate the "Please think of the Children" crap or the "We must protect the children" shit. Children don't need your protection, nor do they want it.6 years ago
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March 17 2006, 13:08:31 UTC 6 years ago
Dont blame the children!
Children are not to be blamed for this."Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."-Mark 10:14b
Those legistators aren't caring for the children at all, they dont even care about them, what they do is only violate people's freedom and wasting trees that God had given us!
I care for the children, I know that we must think of the children, but is this the way to think of the children? Probably not, those legistators are just hardening their hearts and I pray that God will soften their hearts and know that those unconstitutional bills they are creating must stop.
March 17 2006, 13:13:44 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Dont blame the children!
"I love children. They give you so much leverage in a case like this." - The boss from Liar, LiarYou can't blame the children because the politicians are using them for their own gain.
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March 17 2006, 13:18:18 UTC 6 years ago
...
Wouldn't it be much easier to, unstead of defining what retailers cannot sell to minors, simply using the ESRB system to determined what can and cannot be sold to people of certain ages.But nooooooo....
March 17 2006, 13:20:36 UTC 6 years ago
Re: ...
Third party ratings in law have already been deemed unconstitutional with movies.6 years ago
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March 17 2006, 13:25:46 UTC 6 years ago
Ban Football and Boxing Games!
"...does not show the consequences of violence. It also includes video games that may depict lead characters freely resorting to violence without thought to the consequences."So, that would include football and boxing games, wouldn't it? I love double standards.
March 17 2006, 13:28:13 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Ban Football and Boxing Games!
Naa cause then i could see a few of the idiots saying "well we found adults play those games so there is no need for legisltion"6 years ago
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March 17 2006, 13:32:42 UTC 6 years ago
OT, time for a real study to be done.
With all the studies done claiming that video games are the cause of violence, I think maybe there is evidence of another kind that may be proving violence might have another source. Ourselves. More to the point, a lowering threshold for anger. Or a quicker "flash point".See the following article and ask the experts why they aren't studying this:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/1186586
nightwng2000
March 17 2006, 13:36:41 UTC 6 years ago
Re: OT, time for a real study to be done.
and so many of those deaths could have been prevented if it was shown that while there is a great amount of violence in gta the one thing it can be called is a stress reliever.there have been times were i was so pissed off at people i wanted to hurt that i sat down and played vice city (that was the only one i had before i bought 3 and san andreas wasnt out yet) and usually a hour or so later (usually 2 if i did missions back and fourth) i felt better and wasnt angry anymore6 years ago
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March 17 2006, 13:44:08 UTC 6 years ago
doesn't help at all
This includes violence that is glamorized or gratuitous, endorses or glorifies torture, and does not show the consequences of violence. It also includes video games that may depict lead characters freely resorting to violence without thought to the consequences."Discounts the GTA series nicely right there, since if you kill people, 9/10 times the cops come. Though I do admire their attempt to bullshit their way through.
"I think there are grandparents and parents that have no idea what's in these games and I think that's a shame," Morgan said.
well now, isn't that why the clerks are informing the parents of what's in the game? isn't that why there is descriptors on the package?
it comes down to parental laziness.
It is my firm belief if you can't take a few minutes out of your day to see what your kid is doing/playing, you don't deserve to have children.
March 17 2006, 13:50:21 UTC 6 years ago
Re: doesn't help at all
I agree with enmitywithin...Parents blame video games because they think that it is a easy escape tunnel for them and also a excuse to hide their irresponsibility.
Like Uncle Ben from "Spiderman" said,
"With great power, comes with great responsibility"
I think that is what God wants us to learn.
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March 17 2006, 13:56:54 UTC 6 years ago
Home sweet home...
Everyday something makes me glad I live in Oklahoma...I haven't heard a damn thing about this on local news by the way...
March 17 2006, 14:22:15 UTC 6 years ago
O RLY? Here comes the maths...
What fucking citizens? The only people outside of politicians I hear talking about this at all are fringe zealots like Jack or NIMF, a nasty media scaremongering piece here and there, and an occasional protest from police groups over cop killer games. If anything other than a small fraction of the the citizenry gave half a shit about this, they'd read the fucking ratings and not buy the games for their kids to begin with.
Seriously. Sales stats show that 90 something percent of games are bought by adults, which places them in a position to read the description and say no.
And out of that other ~10% of games which are bought by kids, there's, what? A 50% chance that a kid will be refused an M rated game? At worst, this leaves a maximum margin of @ 5% of total game sales for kids to buy M rated titles. Or, actually, it's probably less than that, seeing as M rated games only account for like 15% of the market.
But, yea, I'll give Rep. Morgan the benefit of the doubt, and then some, with 5%. Hell, let's say 10%. If 9 out of 10 parents/grandparents/etc.. are already buying M rated games for the kids, who exactly is left to "demand" something be done about this? And if this remaining fraction of the populace cares so bloody much, why don't they just throw their kids' Xboxen and TVs in the trash, send them to an Xtian boarding school, and leave the rest of us the hell alone?
March 17 2006, 14:45:16 UTC 6 years ago
You can write this guy a letter that will be hand delievered to any member of congress for a nominal fee. Any OK residents should draft a respectful letter. If anyone out there needs help, just ask me. Or go to pixelantenation.com and ask there. I am writing a letter to my senator (Specter R-PA), but I don't think a guy in OK will listen to me.
I repeat - RESPECTFUL.
March 17 2006, 15:08:34 UTC 6 years ago
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March 17 2006, 17:55:47 UTC 6 years ago
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March 17 2006, 15:27:11 UTC 6 years ago
By number they mean GTA and its clones, not exactly that high a number.
March 17 2006, 16:44:58 UTC 6 years ago
do-nothing bill
And this bill addresses that how? They still won't have a clue, because they're not being prevented from buying these games for their kids. And since 90% of games are supposedly bought by the parents for the children rather than the children themselves, this doesn't prevent these parents from continuing on with their ignorance of what's in these games...
*sigh*
March 17 2006, 16:45:57 UTC 6 years ago
Oh my freaking God!!
"I think there are grandparents and parents that have no idea what's in these games and I think that's a shame,"You're absolutely right, Mr. Morgan -- it's a freaking tragedy! But that tragedy is not that the games are not regulated, it's that grandparents and parents are not dialed in to their kids. They have no idea what's in these games because they are not actually involved in what their kids are doing. Isn't it you, Mr. Morgan, who noticed what your child was playing, for the very first time, when he was 11 years old? Where were you for the first 11 years? Why on earth are we absolving parents of their responsibilities? Now being an absentee parent is ok?
Change the law -- how about any parent who buys their kid a video game without being aware of its content gets fined $1,000? I gaurantee -- gaurantee -- that if you do that, the video game "problem" in this country will go away within a month. Force parents, not retailers, to be responsible for the raising of their own children.
This man thinks he's doing something good for his constituents? He's harming them. He's giving parents yet another reason to not get involved in their children's lives. You should be ashamed, sir. Absolutely ashamed.
March 17 2006, 16:56:55 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Oh my freaking God!!
DAMN RIGHT.Well said!
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March 17 2006, 16:47:55 UTC 6 years ago
As a side note
The House Bills website STILL lists this as pertaining to the pornographic content of mailable matter...So when is Morgan going to get this fixed?
March 17 2006, 16:54:23 UTC 6 years ago
Re: As a side note
Here's a link to the copy as passed by the house. The Corrections and Criminal Justice Committee amended version...http://www.lsb.state.ok.us/2005-06hb/HB
This is not the same as what is listed in the House Bill directory...
March 17 2006, 17:00:30 UTC 6 years ago
Jeezus. THE VERY GAME HE DESCRIBED IN THE FIRST SENTENCE IS FREE FROM THIS. In EVERY SINGLE Grand Theft Auto game, if you kill or commit crimes, the police will come. Eventualy the army will come. And you will eventualy be overpowered. And there is no torture in GTA. Yes, the bill will apply to some games, but what about "public enemy #1"?
March 17 2006, 17:01:38 UTC 6 years ago
"Being rewarded with topless strippers"
Oh man, what'd I miss?Deleted comment
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