Sunday Editorial Roundup: All Louisiana, All the Time

This weekend's selection of editorials and op-eds all deal with Louisiana's pending video game legislation, a subject which GamePolitics has been tracking relentlessly.

First up we have none other than Jack Thompson, the Miami attorney and anti-game activist, who penned an op-ed, "Proposal is needed to prevent a Louisiana Columbine" for the Shreveport Times.

The Times, of course, ripped both Thompson and the Louisiana legislation in its own May 16th editorial, so perhaps this was the paper's way of giving the Miami attorney equal time.

Thompson's op-ed contains nothing GP readers haven't heard before, save for the news that the controversial anti-game activist will be testifying before the Louisiana State Senate this Tuesday as that body considers Rep. Roy Burrell's video game bill, HB1381. Burrell's proposal was approved by the Louisiana House unanimously earlier this month. Thompson helped draft the legislation. Beyond that, Thompson once again touts his 1999 appearance on the Today Show, cites several well-known school shootings, and mentions research data which he claims gives support to his position.

As he did at the May 10th hearing on Rep. Roy Burrell's bill in the Louisiana House, Thompson continues to push perhaps the silliest idea we've ever heard in the long-running political debate over video game content:

"All of the 'Grand Theft Auto' games are designed to be played on the PlayStation 2 with the 'dual shock' controller. This hand-held device gives you a pleasurable buzz back into your hands with each kill. This is operant conditioning, behavior modification right out of B.F. Skinner's laboratory."

Houma Today, named "Newspaper of the Year" by the Louisiana Press Association, issued an editorial in opposition to Louisiana's pending legislation. Houma Today's editors pose the question, "If it's unconstitutional, why do it?"

"The point here is not to argue in favor of selling violent and explicit materials to minors; some video games are obviously inappropriate and should not be used by kids. Our point, however, is that parents, not government, should be responsible for what kinds of video games their kids play..."

"Unless U.S. citizens repeal the First Amendment, this legislative activity must be viewed as political theater... We believe most legislators know this. We also believe they have more important things to do."

The idea of whether video games should be high on the priority list of Louisiana legislators is also raised by The Advocate.

"Nine months after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a lot of Louisiana residents are doubting that the state is moving in the right direction... the survey found significant anxiety among residents about Louisiana's future."

"But while the survey respondents picked rebuilding, education and the economy as leading issues of concern, these issues don't seem to have much of a profile down at the Capitol these days. Instead, lawmakers have been spending a lot of time, at the taxpayers' expense, discussing cockfighting, violent video games and lawyers' ads... it's looking like business as usual at the Capitol. In other words, exactly what Louisiana doesn't need."

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