Utah bill that equates games with porno passes in House of Rep

[CptStern]

"The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to yank violent video games out of the hands of minors and punish as felons adults who provide such entertainment to children.
Rep. David Hogue, R-Riverton, implied such games played a serious role in school shootings such as Columbine.
"Would these same kids have done this anyway without watching violent videos? Maybe not." he said. "

HB257, which passed 56-8, would add extremely violent "interactive video or electronic" games to the state's statute protecting minors from harmful material; the statute is commonly used to prosecute those who provide pornography to children.
Hogue mentioned such games as Resident Evil 4 and Grand Theft Auto.

To violate the terms of the legislation, a violent video game would have to be "patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community" and lack any serious "literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors."

Republican Margaret Dayton and Salt Lake City Democrat Ross Romero, questioned HB257's constitutionality.
Dayton said the bill was "frustrating." She dislikes such video games but said violence has certain constitutional protections that pornography does not have.
"That's why we can have pictures in the Bible, battle scenes or war movies," she said.
Romero also didn't like the fact the bill could land a parent in jail for two weeks, if they buy an extremely violent video game for their child."


remember "extremely violent" means Resident Evil 4

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3541146

the bill still needs senate approval to be passed into law

 

[CptStern]

heh a thread on rice gets more attention than an assualt on our industry by people who've probably never played a game in their lives


maybe this should be in the politics section ..will a mod do the honours please

 

[Greatgat]

To violate the terms of the legislation, a violent video game would have to be "patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community" and lack any serious "literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors."

That sounds kind of like the rules the FCC has for TV standards. Like how any show has to have an educational element, or be "decent".

So, has anybody seen "Drawn Together"?

edit: The rice is pretty delicious though. This thread just leaves a filmy taste in my mouth.

 

[Donut4000]

Isn't this mentality making steps down the same road of those that blamed Marilyn Manson for the Columbine shootings - insofar as a specific genre/person etc can cause so much 'corruption' in our youth, they go off the rails. I seem to remember that one being rounded off toi a fair degree with the sensible realisation that it's maybe good parenting, education and upbrining that keeps most of us from kiilling each other, rather than a pop song or video game. I know I'm summarising things a wee bit too carelessly - but you can see the point I'm making....

 

[CptStern]

yes but it's far easier to blame a video game than bad parenting, an overburdened educational system and societal problems as a whole

 

[Dr. Freeman]

so games an porno on the same level?
two dolts thought that was good? wow... :|
just wait for the soccer moms to back it up...

 

[Nat Turner]

OMG.. not Columbine.. thousands of kids die to school shootings a year!!!



Yes, let's sacrifice all our rights because there's some insignicant risks involved in life.

 

[Donut4000]

OMG.. not Columbine.. thousands of kids die to school shootings a year!!!



Yes, let's sacrifice all our rights because there's some insignicant risks involved in life.

Where are you posting from? - I'm not being funny - I'm posting from Glasgow, and in the UK as a whole, there are very few death in children to guns...if I'm being dull because where you live, this is a problem - I am sorry; this was an example to illustrate a point. I think we both agree this proposed law won't help those it's suppost to protect. : )

 

[Nat Turner]

Where are you posting from? - I'm not being funny - I'm posting from Glasgow, and in the UK as a whole, there are very few death in children to guns...if I'm being dull because where you live, this is a problem - I am sorry; this was an example to illustrate a point. I think we both agree this proposed law won't help those it's suppost to protect. : )

I was sarcastic with my initial statement. I apologize if that was unclear.

 

[Direwolf]

Well I do agree that Resident Evil is really darned violent and innappropriate for anyone under 13 (hell, maybe older), but they're not different than movies. Either ban everything, or don't ban arbitrary things.

 

[CptStern]

it's not so much that they shouldnt be sold to minors (I actually agree with that) it's more about the fact that they are considered obscenities in the same catagory as pornography. How will that affect product placement/sales?

 

[Greatgat]

it's not so much that they shouldnt be sold to minors (I actually agree with that) it's more about the fact that they are considered obscenities in the same catagory as pornography. How will that affect product placement/sales?

If games=pornography? Probably drive sales through the ****ing roof.

 

[Sulkdodds]

I am annoyed not so much by the decision itself but the frankly ridiculous reason it was taken. :|

 

[CptStern]

If games=pornography? Probably drive sales through the ****ing roof.

not really ...when's the last time you saw an Adults Only title on a shelf?

 

[Donut4000]

I tend to agree with Sulkdodds - seems to me to be another 'rolls eyes to the ceiling' ruling....I am getting more and more tired of conservative ideologies....they are making me <want> to break laws....puerile..but true in my easily goaded case..

 

[VirusType2]

This reminds me of when I was a kid, and found a pron movie in my brothers room.

at the begining of the the movie, it says blah blah FBI federal law prohibits minors to view this

No, I don't think young children should be alowed to view it, but by the time you are going through puberty, its not like you are learning much and should be able to view the stuff I mean, is it really that big of a deal? Its natural. hey are encouraging minors to break laws and this starts you down a road where, "hey, its illegal and im easily getting away with it, its not like the FBI could find out ive got a VHS tape in my VCR." This starts a child realizing its easy to get away with breaking the law, etc, and they start getting that ciminal mentality.

I mean did any young teenager find Dads porn collection and see the FBI warning and then take the tape out of the VCR? I THINK NOT!

Now with the internet they are trying to get info from Google and what-not. I think its an invasion of privacy. I mean catching hits to "how to make a bomb and blow up americans.com" and spying on their privacy - Im all for this, catch those ****ing terrorists and exploitists,

but who cares if John Doe Jr. in Kansas has a boner and is looking at a nude woman - god forbid!! only were born naked!! Thats ****ing personal man, just becuase the image is on my (or any other American Citizen's) TV screen (PC monitor) and not on a piece of paper (dirty magazine), doesn't give anyone a right to break my right to privacy and to look in my window (spy my internet) god damnit. HUgh hefner is laughing in his old ass wrinkly bones right now.

These old bastards running the government are PISSED that they can't get an erection anymore in their old age and they want every one else to suffer as well. Ok i've got an idea, lets completely abandon the constitution that founded this great country and make the rules up as we go along ( "as you see fit" I should say - unjust or no) you wrinkle bag ****ers.


And in closing, why is it so horrifying for a young teenager to see a couple of older teens and 20 somethings humping? You can see creatures mating on the discovery channel on TV. You can look in your pet container and watch your two gerbils ****, does that make you a criminal? I understand decency, i don't want to see your Grand parents walking down the street in the nude, or getting it on, but I think they need to ****ing relax. I wasn't aware that it was a felony to let your little 13 year old brother borrow a PLayboy magazine. Sheesh thats harsh

So what happens when a child walks in, and seems Mom and Dad screwing? Parents get taken from their children and locked up too? maybe. if you let idiots run the government.

EDIT:
Parents need to explain better to their children about sex, and the dangers of disease and pregnancy, instead of just yelling at your kids threatening them, saying "DO NOT HAVE SEX' the first thing they are going to do is haev sex if you say that.

Think.

 

[Sulkdodds]

I like how here in Britain, you have to be 18 to buy porn or see an 18-rated film. But you can have sex at 16.

 

[VirusType2]

I like how here in Britain, you have to be 18 to buy porn or see an 18-rated film. But you can have sex at 16.

Ironicaly, here as well - or at least at one time years back (not sure if this is still the law) - you had to be 21 to buy the softcore magazines such as Playboy, but only 18 to buy the full-on hardcore XXX movies... go figure


Well, im probably wrong in saying this, but it seems they seem to group the human spieces fornicating (humping) right along with murdering, and its just completely WTF

Every creature on this earth that I know of has an insatiable desire to hump or get humped. ( individual preference ) Its born into you, and its NOT the same as an insatiable desire to murder people, which is absolutely reserved for phsyco-paths, etc.

So why is sex such a terrible thing?

It's not.

But your government may have you believe it is, in an effort to cut down teenage pregnancy that Social Security may have to pay for your child to grow up, since it can actually be impossible to raise a child on your own.

You can't mother a child (feed, supervise, etc,) while you are at work...

 

[Steven]

I like how here in Britain, you have to be 18 to buy porn or see an 18-rated film. But you can have sex at 16.

...Sigged.

 

[Yuri]

It's like that in Amerika too. Depends on the state, but it can be 16, 17 or 18... I think. It's 17 here, I'm pretty sure.

 

[ríomhaire]

So what? Aren't extremly violent games not aloud be given to children anyway?

 

[Solaris]

Not in America.

I actually think the rating system we've got for games in the UK is pretty cool.
Kids couldn't buy GTA, but there parents could buy it for them, and it if gives little timmy nightmare thats their fault for buying him an 18rated game.

 

[VirusType2]

Not in America.

I actually think the rating system we've got for games in the UK is pretty cool.
Kids couldn't buy GTA, but there parents could buy it for them, and it if gives little timmy nightmare thats their fault for buying him an 18rated game.

No thats the same deal in America.

It's up to the parents if their children can view R rated movies or play M rated games. In fact a child can view an R rated movie in the theatres when accompanied by an adult.

But to purchace an M rated game or rent or buy an R rated movie by yourself is 17 in America not 18. I actually think thats a bit high becuase you only have to be 18 to see an XXX rated movie. Wow you must really mature alot in 1 year..

 

[JoeCLawrence]

So far in the US the deal is that its legal for anyone to buy an M or AO rated games, but every store in existance has policies in place that say you have to show ID or some such. The majority of M rated games thus are bought by adults, or with parental permission. This means that a bill would be almost completly pointless, which nearly everyone ignores when proposing these bills. Not to mention that similar laws have been struck down as unconstitutional. But this is Utah, it is the most conservative state in the whole country.

 

[CptStern]

So far in the US the deal is that its legal for anyone to buy an M or AO rated games, but every store in existance has policies in place that say you have to show ID or some such. The majority of M rated games thus are bought by adults, or with parental permission. This means that a bill would be almost completly pointless, which nearly everyone ignores when proposing these bills. Not to mention that similar laws have been struck down as unconstitutional. But this is Utah, it is the most conservative state in the whole country.

not when parents face jailtime if they're caught buying a game for a minor:

"the bill could land a parent in jail for two weeks, if they buy an extremely violent video game for their child."

 

[VirusType2]

not when parents face jailtime if they're caught buying a game for a minor:

"the bill could land a parent in jail for two weeks, if they buy an extremely violent video game for their child."

So this bill is sure to pass Stern? and this is nationwide?

While I don't know if I agree with the punishment, we will have to see how it pans out, but I definately agree that young children, specifically pre-teens and below should be sheltered from the mature themed entertainment we have these days.

Children are extremely impressionable, really look up to adults, and mimic thier actions.

When I was 13 i was smoking, drinking, cussing, trading weapons with friends, vandalizing, getting arrested, etc. and I didn't even have these bad influences, so im not sure it will help, but I don't think its hurting anyone to impose stricter laws governing sales of mature rated entertainment.

Maybe a 10 year old playing a game killing cops, listening to music that talks about killing cops, and watching movies that show the "hero" killing cops would be one screwed up little kid IMO.

I am annoyed not so much by the decision itself but the frankly ridiculous reason it was taken.

Agreed.