RSSSenate OKs Research on Violent Games
By Ed Oswald | Published March 9, 2006, 2:00 PM
A Senate panel has opened the doors to possible government action over violent video games by approving a study on the matter Wednesday.
Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) persuaded the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to recommend such an action by approving the Children and Media Research Advancement Act. While the bill itself does not necessarily restrict violent video games, it would look into doing so as part of a larger study.
Laws that have attempted to restrict violent game sales have been repeatedly ruled unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds in several states. Each time, judges also cited as part of their decision little evidence that violent games were detrimental to children.
While this proposal would not answer the questions of the First Amendment rights of both the game makers and those who play them, it appears to aim to back up the laws on scientific grounds.
The bill includes sponsors from the other side of the aisle, including Republicans Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Sam Brownback of Kansas, as well as Democrat Evan Bayh of Indiana.
"As policymakers - and as parents - we have a responsibility to examine the effects of media on our children, a responsibility this legislation can better enable us to fulfill," Lieberman said following the legislation's approval. "No one is looking out, in a systematic way, for cumulative impact of today's newer electronic media on our children."
Lieberman's bill counts endorsements from several child advocacy organizations, including the Children's Digital Media Center, the Center for Media and Child Health at Harvard University Medical School, Children Now, the American Psychological Association, Common Sense Media and the Parents Television Council.
The bill was first introduced in May of 2004, and calls for a research program to be developed within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which would work in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Over a six-year period, the CDC would be permitted to issue grants to study the effects of violent video games.
The legislation would also cover research on violence in other media, including movies, television, the Internet, and on cellular phones.
Among the laws opponents are the American Civil Liberties Union, which says that free speech may be in danger if some potential harm is discovered as a part of these studies.
Gamers have also negatively responded to attempts to regulate the industry, saying it is the responsibility of parents -- not the industry or the retailer -- to monitor their children's gaming purchases.
This is how that quote should read...
"No one is looking out, in a systematic way, for cumulative impact of today's corrupt politicians on our children."
Talk about being bought and paid for by the special interest groups.
As some have said, this is really about control. The govnt wants to control what we think. They don't trust us to make good choices so they have to run our lives.
The town I live in just banned smoking in any publically accessible building (resturants/bars etc...) I don't even smoke and I think that is just wrong. Next they will ban fast food because I am not equipped to make the proper dietary choices.
Now they think that they can help raise my kids. It is bad enough that they get socialist propaganda at school. And get told that it is not the terrorists fault that they are forced to kill people, but that those women and children that they blew up had it coming because of what the big bad US did. That we should try to understand them...
It is ultimately the parents job of deciding what a kid does, eats, sees, and learns. Not all parents are good ones and yes that is not really fair to the kids, but when was life ever fair. The govmt needs to just accept that and stick to what they should be doing. Which is NOT telling us how to think.
Maybe violent games are really necessary though...after all they could be good training tools for when the people have to take their country back from the government.
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|"Then don't watch TV. Its that simple."
"We have the best censorship in the US, its called an off button."
-----^
How true that is.. It's ridiculous that they are even thinking about doing this. What next, goverment is gonna inspect our $hit in the toilet before we can flush it? This is beyond retarded!
IMO
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|I read some of the quotes. This is very interesting. For one, if parents don't want to see their children to play violent video games, then don't buy them. All games come with a rating attached to them. Furthermore, I know that if later on this causes a censorship in our video games, then outsoursing of jobs will be even worst. Because the gov't could enforce a measure like this in the states, but not in China. Why would gaming manufacturers make censored games here, when they could make whatever they want in China and simply export them to the states?
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|Cause the United States of a******s dominates the world.... Any law made in USA is expected to be world wide... it's force on us.
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|That's far from the truth. How can people like you say Americans are a$$holes when you act no better by saying junk like that?
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|the games are actually made in the USA. They are farmed out for manufacturing to China, because they are cheap labor. Most of your better games, are created by US programmers.
We have freedom of speech in this country, and there is no censorship. If there were, we would be in chaos, because this country was founded on freedom beliefs.. Among others.
Censorship is not the problem, its people blaming and finger pointing. No one wants to believe they suck at parenting, but facts are facts. Just because you have children, doesn't mean you know how to raise them.
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|This Reminds me of the 80's when they tried to censor the music we listen to. But instead of words they want the pictures gone and the way we interact with the game. If they wanted the games censored they should have started with the first Mario cause you had to kill something to get to the next level
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|I may be alone here, but I am for the 'study'. Enforcement would be another issue, but I will tell you this, I am sick of the commercials for the next more-violent CSI like forensic shows. I can't watch anything with kids anymore since the commrecials for SAW, CSI, and other crap shows highlight the 'best' parts. Anyone watch the superbowl this year? I was so mad that the FCC complained for months about a breast - no big deal - but said nothing about this year's commercials.
That said, I do believe games are controllable by parents, and I do agree that I don't want/need anything more than the ratings they currently have. I do hope TV can clean their acts up, and maybe this could help - I don't have control over violent commercials - wish I did though.
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|I dunno about the laws in the US, but here in Aus, you can't show ads for PG or M rated stuff between 3 and 7 (kids hours I believe)
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|Then don't watch TV. Its that simple.
We have the best censorship in the US, its called an off button.
If TV offends you this much, then quit watching it. Don't instill your beliefs on others by controlling media content. You can't tell the rest of us what is "acceptable" simply because you don't like it. Change the damn channel, turn it off, or quit b****ing, either way, we aren't forcing you to continue to be uncomfortable.
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|I'm a very long time PC gamer. Before that I played games on an Atari 2600, Commodore 64, Coleco Adam, and Intellivision. My parents were responsible enough to oversee what my 3 brothers and I were playing. I totally oppose government regulation of video games (responsible parent(s) does not have to be an oxymoron) but not research on the effect games have. The research results should not be used to censor games but to inform parents so they can make more informed purchasing decisions for their children.
That being said, I believe the big laugh is how America RE-ELECTS a president (my bad--he was never elected the first time--he was appointed by the Supreme Court) who REALLY takes away our rights.
The same people who protest about something as trivial as video games in comparison to say, wiretapping our conversations, are mute when it comes to much greater rights issues--like the Patriot Act. Want to know more? Visit my blog: the-scrat.blogspot.com
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|Like you, I've been playing games all my life, starting with a 286 PC when I was five. I don't believe doom 2, and wacky wheels - the games I played - effected my behavor at all.
My parents were also responsible enough to monitor what I was playing - But some parents are lazy and like to blame everyone else for their mistakes.
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|Yes. thats it exactly. Its easier to just blame video games for your kids downfall.
Little johnny takes drugs, its because he plays that damn GTA! Yeah, that's it! Let's ban it!
Whatever, the game does not influence the child, like you, I have been playing video games (violent versions) for years. Even if the games did have an effect, it would have to affect EVERYONE the same way, before it could be proven the acts came from the game.
obviously since you and I are not whacked on drugs, or haven't pulled out an UZI to shoot someone, then those games didn't have an adverse affect. Therefore, the games are not to blame.
Its not my fault some other student can't separate reality from the virtual game... Maybe that too can be blamed on the parents, because they didn't spend any time with their children, so they choose the next course of events to seek attention. Therein lies the crux of the problem.
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|Your comments against Bush just don't make sense. Maybe you should read the article better, it's Hillary Clinton, the Democrats, you Left Wing party of '68s commies the one who proposed this kind of censoring on videogames.
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|I'm happy to know that my money is being well spend. Nevermind social security, medicaid, aids cancer, stemcell research and all those useless things. Oh yeah, and forget all those homeless people in new orleans. It serves them right to live in the path of a cat5 hurricane. The city should have just moved out of the way, that'll teach them!!! Now lets get back to what really matters VIDEO GAMES... God Bless those men and women in the senate. I don't know about the rest of you but I feel safer already.
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|What about the dangers to a childs mental health that comes from a cheating father who spends a lot of time with interns and lies about what they do together, then comes home smelling of cigars.
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|We are not slowly loosing our freedom, thanks to morons like Hillary and others we already lost it.
I feel america is a communist country coz the goverment is telling you what to do and what not, where are the good old days where is the gold old america where we enjoyed and the third world countries worked for us LOL
Wait till the middle eastern guys take over our port and slowly take over United states LOL
God Bless the USA
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|"As policymakers - and as parents - we have a responsibility to examine the effects of media on our children, a responsibility this legislation can better enable us to fulfill,"
As pointed out -- he says "media". How wide ranging is that?
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|Come on Bill sleep with your wife for a change since she can't have any fun she is looking to ruin everyone elses or atleast buy her something battery operated;)
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|What the hell?
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|Basically he is trying to say that Senator Clinton needs to get some, therefore she is showing her displeasure with her personal life, and its starting to affect policy.
He may be right, but regardless of what you think of hillary, she isn't all that un-attractive.. As far as senators go, and people on capital hill, there aren't that many women (other than interns, secretary's) in her position of power, that is umm..shall we say.. acceptable to bed. She may not be a model, but she is just good looking enough that she probably could get any man she wants.. within reason..
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|This will pave the way for all government control. Make no mistake, this isn't an all out war on Computer Games, its a way for the government to sieze control over games, movies, tv shows, music, etc..
They are attacking games, because they seem to have a violent theme, but violent or not, its no worse than your average horror movie.
If they can control the gaming industry and make the games "acceptable" who do you think they will go after next? That's right, movies.
Parenting is no excuse for kids. They should be able to judge based upon their own merits. I don't need some aging political moron to tell me how violent a game is. If kids didn't like the damn games, they wouldn't play the damn games. Obviously they find them entertaining.
Violence does NOT precipitate a youngster to explore a games reality, that's already been done. If they grow up in a bad neighborhood, or identify with the game, then it will catch their eye. So what? Its a violent game, to me, its therapy. It keeps me from beating the hell of that idiot drivin with his damn cell phone.. I go home, waste some aliens, and its a good couple hours of entertainment, that's all.
Don't try to schmooze people into thinking they are trying to make a more "docile" society, that's just BS. They are trying to control kids and games. Period.
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|We are slowly losing our freedom.
Personally, I'm of the strong opinion that kids shouldn't be in doors playing video games, but outdoors enjoying life... but thats my opinion...
If a PARENT wants to let a kid play GTA, then I also believe that thats their choice... the government can't control this.
"The legislation would also cover research on violence in other media, including movies, television, the Internet, and on cellular phones."
Does that mean your going to make it illegal for anyone under 18 ("kids") to use the internet? bas****s.
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|no one here has mentioned the fact that the standards for game ratings are set by the industry itself (just like the movies.) this type of self-policing is never effective. (take away the EPA, and you'd be drinking radioactive sludge with your lunch today - perhaps a nice DDT/mercury sandwich?)
parents need a NONBIASED, unsubjective third party, one without a financial stake in what they're rating, to evaluate media and help them make informed decisions. let's face it -- in today's media-saturated environment, even the best parents can't filter everything their kid is exposed to without help.
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|Don't parents have their own brains to judge what is better for their own children ? The State must not waste resources in these kind of nonsense things.
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|Lovely. Thanks for spending my money so wisely, you tools.
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