RSSViolent video game labeling bill enters Congress
By Tim Conneally | Published January 13, 2009, 10:26 AM
Last Wednesday, legislation was introduced in the House that would make the Electronic Software Ratings Board (ESRB) affix a health warning label on T-rated games that links their violent content to real-life aggression.
Called The Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2009 (H.R. 231), and sponsored by Congressmen Joe Baca (D - Calif.) and Frank R. Wolf (R - Va.), the legislation calls for violent video games to be labeled with a sticker that says "WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior."
Rep. Baca cites studies from The Pediatrics Journal, University of Indiana, University of Missouri, and Michigan State University that found a correlation between aggressive behavior and the consumption of violent media.
"We must hold the video game industry accountable and do everything in our power to ensure parents are aware of the detrimental effects that violent games can have before making decisions on which games are appropriate for their children to play," said Baca in a prepared statement last week.
Baca, the founder of the Sex and Violence in the Media caucus has repeatedly criticized the ESRB's ratings system. In 2006, Congressman Baca "vowed to hold the video game industry accountable...for improperly marketing violent and sexually explicit material to children."
The people that might be affected by violence in video games would be equally affected by other aspects in their life. Exposure to violence in games does not make one violent.
Unfortunately when someone takes violent action, people look at what they do. If they play violent video games, then they blame that and not the person.
People simply need to take responsibility for their own action and not blame other things for them.
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|Gee I am so glad our government cares about us...
If they really dared, they would shut down for 11 months of the year. Its only fitting that their session match the amount of time their brains actually function, and then show up only to obligatorily raise their own salaries as they whine that it is 'so expensive' for them to have several homes (for which the government pay, and THEY keep and then realize the profit on the the appreciation!) when they should only be staying in a hotel, rental unit, or better yet, a Congressional dormatory for the short time they should be in DC instead of their home states.
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|http://sethf.com/essays/major/libstupid.php
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|My Kids = NO video games until they turn 15 and all their friends parents are informed about this.
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|What makes them ok when they are 15? If they know right from wrong and play appropriate games for their age, then there shouldn't be anything wrong with them playing them.
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|wow i guess this would be a good thing IF IT WAS TRUE! Dont they need to prove it?, ohh and wait, not all kids goto the store and buy games, there is steam, ect...
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|Idiots.
The label should read: "PARENTS! Try actually PARENTING for once!"
Since when did parenthood get "victim" status?
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|http://sethf.com/essays/major/libstupid.php
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|wow, this ought to change things...
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|Great! This will be just like the labels on cigarette packages that everyone reads!
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|"...cites studies from The Pediatrics Journal, University of Indiana, University of Missouri, and Michigan State University that found a correlation between aggressive behavior and the consumption of violent media."
Has anyone funded any studies correlating the effectiveness of such asinine labels with a modification in behavior? :-S
...Or for that matter, studies determining the impact of parents assuming responsibility for the knowledge of, and the setting of standards and consequences, for their little angels' behavior?
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|http://sethf.com/essays/major/libstupid.php
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|Games, smames...
So when do we get warning labels on chairs warning of the dangers of inactivity and obesity?
..And I want labels on cars and airplanes warning of the dangers of trying to eat them whole.
...And labels on all cats warning of the dangers of furballs from eating them whole or in part.
...And warning labels on all gasoline pumps warning patrons not to drink directly from the nozzle.
...And labels on all donuts warning patrons not to be overcharged for the holes.
...And labels in bathtubs advising users of how, in the presense of a ring, to answer it.
My God! You open your eyes and suddenly you realize that there are problems EVERYWHERE that we must fix!
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|"...And labels on all cats warning of the dangers of furballs from eating them whole or in part."
Except the hairless ones, those just need generic "choking hazard" and "not machine washable" labels.
"...And warning labels on all gasoline pumps warning patrons not to drink directly from the nozzle." Sadly wouldn't be surprised if this was already in effect in some state.
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|;-))
My excuse is that I refuse to believe those are really cats! ;-) Mutant Chihuahuas perhaps...
No self respecting cat (and yes, they do have quite elegant egos! ;-) would be caught wandering around without fur!
I think the most prudent label might be to put a warning on Baca and Wolf for such emotional pandering.
Well folks, you voted for change, and you've got it! And I want a refund of my down-payment on that Senate seat if they are going to seat Burris!
The more it changes, the more it stays the same!
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|Meh. There's warning on films, and games are pretty much interactive films now.
I couldn't give a monkies about this move.
Either get rid of the warnings on films, or bring this in to keep it in line, IMO.
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|http://sethf.com/essays/major/libstupid.php
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|Oh for God's sake--can't people make informed decisions without the government having to tell them? Why don't they just hold a press conference and sign a bill declaring US citizens morons?
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|the problem is that many people think that an informed decision is based on our goverment official's opinion
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|They're called democrats!
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|Ok so this passes and the same thing happens. What next? try and ban the games all together? Then ban action flicks. Perhaps the problem lies in the parents themselves or the individual. What a waste of money... you sure are my hero Baca.. I think your more of an idiot than a saviour.
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|Sorry, that was a lil harsh, but I am sick of this blaming this and that crap.
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|Rated M for Mature:
Too bad you have parents who are buying or not paying attention to what their stupid kids are playing. I have an 8 year old and he has NEVER played a M rated game. I have the Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360. I own M rated games for the PS3 and Xbox 360 and he is not even allowed to watch me while I play a M rated game. I say give those a$$hole parents parenting class. BTW: they should teach parenting in school, so that we don't have these dumb a$$es making laws to protect idiots.
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|Yeah, I find myself wondering when parents forgot to be parents and decided to let ole Uncle Sam raise their kids. Unfortunately, what they don't realize is that Uncle Sam isn't quite right...
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|"WARNING: Excessive exposure to idiot congressmen has been linked to aggressive behavior."
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|"WARNING: Excessive exposure to other people has been linked to aggressive behavior."
Fixed
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|how about saying: "WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior."
How about giving that warning before people gets exposed to violent content?
like in the news.
or in movies you rent or watch on TV.
Mr. Baca, if you really want to solve the problem look at the big picture, not just a fraction of it.
forget about focusing on video games.
people have access to violent content way beyond video games. books, talk radio, news.
you are going to have a problem with the administration because the government want that media exposed to kids. why? because that would make them better soldiers. soldiers that grew up exposed to a violent environment are preferred because they have less compassion. they enjoy hurting and killing a fellow human being. or anything that can feel pain, like animals. kids that grow in a violent environment at first they find it shocking but they learn to embrace it and love it as a defense mechanism. so when they become adults they find pleasure in evil and causing pain. and their compassion fades away. look at the "embrace violence for kids" media we had in the 90s like Tiny Toons. Tiny Toons is no different than today's Happy Tree Friends. and they were shown to kids. "you don't live in an abusive family and your community has a low crime rate? don't worry, we will traumatized you ourselves - cartoon network"
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|He could start with the routine hystrionics routinely uttered by Pelosi (and Reid) in both houses of Congress!
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|http://sethf.com/essays/major/libstupid.php
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