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The high court agreed Monday with a federal court’s decision to throw out California’s ban on the sale or rental of violent video games to minors. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Sacramento said the law violated minors’ rights under the First and Fourteenth amendments.
“The practices and beliefs of the founding generation establish that “the freedom of speech,” as originally understood, does not include a right to speak to minors (or a right of minors to access speech) without going through the minors’ parents or guardians,” Thomas wrote.
Originally posted by TreadUpon
reply to post by nixie_nox
We police our own children, or not. We police our own stores, or not.
Originally posted by Schkeptick
reply to post by nixie_nox
So you would then argue for letting 12-year-old boys rent porn from Blockbuster?
I respectfully (and strongly) disagree with the court's ruling.
Originally posted by Terrormaster
Bottom line is we police our own kids. Parents who are insisting that this sort policing should be legislated are lazy parents period - sorry a spade is a spade and I call it like I see it.
Originally posted by Backslider
reply to post by nixie_nox
Personally I think we should side with the constitution here, and let the State of California decide. Aren't movies already in this category? For example, if a 15 year old kid wants to rent an NC-17 movie, does the law say he/she can't, or is that a decision left to the merchant? Do video games and other forms of media (movies, music) fall into different categories? If so, what is the motivation for allowing violent video games to be sold or rented to a minor but not allowing music or movies to be treated the same? Is it perhaps because pretty much every FPS video game lately is geared heavily toward glorifying the military and boosting it's recruitment and the Justices are aware of, and complicit in this agenda?
This decision confuses me for the reasons stated above.
“The practices and beliefs of the founding generation establish that “the freedom of speech,” as originally understood, does not include a right to speak to minors (or a right of minors to access speech) without going through the minors’ parents or guardians,” Thomas wrote.
I think this might be the first time ever that I agree with Justice Clarence Thomas. Evar.
Originally posted by Terrormaster
Bottom line is we police our own kids. Parents who are insisting that this sort policing should be legislated are lazy parents period - sorry a spade is a spade and I call it like I see it.
This falls into the same category as music and movies. There is NO law (and nor should there be one) that says a store can or can't sell an R or NC-17 rated DVD or explicit lyrics CD to a minor. Stores enforce these rules themselves. They do so because parents are customers as well and they stand to loose more money from angry parents and bad press otherwise. Same with a movie theater (and I say this from personal experience of over 10 years in the industry in my youth) - there is NO law or statute that says a movie theater can not sell a ticket to an R or NC-17 rated film to a minor. They restrict it out of their own policy.
This is how it should be. If I feel my child can handle an R rated film then its my choice to take them or let them watch the DVD.
Don't underestimate kids, they can handle a lot more than a lot of adults give them credit for. Violent video games and movies do not create violent kids. That notion has been spun to hell and back by the MSM for decades and there hasn't been any numbers to back it. In fact numerous studies have been done that reveal the exact opposite. I'm personally so sick of this "kinder, gentler, pc nation" that's being pushed. I grew up watching Hammer horror films with my parents when I was under 10. I watched loads of animated cartoon violence. And I'm probably one of the nicest and sane people you'll meet. I turned out mostly normal by todays standards.