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Violent Video Game Law Struck Down

Posted by michael on from the gta-still-good-to-go dept.

The Importance of writes "Washington State banned the sale of violent videogames depicting violence against 'law enforcement officers' to minors under age 17. When challenged, the law was blocked by a preliminary injunction. Yesterday, a federal district court decided that the law was unconstitutional because it failed the strict scrutiny test and was also void for vagueness. Read the 15-page decision [PDF]. A summary of the case's holdings with quotations here."

10 of 502 comments (clear)

  1. i love violent games. by Sovern · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I think they let members of society get out thier frustrations without physically acting them out.

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    And it rendered on, until the end of its days.
  2. So.. by manavendra · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ... if a cop is killed in a movie, then ban the movie?

    And possibly all future productions by those involved in it?

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    http://efil.blogspot.com/
  3. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  4. My favorite line by hether · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "Do the Roman centurions of 'Age of Empires' ... qualify as 'public law enforcement officers'?"

    Shows just how laws like that could be misinterpreted...

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    Most people would die sooner than think; in fact, they do.
  5. Useful metaphor for this kind of reactionism:drugs by vuvewux · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Drugs became illegal in the US because of these exact types of stupid legislators. Now, it's part of our culture. Walk down the street and you can find zillions of people who actually believe that pot kills. Same with video games. Once they ban them, it's easy to "educate" people with PR campaigns. Eventually, hardly anyone will remember the days when a 10 year old could play space invaders. Zillions of people will actually believe that videogames cause violence. Truth won't matter. Science won't matter. Research won't matter. They will believe it because they don't think about it, and are afraid to take a minority stand.

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    Let's not forget that one can hate his government, but love his country.
  6. Good to see by XeRXeS-TCN · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It's a good sign that free speech and common sense has largely won out in this circumstance; it's been some time since I've seen a legal issue on here that actually followed the principles of freedom granted by the constitution, rather than blatantly ignoring it ;P

    One thing that I did notice though, was:

    Given the nationwide, on-going dispute in this area, it is reasonable to ask whether a state may ever impose a ban on the disseminations of video games to children under 18. The answer is "probably yes" if the games contain sexually explicit images, and "maybe" if the games contain violent images, such as torture or bondages, that appeal to the prurient interest to minors.

    Which suggests that as expected, the debate over violent/explicit video games is long from over, and more restrictions may well be brought in over time.

  7. So... by Unnngh! · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ...are most cops that get injured in the line of duty attacked by people under the age of 18? I'm glad the law has been stopped--this is, IMO, the duty of the parent not the gov't.

  8. Someone help me out with this one... by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Graphic depictions of depraved acts of violence, suc as the murder, decapitation, and robbery of women in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, fall well within the more general definition of obscenity. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court has found that, when used in the context of the First Amendment, the word "obscenity" means material that deals with sex. Only "works which depict or describe sexual conduct" are considered obscene and therefore unprotected.

    Why exactly is sex deemed to be worse than violence? Why are violent portrayals protected but sexual portrayals not?

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    Technoli
  9. Violent, ok... sexually explicit ,no? by 192939495969798999 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yet again, we teach our kids and everyone playing games that pretend death is fine, but pretend love is not... and they wonder why everyone's weird!

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    stuff |
  10. This is awesome! by transient · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson wrote this law and said, "While we may have lost this one battle in the sale of violent games against children, the war is far from over."

    What kind of idiot uses violent metaphors to describe their initiatives against violence?

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    irb(main):001:0>