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Oklahoma Senate OKs Violent-Games Bill

CNet is reporting that the Oklahoma Senate unanimously approved a new violent-games bill on Monday that makes it a crime to sell violent video games to children under 18. From the article: "The bill passed 47-0 in the state Senate, but is being held on a motion to reconsider the vote within three legislative days before being sent back to the House to vote on Senate amendments."

7 of 412 comments (clear)

  1. Video Game Voters by Digitus1337 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Make Your Point, a political internet radio show, had a show about this kind of thing a couple of weeks ago. You can find it here, the show was on 4-13. Interviewed was the head of the Video Game Voters Network, parodied on penny arcade here.

  2. Re:Text of the Bill. by GreyPoopon · · Score: 5, Informative
    5. "Sexual conduct" means acts of ..., homosexuality, ...
    wtf? Does this mean you can't have two guys holding hands in a game? *shakes head*

    Perhaps if you had included the ENTIRE text of definition 5, it would make a bit more sense and seem a bit less biased.

    "Sexual conduct" means acts of masturbation, homosexuality, sexual intercourse, or physical contact with a person's clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or, if such person be a female, breast;
    I don't think they are trying to single out homosexuals. I think they are just trying to completely spell everything out for the corporations that act like children and try to find all the loopholes in the law. However, I'd like to echo somebody elses sentiment: What does all of this have to do with violence?
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  3. Re:Make it a crime? by Fred+Or+Alive · · Score: 2, Informative

    One way these laws differ from the UK law is that certain violent / sexual content does put games into the legally enforcable BBFC ratings, but the BBFC ratings aren't a simple cutoff to an 18 rating, the BBFC have their own ratings system that runs in parallel to the PEGI system, that's also used for videos / DVDs, so you can see games with other BBFC ratings as well as 18 ones.

    (There's also a second way for BBFC ratings to appear on games, as although most games are exempt from classification, most video content isn't, so some games end up with a BBFC rating from that instead).

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  4. Other anti-violence legislation they have passed: by Starker_Kull · · Score: 4, Informative

    "HB2122 passed and was signed by the Governor. This new law allows Permit/License holders to carry onto private parking lots their concealed firearm and store it in their locked vehicle. The Bill States, "No person, property owner, tenant, employer, or business entity shall be permitted to establish any policy or rule that has the effect of prohibiting any person, except a convicted felon, from transporting and storing firearms in a locked vehicle on any property set aside for any vehicle." The law becomes effective 11/1/04." - in fairness, it must be mentioned that this law was set aside (forgive the nonlegalese, IANAL) by a Federal judge, and also the minimum age for possessing a firearm is 21.

    But you have to wonder at the logic of a legislature that needs to "protect" kids from videogame violence up until 18, and then at 21 lets them buy REAL guns, carry them around concealed, leave them in their cars (oooh! The car has to be LOCKED - that'll stop a car thief), and so forth. Note this is not an anti-gun post - it is only an anti-hypocrasy post. Don't promote the carrage and use of weapons of deadly force on one hand and then act holier-then-thou and say we're "protecting the children" by not letting them see video-game violence on their own (on the TV it's fine, evidently).

  5. Re:Text of the Bill. by Whiney+Mac+Fanboy · · Score: 3, Informative
    I don't think they are trying to single out homosexuals.

    I think you're completely wrong - consider the full text:
    "Sexual conduct" means acts of masturbation, homosexuality, sexual intercourse, or physical contact with a person's clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or, if such person be a female, breast;
    vs this
    "Sexual conduct" means acts of masturbation, sexual intercourse, or physical contact with a person's clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or, if such person be a female, breast;
    The second statement covers all sexual acts, be they gay, straight or inbetween.

    The first statement also covers all sexual acts, gay, straight or inbetween and further, covers non-sexual acts between homosexuals. It is inflamatory language, designed to provoke a reaction in those who hate/fear homosexuality.

    However, I'd like to echo somebody elses sentiment: What does all of this have to do with violence?

    The bill is about guidelines covering products considered harmful to minors - the sexual stuff I quoted allready existed & the violent games is the addition.
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  6. Re:Text of the Bill. by Whiney+Mac+Fanboy · · Score: 2, Informative

    1. Sexual intercourse (contact between opposites sexes)
    2. Homosexual (contact between same sexes)


    You have to be kidding right? Sexual intercourse is sexual intercourse regardless of whether its between people of the same or opposite sexes.

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  7. Hey there by Hrothgar+The+Great · · Score: 2, Informative

    Please read the bill and tell me how the store owner determines which games he should or should not sell to a minor. Do we assume he has played ALL of them and knows which ones contain too much violence? Should he hold a meeting with the community in order to determine their contemporary standard?