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'Free speech' gives free rein to video mayhem
Minneapolis Star Tribune ^ | 8/3/06 | Katherine Kersten

Posted on 08/04/2006 7:34:02 AM PDT by Zender500

Been to the video store lately? Games rated "Mature" (17 and older) and "Adults Only" crowd the shelves within your young teen's reach. Take "Manhunt." It lets a player "become" James Earl Cash, a serial killer. A character named the Director wants to use Cash in snuff films.

As Cash, you slaughter people. You slice them with a chain saw, behead them or stab them viciously in the eyeballs. Meanwhile, the Director adds his comments: "You're really getting me off, Cash" and "You're really doing it for me. Why I ain't been this turned on since ... Well, let's not go there."

Our kids can easily get their hands on "Manhunt," or other M-rated games such as "Resident Evil: 4,"God of War" or "Postal 2: Apocalypse Weekend." Games such as these invite kids to set people on fire, urinate on them or disembowel them. Young players can rack up points for raping women.

What do these games teach? That degrading and hurting other human beings can be a thrill.

It's a tough time to be a parent.

Minnesota legislators from across the political spectrum agree. In May they passed a law intended to protect children 16 and younger by imposing a $25 fine on those who try to buy or rent M or AO-rated games.

But this week U.S. Chief District Judge James Rosenbaum put the kibosh on the new law before it could take effect. He declared it --- what else? -- an unconstitutional restriction of "free speech."

It is astounding that Rosenbaum found no proof that violent video games -- many of which the state's attorneys labeled "utterly repulsive and demented" -- harm children. And the state's substantial social science? Wholly insufficient to prove its case, said Rosenbaum.

"There is a paucity of evidence linking the availability of

(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: media; pornviolence; sicksick; sicksicksick
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To: antiRepublicrat

They are using video games to train, and not just America's Army.

They're using the Sims to show the troops to wait until the enemy washes their hands before they attack, because that'll keep the enemy occupied for at least a half an hour. They're using Warcraft to teach how every engagement should begin with the troops building a house, and sending a platoon or two out to mine for gold and chop down trees. They're using xtreme Paintball so that if the troops are captured they'll know that even if the enemy cuts off a finger or tortures them, it still can't be as bad as playing xtreme Paintball. Plus they're using Katamari Darmacy to train the Army how to use giant balls to roll up and capture enemy troops. And tanks. And cities.


41 posted on 08/04/2006 10:42:39 AM PDT by Starter
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To: Zender500

"behead them or stab them viciously in the eyeballs."

I've drawn the line here. My son can't play a game unless you stab people GENTLY in the eyeballs.


42 posted on 08/04/2006 10:50:04 AM PDT by Gone GF
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To: DigitalVideoDude

"Have you played any of those games? "

Yes I have.

Doom:Fighting fictional demons

Urban Chaos: fighting fictious gangs (aka: Bad guys)

Quake:same as Doom.

Where is the problem? Guns?

You do know that there are 'parental locks' on those games right? It's part of the 'cheat codes' that the games use.





"My choice."

Exactly what I said before.


43 posted on 08/04/2006 10:50:58 AM PDT by Bigh4u2 (Denial is the first requirement to be a liberal)
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To: Wolfie
Might even have to wander over to the kid's room and check out what video game he's playing.

Or keep the games in the living room. I suspect that most parents let the kids take the games upstairs not for concern for little Timmy's privacy, but because they don't like the noise and would rather not enforce discipline.

44 posted on 08/04/2006 11:00:18 AM PDT by ReignOfError
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To: AppyPappy
I always find it interesting that people say that video games do not influence behavior but the military uses video games to influence behavior.

The military uses video games as a teaching tool -- it's the teaching, not the tool, that influences behavior. Firing weapons, being called nasty names and hard physical exercise don't necessarily influence behavior, but they're all part of the program the military uses to reshape recruits.

45 posted on 08/04/2006 11:03:36 AM PDT by ReignOfError
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To: Starter

And they're using Dance Dance Revolution in case the urban insurgents adopt West Side Story combat tactics.


46 posted on 08/04/2006 11:09:36 AM PDT by ReignOfError
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To: APFel

Yeah I bought Manhunt. Right now I'm stuck on the third to last level where there are a dozen guys in the area with automatic weapons and I have a shotgun.


47 posted on 08/04/2006 11:49:58 AM PDT by Democratshavenobrains
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To: Zender500

Real mayhem is still illegal, last I checked. Not really worried about "video mayhem."


48 posted on 08/04/2006 11:52:23 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: Bigh4u2

Fighting fictional demons...
Fighting fictious gangs...
Fighting, fighting, fighting.

IMHO, too much violence for my (or any other) 6 year old.

I am my own 'parental lock'.

over.


49 posted on 08/04/2006 4:22:47 PM PDT by DigitalVideoDude (It's amazing what you can accomplish when you don't care who gets the credit. -Ronald Reagan)
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