Video game censorship - another reason why Hillary isn't my candidate.

[backscatter712]

http://gamepolitics.com/2007/12/21/hillary-clinton-tells-common-sense-media-she-would-support-video-game-legislation/

Here is CSM’s question on the topic of video game legislation, posed to Clinton and other responding candidates:

To date, nearly 10 states have considered legislation to keep violent video games out of kids’ hands. Would you support this type of legislation at the federal level? What other strategies would you support to keep the video game industry and other media companies from marketing and selling inappropriate content to children?

Here is Sen. Clinton’s response:

When I introduced the Family Entertainment Protection Act two years ago, I did so because I felt that video game content was getting increasingly violent and sexually explicit, yet young people were able to purchase these games with relative ease while their parents were struggling to keep up with being informed about the content.

Sen. Clinton describes what FEPA would have mandated, had it passed:

On-site store managers would be subject to a fine of $1,000 or 100 hours of community service for the first offense and $5,000 or 500 hours of community service for each subsequent offense.

The bill would also require an annual, independent analysis of game ratings and require the FTC to conduct an investigation to determine whether hidden sexual content like what was in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a pervasive problem and to take appropriate action…

Finally, the bill would authorize the FTC to conduct an annual, random audit of retailers to monitor enforcement and report the findings to Congress.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of seeing the video game industry under constant threat of censorship just so Clinton and Lieberman can pander to the mad mommy brigade.

Me thinks the mad mommies should learn to not buy video games for their little Johnnies with an "M" on them. It's not that hard. Stop shoving censorship down our throats. The rest of us like violence in video games, and if you don't like it, suck it!

[Systematic Chaos]

1. I couldn't agree with you more.

Nothing like a convenient scapegoat to channel people's attention away from issues that actually matter.

[Bryan]

2. I agree, and it's such a small issue

Pearl-clutching over the content of media is a poor move for Sen. Clinton, since it's really a leftover fringe issue from the fat '90s; with the best will in the world, the virtual carnage in Grand Theft Auto should be of vastly less concern to our representatives than the actual carnage in Iraq.

[BulletproofLandshark]

3. Agreed

And now it's time to go kill some more Rebel scum in Star Wars Battlefront II.

[Yukari Yakumo]

22. Likewise...

I'm planning to send some Yanks to their graves in Sid Meier's Gettysburg! soon.

[fenriswolf]

4. nothing like firing up unreal and killing bots named

cheney, bush, condi, etc (you get the picture)

[backscatter712]

27. I like it! I just picked up Manhunt 2.

I had to pick it up just to piss off Jack Thompson.

There's something liberating about games that have you playing a total psychopath...:evilgrin:

[earthside]

5. Oh, Brother!

The poor 'video game industry' ... you've got to be kidding.

They're making hundreds of millions of dollar peddling violence and gore to millions of American males.

Young boys and men are increasingly desensitized to violence and older men are acting like children playing these games for hours on end.

It all makes you understand the truth in Benjamin Barber's new book 'Consumed'. The marketing of video games is a perfect example of the infantilization of our culture.

Now, I don't not favor any kind of censorship ... but a revolt of grown-ups refusing to buy games that glorify war and crime would be something that a good, progressive candidate for president might encourage.

[Bobbieo]

6. Agreed!!!!!!

[samfishX]

8. Keyword: ENCOURAGE

Encourage, yes.

Legislate, NO.

[rockymountaindem]

9. Exactly n/t

[wuushew]

10. Why is the U.S. Senate the place to fight that battle?

Knowing what you do of the precious little any of the Congress has accomplished in 2007, why should any nano-second of publically paid salary be devoted to issues not involving impeachment or at the very least environmental or budgetary issues?

[TheMightyFavog]

12. Oh, god, they said the same thing about comic books during the 1950s.

Look up "Seduction of the Innocent"

It was bullshit then, it's bullshit now.

[geomon666]

14. No it's not.

I grew up playing Super Mario Bros. and now I go out of my way to kick and stomp on people smaller than me. Sometimes I light them on fire.

Mario ruined my life!

[killbotfactory]

17. I am constantly eating dot like objects

and shooting pixels at space aliens. I also shoot a lot of zombies in real life. Damn you video games!

[ContraBass Black]

42. No matter what I do, I just can't stop going around in my pointy green hat

Waving my sword and solving puzzles.

[Incitatus]

19. This is the first I have heard of Consumed,

but I just checked it out on Amazon and it looks pretty good. I think I might get it.
Has it changed the way you behave as a consumer?

[backscatter712]

25. What can I say? If you don't like video games, don't play them.

But I am glad to hear you're not big on censorship either.

To each his own.

[Fox Mulder]

55. I'm an adult male who plays video games...

and last I checked, I don't act like a child and I'm not desensitized to violence.

Give me a break. :eyes:

[FormerDittoHead]

56. Looking at porn turns you a rapist, pot leads to heroin. It all starts by not reading the bible...

Trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for POOL!

btw: have you checked out Halo 3? Incredible.

[Fox Mulder]

57. I have it.

And I love it.

I'm replaying Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (game of the year edition). It's the greatest game ever.

[NeedleCast]

69. Awesome Game...Check out Mods for it

Go to some of the fan sites and check out the sweet mods for Oblivion. The game was good (at least for me) right out of the box and after I played through once, I added a few mod packs that just made things better.

[lateo]

63. There are many other more important things we need...

to focus on right now. Video games isn't even on the radar and the fact that Clinton is trying to make this a campaign issue just shows how out of touch she is.

[BurningDog]

7. Agreed, I already have a mom... don't need another in the White House

Every other media industry self regulates, why should games be any different? The video games industry and retailers are making a huge effort to get their self regulation on par with the movie industry.

Not to mention that every state that has passed a similar law has had it declared unconstitutional. Louisiana passed one, even though I had written to both of my representatives telling them that it would be unconstitutional. A judge agreed, and now we the taxpayers are stuck with the legal bill for the video game industries legal fees.

[ToeBot]

11. I was going to mention that you wont get much sympathy for this topic here...

But I guess that's obvious now. Never mind that when this comes up on gaming boards, Clinton, Lieberman and the Democrats bear the brunt of the blame. (Yeah, I know Brownback is in it up to his neck too, but that doesn't really filter in.)

[backscatter712]

24. Romney's comments about video games were... special.

I want to restore values so children are protected from a societal cesspool of filth, pornography, violence, sex, and perversion. I've proposed that we enforce our obscenity laws again and that we get serious against those retailers that sell adult video games that are filled with violence and that we go after those retailers.

:eyes:

[killbotfactory]

13. Reminds me of the PMRC

fuck that noise. If they think crude polygons simulating sex (which is not available without hacking the game) is an important issue they need to get out more. These fuckers started a war that is essentially nothing more than mass murder, oppression, and torture in the interests of corporate profit, and they have the audacity to try and turn violent GAMES into a fucking political issue.

[LeftCoast]

15. How do you feel about Edwards since this has been Tipper's thing for years

?

[gatorboy]

16. Do you mean Gore?

Play Tipper "Darling Nikki". She loves it. :P

[LeftCoast]

20. D'oh.

It's late.

LOL

[Godhumor]

18. I'm a gamer, about as hardcore as they come, and she's not advocating censorship

She hasn't asked for companies to stop making the games, she hasn't asked for violence to be reduced, but she does want a check in place to keep minors from buying games that are not rated for the under 17 crowd. You say parents should learn to not buy those type of games, but malls are crawling with unescorted adolescents, and, frankly, the stores need to step up and actually enforce the ratings. Giving the rating system some teeth might move it out of the joke territory it currently inhabits.

[backscatter712]

26. I'm all for keeping it self-regulating.

There's clearly a demand for information to help parents decide what games are appropriate for kids - that's why we have an ESRB system.

Don't get me wrong - the system does have its uses, and it's probably the least harmful system to free speech, but it does have chilling effects - game companies are put under contract to make games with E or T ratings, and many stores, like Wal-Mart, refuse to carry games with M ratings, and nearly nobody will carry a game with an A rating. There's constant pressure to tone-it-down, tone-it-down, and I don't like that pressure from a free speech standpoint. Still, it's not hard. Giving your kid an M-rated video game is like letting him watch an R-rated movie.

It's industry self-regulation, which I suppose I can live with, even though I don't like the chilling effects. I will not tolerate effects to legislate violent video games out of existence - I enjoy my blood-and-gore fests.

Besides, your precious Junior will survive the experience if he gets his mitts on Grand Theft Auto, and even *gasp* gets a hack for the game and sees the infamous Hot Coffee scene. He will not be psychologically scarred. He will not grow up with any personality disorders caused by this game. All the noise and fury about keeping Junior from seeing blood and guts or mammary glands is pointless.

[killbotfactory]

33. She advocates fining businesses who sell M rated games to minors

Senator Clinton announced that the legislation she will introduce will put some teeth into video game ratings by instituting a financial penalty for retailers who fail to enforce the rules. It will prohibit the sale of violent and sexually explicit video games to minors and put in place a $5000 penalty for those who violate the law.

http://www.senate.gov/~clinton/news/statements/details.cfm?id=240603

[Godhumor]

34. Changing my initital statement: I agree with the sentiment of safe game laws, but not...

how they're implemented. Call it a very quick rethinking on my part, but if I don't want movie theaters to be fiend for sneaking into a movie (used this in my follow-up post, as well) I can't very well support it for this position.

[Solon]

35. That position is unconstitional, as has been demonstrated time and again...

Hence, any advocacy by any politician is just pandering to idiots.

[Godhumor]

36. I'm well aware that "Safe game" laws have been declared unconstitutional in many places

I also know that fining a retailer for a minor purchasing would never be found Constitutional; hell, I'm even aware of the studies that says self-regulation is working with a 70%-90% effectiveness rate. Speaking in all honesty, without bluster, and willing to admit my last statement should be retracted in wording if not in regards to the messgae--I just want a lot more consumer awareness of the ratings to exist, and I want their to be an incentive for stores to comply with them.

That said, it was really stupid of me to say that fines should exist considering I do not support the same thing for minors sneaking into movies. Consider my last statement as being, well, dumb.

[Solon]

39. That's an education issue, more than anything else...

Its actually in the Game Industry's best interest to increase this educational drive, and I've actually seen ESRB commercials in my area in the past year that tell parents to read the rating. I think the problem isn't as large as it has been in the past, for example when Mortal Kombat was released, oh, the politicians are still idiots, the same idiots(Lieberman), but the fact is that now the gaming generation are becoming parents, so perhaps they will not have the same preconceived notions about video games that their(our) parents had.

I try to educate people myself, on this board, when this story first broke, one poster actually thought the ESRB was a legally established government body. I disabused him of that notion, and using a comparison with the MPAA, was able to tell him how the ratings system can't be regulated.

[Godhumor]

40. Mhm, I'm well aware of that

I've also worked at a toy store in the past where kids would come up and ask to buy an M rated game. I would respond by asking them to get a parent to come over and confirm they were OK with it, and the response I generally got was anger over wasting their time on buying a "toy". My favorite incident is still being chewed out by a parent over seeking her permission and then being chewed out AGAIN 3 hours later when she came back to complain about the horrible game I sold her child.

Education is key in this and it should be expressed in those terms. Even still, i would like to see more retailers ask for parental permission when selling a game, and I would like the industry to step in and incentivize this somehow. I will wholeheartedly say that governmental regulation is not the answer, but I'm not surprised at it becoming a political issue--especially here in NY with are myriad of safe game bills coming down the pipe.

[Solon]

41. I know that some stores, Gamestop, Wal-Mart and others are beginning...

to ask for ID for "M" rated games, just like they do for "R" rated movies. The big problem is that I don't see any practical means for the industry itself to pressure retailers, they make a large amount of money, but have little real influence. The MPAA was able to pressure theaters to enforce ratings by withholding new movies coming to theaters that don't enforce the age restrictions. But then again, the MPAA also ignores retailers, because they are less controlled by default. The problem is that, once a game goes to retail, what is a video game company going to do? Not let Wal-Mart sell their games? If they want to go bankrupt, maybe, but otherwise they can't put a lot of pressure on the retailers.

Self regulation requires a couple of things, the biggest is trusting the retailers. When a game company makes a game, their only obligation is to submit it to the ESRB for its rating, and agree to put the label on the package. Once it hits the shelves, its out of their control, and if a particular store doesn't enforce those age restrictions, then the company may refuse to allow them to sell the game, but that store may buy it from some other intermediary, a third party, and the company still doesn't have control. This isn't like the control the MPAA makes with theaters, the MPAA and the studios distribute a few tens of thousands master copies of a movie, and if a theater doesn't enforce the rating, they only have to withhold one master copy.

The public, if it really is concerned, should pressure the retailers themselves to enforce the ratings system, and that seems to be working. BTW: I know all about stupid parents, I worked retail myself(Wal-Mart), even though it was in Lawn and Garden, I've covered Electronics before, and it was a pain in the ass explaining the ratings system to clueless parents.

[Hippo_Tron]

52. The problem is that AO rated games aren't sold in retail stores

And so when they make a big deal about getting games changed from the M 17+ rating to the AO 18+ rating it's more or less a form of censorship. There may be nothing unconstitutional about it but it's still wrong, IMO.

[backscatter712]

60. Not only aren't AO rated games not sold in retail stores,

but Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft refuse to allow AO-rated games to be released for their consoles. That means that any game that gets an AO rating loses virtually all of its market.

Yeah. It's fucking censorship, and it's fucking wrong.

[MrSlayer]

21. It is a reason to dislike her but nowhere near the top of the list.

This law and her advocation of it is meaningless pandering, it would never pass. It's a way of pretending you care about something that isn't really a problem but is made out to be.

[and-justice-for-all]

23. "Me thinks the mad mommies should learn....

to not buy video games for their little Johnnies with an "M" on them. It's not that hard. Stop shoving censorship down our throats. The rest of us like violence in video games, and if you don't like it, suck it!" -- That's no shit commonsense right there mate!!!

I think it is a parenting issue period, tell the MMB to go have shit.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

28. Not a gamer, I'm not personally affected, but this is a STUPID thing for a

presidential contender to brag about when we're stuck in an illegal, immoral war and the economy is the worst I've seen in my lifetime.

[lateo]

29. This is the most ridiculous nonsense.

Of all the things facing America right now this isn't even on the radar.

[JTFrog]

30. Clinton, Bayh and Lieberman.

So fucking worried about my kids being harmed from video game violence that they can't wait to send them to Iraq.

Gotta love ass backwards priorities.

[Norwood]

31. Yet another reason why I dont want Hillary to be our nominee

[OhioChick]

32. Hmmmmm....

I wonder if this will include "America's Army?" Our US Military has invested millions in this recruiting tool.

[Mythsaje]

37. I don't even play video games

but, as I said,

"I'm much more worried about Grand Theft America than Grand Theft Auto."

I'm funny that way.

[readmoreoften]

38. I grew up to be a barrel-jumping Italian obsessed with saving a princess from an evil gorilla.

I would've been a rocket scientist or a doctor, but now I'm just a workin' class, barrel-jumpin' danny devito look-alike. Confound you, videogames!!!

(To paraphrase Chris Rock: What was Vlad the Impaler's favorite violent video game?)

[Beelzebud]

43. Agreed.

[Skittles]

44. "The rest of us like violence in video games"

:puke:

[Yuugal]

45. Dude, I just totally head-shotted your smiley!

PWNED! :)

[Skittles]

47. I am not a dude

also, I am against censorship; I simply think people who find violence entertaining are disturbing

[Yuugal]

48. Yes Maam!

If the violence you are referencing is wars for corporate profit, stuffing a firecracker up a frog's butt, or even boxing or "ultimate fighter" type crap, I agree. I've loved war games all my life though and grew up to be an anti-war progressive. Pixel on pixel violence doesn't bother me much unless its a platform for hatred.

Were you a good skittle this year? Did Santa bring you anything?

[Skittles]

49. I do hope

you are not proof that interest in war games makes one infantile

[NuttyFluffers]

50. i love war games. and i do strive to be as infantile as possible.

perhaps there is a correlation. :evilgrin:

but someone pointed it out best in some gamer movie on the net whose name currently escapes me, "what're all these people worrying about this pixel stuff when there's boxing and wrestling and sports and Jerry Springer on TV?"

as outlets go i must say gamer violence, though graphic and imaginative, is quite tame. i mean, if you want to come across some graphic displays and descriptions of sado-masochistic torture all you gotta do is look up some 'fangurls' sites on bukkake slash and there you go... and those romance novels and Lifetime television for women is choc-a-block with violence, but no one says anything about that. perhaps we should?

no, too many humans love being thrilled. melodrama, horror, porn, just read something by Linda Williams about their correlation to emotional titillation. we like being 'revved up' while being 'safe.' fascination w/ violence and other displays of power seems to be painfully human and inescapable. it just requires us to be honest about our vices...

;) come dance with the shadows, you know you're human just like us! what's your dark pleasure?... :spank:

[Yuugal]

58. Have a joyful holiday!

I think I'll always be somewhat infantile because being 100% depressingly adult 100% of the time is a recipe for a joyless life. If you think it was terribly wrong of me the first time I gave my kids the most innocent face I could muster and asked them to pull my finger, I understand. I have felt for myself the joy of hearing them burp the pledge of allegiance in unison though and its more than enough to offset the many people on DU who tell me whats wrong with me.

I want them to learn what I feel are the most important lessons in life: never take yourself too seriously, everyone's crap stinks, laughing is free, and a minute spent helping an old lady across the street is worth 1000hrs of working for themselves.

I'd keep the list going but its lasagna time and daddy has to do his happy feet dance! Meatless lasagna PWNS! I'm sure I'll look infantile but everyone will be smiling.

[madeline_con]

59. And the "your mom" stuff is always funny.

:rofl:

[Skittles]

46. x

[Perry Logan]

51. There you go. If you like pretending to kill people all day, don't vote for Hillary.

[Hippo_Tron]

53. The problem is that there is no real anti video game regulation lobby

If there was a lobby equivalent to the NRA but for video games instead of guns, there would be a hell of a lot less talk about regulating video games.

[Fox Mulder]

54. Agreed.

[Whisp]

61. I'm going to response before reading further opinions.

I think too, at some level, that time on this is a waste and distraction...

BUT...
when I consider how violence is so inherent in 'kids games' and (especially) american society as a whole, I also have to consider that this may be yet another vehicle to desensitize and dumb down for the military mentality.

now onto reading more opinions...

[sarcasmo]

62. Corporate WHORES love to tackle small issues and leave the big issues alone.

Big issues like the Environment and Health Insurance affect big Corporations so no need in tackling those issues.

[Perry Logan]

65. You are not fit to lick Hillary Clinton's boots. Here is her excellent record on the environment...

Create a Strategic Energy Fund - Hillary has proposed a Strategic Energy Fund that would inject $50 billion into research, development and deployment of renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean coal technology, ethanol and other homegrown biofuels. Hillary's proposal would give oil companies a choice: invest in renewable energy or pay into the fund. Hillary's proposal would also eliminate oil company tax breaks and make sure that oil companies pay their fair share for drilling on public lands. Instead of sending billions of dollars to the Middle East for their oil, Hillary's proposal will create a new clean energy industry in America and create tens of thousands of jobs here.

Champion a Market-Based "Cap and Trade" Approach - Hillary supports a market-based, cap and trade approach to reducing carbon emissions and fight global warming. This approach was used successfully to limit sulfur dioxide and reduce levels of acid rain in the 1990s. By capping the amount of emissions in the environment and allowing corporations to buy and sell permits, this approach offers corporations a flexible, cost-efficient method to do their share to reduce emissions and combat global warming. The program will reduce emissions, drive the development of clean technologies, and create a market for projects that store carbon dioxide.

20% Renewable Electricity Standard by 2020 - Hillary believes we need to shift our reliance on high carbon electricity sources to low-carbon electricity sources by investing in renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind. As President, she'll work to require power companies to obtain 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Make Federal Buildings Carbon Neutral - Hillary believes that the federal government should lead the way in reducing carbon emissions from buildings. Buildings account for 40 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and the federal government owns or leases more than 500,000. Hillary would require all federal buildings to steadily increase the use of green design principles, energy efficient technologies, and to generate energy on-site from solar and other renewable sources. By 2030, all new federal buildings and major renovations would be carbon neutral, helping to fight global warming and cutting the $5.6 billion that the federal government spends each year on heating, cooling and lighting.

Protecting Against Exposure to Toxic Chemicals - Hillary wants to make the products we use safer, especially for children. There are tens of thousands of chemicals used in the U.S. and hundreds of new chemicals introduced each year, but little health testing is conducted for many of them. Hillary would require chemical companies to prove that new chemicals are safe before they are put on the market, and would set more stringent exposure standards for kids. She would also create a "priority list" of existing chemicals and require testing to make sure they are safe. To improve our understanding of the links between chemicals and diseases like cancer, Hillary would create an "environmental health tracking network" that ties together information about pollution and chronic diseases.

Hillary's Record

In the White House, Hillary led efforts to make adoption easier, to expand early learning and child care, to increase funding for breast cancer research, and to help veterans suffering from Gulf War syndrome who had too often been ignored in the past. She helped launch a national campaign to prevent teen pregnancy and helped create the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, which moved children from foster care to adoption more quickly and the number of children who have moved out of foster care into adoption has increased dramatically.

She was instrumental in designing and championing the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which has provided millions of children with health insurance. She battled the big drug companies to force them to test their drugs for children and to make sure all kids get the immunizations they need through the Vaccines for Children Program. Immunization rates dramatically improved after the program launched.

Hillary has been a leading member of the Environment and Public Works Committee since she was elected to the Senate. Today, she chairs the Superfund and Environmental Health Subcommittee and in that capacity has promoted legislation to evaluate and protect against the impact of environmental pollutants on people's health and clean up toxic waste.

Global warming and Clean Air
Spoken out forcefully about the need to tackle global warming in hearings, speeches, rallies and on the Senate floor and co-sponsored "cap and trade" legislation.
Worked to reduce air pollution that causes asthma and other respiratory diseases by writing and helping to pass new laws to clean up exhaust from school buses, and other diesel-powered equipment.
Supported legislation to reduce pollution from power plants, including harmful emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, and carbon dioxide - emissions that contribute to poor air quality, smog, acid rain, global warming, and mercury contamination of fish.
Aggressively fought the Bush Administration's ill-advised attempts to weaken clean air laws.

Improving Water Quality and Protecting Drinking Water
Helped to overturn the Bush Administration's attempt to allow more arsenic in drinking water.
Cosponsored legislation to protect lakes, rivers and coastal waters by fighting the spread of destructive invasive species, such as the zebra mussel.
Helped ot pass new clean water laws, including measures to protect New York City's water supplies and clean up Long Island Sound.

Protecting Public Lands
Fought oil company efforts to pen the Artic Wildlife Refuge in Alask and Pacific and Atlantic coastal waters to drilling.
Cosponsored the Roadless Area Conservation Act, which prohibits road construction and logging in unspoiled, roadless areas of the National Forest System, and voted for additional funding and manpower to combat forest fires in the west.

Reducing Dangerous Chemicals and Cleaning Up Hazardous Waste
Supported legislation to restore the "polluter pays" principle by reinstating a chemical company fee to fund cleanups of highly contaminated "Superfund" waste sites.
Cosponsored the "kids-Safe Chemical Act," which requires chemical companies to provide health and safety before putting new chemicals in consumer products.
Proposed legislation to create an environmental health tracking network to enable us to better understand the impact of environmental hazards on human health and well-being.

Tackling the Toxic Legacy of 9/11
Pushed for health care benefits for first responders, residents and others whose health has been impacted from breathing the toxic dust and smoke in New York City after 9/11.
http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/8/20/134810/677

[sarcasmo]

72. Your sick Hilary fantasy aside. Ask Her about her Walmart board member days.

[Perry Logan]

64. Regulating a multibillion-dollar industry sounds pretty anti-corporate to me.

[Javaman]

66. There you go! Video games are the root of all evil....

(I wrote this a while back.)

Javaman (1000+ posts) Tue Mar-21-06 03:51 PM
Response to Reply #49
56. There you go! Video games are the root of all evil....
You know I was just saying to a friend while I was playing grand theft auto, "you know, I have this crazy urge to go out to kill and main people solely for my own enjoyment, what do you think, bob?"

Bob thought for a moment and said, "well, dave, I have had this unquenchable thirst for blood lately, as well, and I believe that a little mayhem and destruction are in order."

So bob and I walked out to the car, pumped up with excitement from our afternoon playing grand theft auto and filled with delusions of grandeur, we hit the road with a mission.

As bob and I casually mowed down one pedestrian after another, I turned to him, mid killing spree, and said, "you know bob, I have been thinking, do you think it's the failure of society that has turned us to this life of mayhem? Or do you think it's the failure of strong parental images, guidelines and lack boundaries set for us that has lead us down this road?"

We both momentarily chuckled at my pun, but bob thought for a moment, looking but not really "seeing" as one innocent person flew over our hood after another, then turned to me thoughtfully and said, "you know dave, you might just have a point there, I feel that if my parents were more like parents and not wanting to be my "best friend" (bob loves doing that finger thing for parentheses), I would have had the structure in my life that I so desperately crave on a deeper emotional level".

I really enjoyed bobs introspective moments that allow me to explore the deeper issues of life. "I concur", I stated and slammed the brakes, just short of a family of 5 in the middle of the shopping mall.

We exited our vehicle and turned ourselves in. We both felt better at taking responsibility for our actions.

Now as bob and I sit in our maximum security cell here in texas awaiting our death in the gas chamber, I look back and think of all the errors I have made. But also at the irony. bob and I killed people and now we are being killed to show that killing is wrong. Life is just so kooky, ain't it?

[Marrah_G]

67. I am a gamer- I have no issues with this bill

[lightningandsnow]

68. I hate it when they assume

That teens, especially older teens like myself, can't handle sex and violence in the media.

I'm 16.

I'm not going to go rob a bank because I saw it in Grand Theft Auto.

That is all.

[NewJeffCT]

70. I know people who still dislike Al Gore over Tipper and the PMRC

back when labeling music first started in the 80s, it was Tipper Gore who was one of the driving forces behind it. A know several people that disliked Bush, but voted for him over Gore in 2000 because of memories of Tipper in the 80s.

[NeedleCast]

71. Obligatory Wont Someone Think of the Children Post

with additional scowling at nanny-state legislation.