Sen. Evan Bayh to back bill targeting violent video game sales

[Thom Little]

Sen. Evan Bayh said Thursday he would introduce legislation designed to prevent minors under age 17 from buying violent video games, saying there is increasing evidence that such games increase aggressive behavior in children.

"There is a growing body of research that indicates that exposure to graphic violence, graphic sexual content has adverse consequences to kids and their behavior - anger-management issues, violent-behavior issues, frustration, desensitization - things that come back to haunt society as a whole," Bayh, D-Ind., said at a news conference.

Bayh said the bill would prohibit anyone under 17 from purchasing M-rated games - those that under a video industry rating system should only be sold to players 17 or older - without the express consent of a parent present at the time of sale or rental. The legislation might also include fines up to $1,000 against stores that would violate such a law, he said. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., are backing a similar proposal.

Federal courts have struck down video game restrictions approved by Indianapolis, Washington state and St. Louis County in Missouri, saying they encroached on the First Amendment. And a federal judge in Michigan issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday stopping a Michigan law that bars retailers from selling or renting violent video games to minors from going into effect until a lawsuit filed by the gaming industry is resolved.


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IN_BAYH_VIOLENT_GAMES_INOL-?SITE=VARIT&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-12-01-18-25-03

[Arkana]

1. Do they HONESTLY have NOTHING BETTER TO DO

than target video games????!!!! Fuck! With all the shit going on in the world, we're worried about a 16-year-old who plays Grand Theft Auto.

[VegasWolf]

22. Coddling the evangelicals is much more important than soldiers dying

daily in Vietnam, err Iraq, handling the burgeoning deficit, tackling the staggering adult illiteracy in the US. Getting a handle on video games and outlawing gay marriage are vital, don't you know?

:puke:

[d_b]

53. You took my post.

Why do you hate America?

[Arkana]

56. Not only that, I'm an atheist--so according to Dumbass Sr.

I'm not even a citizen. :P

[HillDem]

2. Sounds like he's posturing for 08

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

24. ...and that posture is "supine," imho.

[senaca]

68. Interesting that he follows Hillary on this issue.

I wonder if Hillary is the nominee, then Bayh may be her running mate. Another interesting connection is a McCain/Lindsey Graham connection. I don't know how far in advance candidates start forming alliances, but I'm still watching how much different candidates try to dovetail each other.

[Selatius]

3. Watch the sale of M-Rated games go through the roof

When they put explicit lyrics stickers on certain albums starting back in the 1980s, it had the effect of bolstering the sales of those albums because it gave them more publicity in the media.

[tx_dem41]

4. Very smart politics. n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

16. Oh bullshit. nt.

[leesa]

49. You MUST be joking! Yes. Let's turn off Democrats.

[jkappy]

5. Research??

Do we really need research to tell us this?? And i suppose persons over 17 are somehow less influenced by the glut of violence. But, it is good that something is being done to curtail these criminal businesses.

[joeunderdog]

There is evidence of "mapping" in young brains.

Sorta like when you grow up going to bed near a street with lots of noisy traffic and then have trouble sleeping when you move ot a place where it's quiet. It's engrained in you, and you crave the noise. With violence, the mind/body gets used to the adrenaline rush and the endorphin rush that follows. You crave it and seek it. It absolutely happens.

[Warren Stupidity]

39. what absolutely happens?

Please provide the links that demonstrate a statistically valid and signifigant casual relationship between playing violent video games and violent behavior.

And even if you can, why on earth is it the government's business to control what games you and or your kids play? Have we gone completely insane?

[joeunderdog]

45. I can't see that links would convince most people on this thread.

And it's not my crusade to convince anyone. I do trauma stuff for work, and I can tell you that there are probably volumes of stats on this stuff, none of which I have on hand. I recently went to a conference headed by the woman who is THE (inter)national expert on trauma--911, shooting sprees, the Tsunami, etc. She spent alot of time on this "mapping" thing. People get hooked on Fear Factor, horror movies, violent games and routine stimulation because it raises the endorphins in your brain--the same substance that produces the addictive "runners high." It (partly) explains why abused women may stay in or seek violent relationships. It's also why people who served in VietNam sometimes have brain chemistry that has been permanently altered and why their brain might not respond to stimulation using the same parts of the brain as those who have not been traumatized. They now have medical tests to prove this.

There's far less speculation and far more proof about this than ever before with the CT scans and other medical tools now available. I think this part of the debate is less debatable than whether the government should be involved or not.

Hope that helps.

[Warren Stupidity]

46. not really. nt.

[joeunderdog]

51. not surprised. nt

[snooper2]

67. I think your right...

I was playing Abe's Odd World for many many hours, and it got a little crazy. When I morphed into Munch for the 1,879th time, I got a little crazy with the wheelchair and the controller flew out of my hands. At that point, I got in my S-10 and started doing doughnuts in front of my house. I had to stop once my neighbors came outside and saw all of the smoke.

Good thing nobody got hurt, I was on a rampage.... :scared:

[digno dave]

69. hot and cold media...MM had it right. It does have an effect NT

ff

[Todd B]

6. Oh, for Christs sakes...

How about backing a bill giving proper HEALTHCARE to children (or anyone, for that matter)? How about backing a bill to better fund education? How about actually finding your spines and doing something about Iraq?

I'm sick of politicians like this thinking they have nothing better to do then to try and make laws based on what THEY think is moral or not. It pisses me off..

[madmark]

7. How about targeting violent counterproduct wars; what a moron

[gulfcoastliberal]

8. Meanwhile these dems screw workers with their votes for financial deregula

Citigroup and Enron dems. Their votes for financial deregulation brought us Enron, Worldcom, and the bankruptcy bill. Stunts like this are diversionary.

[hiley]

9. this stuff drives me crazy

There are so many dire issues and they want to police kids, wtf? are parents for?

[AngryAmish]

10. Violent games are gettting more popular

Is the crime rate of teenagers also going up?

[rpannier]

11. So I guess television is next?

Man, whatever happened to allowing parents to make these decisions. I have two daughters and I will NOT allow these games in my home. But, that is MY choice. I do NOT need the government to help me make these decisions.
Remember one of the ten great lies is: I'm from the government and I'm here to help you.

[Warren Stupidity]

41. They are going after TV and radio big time.

But they couldn't care less about violence. Dirty words on the radio are their horror! No female nipples on tv ever!

What the fuck happened to us? When did we go collectively insane?

[Ekirh]

12. Yes cause as we know

Video game content is the most pressing and most importent issue that we as a nation are currently facing. :eyes:

Meanwhile Bringing our troops home, medicare, social security . . . etc. etc.

Yep, Video Gaming clearly is the issue we should be giving the most focus . . . :sarcasm: (don't think the sarcasm tag is really needed but just in case there you go).

[cboy4]

13. I have never heard so much hysteria over video games.

Saturday Night Live really needs to come up with a spoof about this ridiculous no-issue.

[Jokerman]

14. Violent games at 17=BAD, fight & die for a lie at 18=GOOD

Go fuck yourself Evan.

[WindRavenX]

18. excellent, excellent point

Also, some of the most disgustingly violent games are produced and created by the Army to recuit underage kids

Where the fuck is your concern for THAT shit Evan??

[Jokerman]

21. Exactly!

How are we supposed to turn these kids into trained killers without shoot-em-up games to develop their reflexes?

[Occulus]

65. I've been a gamer since I was a kid

I'm 30 now. Yep, still a gamer. Nope, no criminal record. Not even a parking ticket.

There is exactly one (1) game I'm aware of that the Army has actually made, and it wasn't even worth stealing, it was so useless.

FarCry/Doom3/Half-Life2 are much better, visually and gameplaywise.

And, please, let's not forget that most games that are "acceptable" to rabid anti-gamers just... suck. In a word.

[AX10]

31. I agree, I don't think Joe Loserman is getting my vote next year.

[hopein08]

33. Yes, yes, that is perfect...

He, Hillary, & Co. need to start mentioning this at town hall type situations so that people can stand up and ask them about that little issue. I wonder what they would say.

[NuttyFluffers]

15. well, i guess i gotta ask... bayh: boxer liberal or dlc liberal?

i honestly don't know, and don't wanna bother researching now. i just want to know if there's a pattern or not. i'm guessing he's dlc.

could it seem like flaming liberals aren't nearly as nanny state as conservatives and opportunist moderates? my unexperimented hypothesis develops...

[Jokerman]

17. DLC all the way.

He not only voted for th IWR, he ran campaign adds bragging about how his support for the war was creating hoosier jobs.

[NuttyFluffers]

20. hmm, then i'm sensing a pattern...

perhaps it's flaming liberals that truly want freedom, and it's the moderates (ahem, opportunists) and conservatives that truly despise freedom and want to form nanny states. they just wanna make nanny states for different groups. whereas liberals, true flaming liberals, are the only ones who truly support freedom...

working hypothesis... i shall keep an eye out and see where the data takes me.

[Warren Stupidity]

28. Yup - you got it about right.

[Warren Stupidity]

19. Its a DLC offensive!

First Hillary now Evan.

Real war with real bodies getting blown up? DLC SAYS YES PLEASE!
Make believe war with pretend bodies getting blown up? DLC SAYS NEED NANNY STATE NOW!

Fuck the DLC. Fuck Evan Bayh. Fuck everyone of the corporate whores who disgrace our party daily.

[VegasWolf]

25. The DLC appears terrified of Bush. They will never use the "I" (impeach)

word without pissing in their pants. So instead they focus on "vital" issues.

:puke:

[AX10]

30. I agree. The DLC is not our friend.

They support real war, but not war on a video game.

[sonicx]

23. I've played violent video games since i was a preteen

So has my brother. Why am I not out killing people? :shrug:

[VegasWolf]

26. How do we know that you are not?

:toast:

[OzarkDem]

27. Electronic voting fraud and this is all they can come up with

Any Dem backing these kinds of marginal "hot button" issues instead of pursuing problems with election fraud and electronic voting should not be re-elected, let alone considered for 2008.

They're just being lazy, trying to take the easy way instead of educating voters and the news media about substantive legislation and issues facing our country.

[obreaslan]

63. Well Mr. Bayh, there is a growing body of research that indicates...

That turning over our voting machines to self-interested private corporations has adverse consequences to America and it's citizens - voter fraud issues, disenfranchisement issues, frustration, and fascism - things that come back to haunt society as a whole!!!!

Not to throw your own words back in your face, sir. :grr:

[depakid]

29. Bucking to lose a 7th election in a row

Pandering to the right with nanny state tactics is going to lose tons more votes than it'll ever gain.

Why these Dems insist on making the entire party look stupid, I'll never know. It's almost as if they want to lose year in and year out.

[Warren Stupidity]

36. well in all fairness the republicans are far better at looking stupid

Consider the Terri Schiavo fiasco, consider 'creation design', consider new orleans, consider mission accomplished, consider Iraq - the war without a plan. I mean they practically have 'looking stupid' locked up.

What the DLC Nanny State Dems do is alienate non-voters who then continue to not vote, alienate people trying to flee the manifest stupidity of the Republican looney-tunes wack pack of incompetents, alienate green democrats who go vote green instead, alienate anti war democrats, who get pissed off and consider emmigration to countries that are sane - our fucked up corporate whores are all about dividing us and keeping us weak.

[IndianaGreen]

32. Hillary, Lieberman, and Bayh. The 3 amigos!

Are they running for Pope?

[Ouabache]

34. Evan is such a nice boy.

nt

[NYC Liberal]

35. OK, but if the parents did not approve and the kid got it somehow,

how exactly would he be allowed to play it ANYWAY? At his friend's house? Well he'll be able to do that anyway if his friend has the game and their parents approve. So what is this supposed to do?

[Warren Stupidity]

38. It is supposed to do fuck all.

Some asshole pollster has proclaimed this a safe issue that plays well with some demographic: pro-nanny state soccer moms, and the DLC is all about safe issue messages that obscure their corporate whore agenda and keep the Democratic Party in permanent minority status.

[NYC Liberal]

44. And the only reason WHY people support it is exactly BECAUSE

both parties support it! 'Well if Democrats AND Republicans support it, it must be good!' If Democrats would actually take a stand and oppose it, then people would actually have to consider the matter and look at both sides of the argument.

But that would require critical thinking from the DLC. :eyes:

[hopein08]

37. Exposing 18 year old tos the graphic violence of war...

doesn't change their behavior; cause anger-management issues, violent-behavior, frustration and desensitization?:banghead:

He must read as many newspapers at Dubya! None.

He and Hillary must be planning to run for POTUS on the "I may not be strong on national security, but you better believe I'm strong on grand theft auto! Vote for me and you need not live in fear of computerized sex!"

This is getting sadder and sadder folks.

[Idioteque]

40. Do the Democrats know how much this kind of stuff pisses off young voters?

I'm 17 years old. My friends and I will be casting our first votes in the 2006 midterm elections. While most people my age tend to support the Democrats, we really don't like it when we see folks like Hillary, Bayh, and Joementum attack our music, video games, etc...

I disagree with those who say this is good politics. The way to win libertarian leaning moderate voters isn't to support a nanny state. Instead, the Democrats should campaign on keeping the government out of our private lives.

I don't need Evan Bayh telling me what to put in my Playstation.

[Warren Stupidity]

42. You and the nearly 50% non voters.

They work hard to keep people completely disinterested in politics. Their worst fear is that all those non-voters will actually decide to get involved.

[Democat]

43. They will destroy the image of the Democrats as supporters of freedom

Young voters are the future and some right wing Democrats seem to want to anger them.

Who wants to vote for right wing Democrats when they can just vote Republican instead?

[leesa]

50. This is their goal. They WORK for the GOP.

[leesa]

47. These DLC people are sickening. They are as mindless as the Republicans

I would not vote for any of these fools.

[Freddie Stubbs]

58. Then you are obviously out of step with the American electorate

As they keep electing DLCers to the House, Senate, and Governors' mansions.

[Warren Stupidity]

59. You misunderstand how the system works.

You might as well claim that the rigged elections of the soviet union represented 'the will of the people'. We get a choice between tweedledum and tweedledee. Those bothering to show up to vote generally do so holding their noses.

[MrBenchley]

61. It's worth noting

that there's nothing at all progressive in any way about the sordid stew of xenophobia, racist steroetypes, sexual sadism and mindless violence that makes up these games' content.

It's also worth noting that the Pentagon is trying to use these games to condition kids for military service.

[Warren Stupidity]

64. What is progressive about the first amendment?

In your opinion, anything at all?

[Occulus]

66. Don't play them, then.

But don't you dare try to take them away from other adults who have been playing these games for years without any ill effects whatever. And that includes getting games with ratings you don't like pulled off the shelf. Have them ask for ID instead. For some of us, that's the only way we can buy them, and I give fuck-all to anything different coming out of your mouth.

"sordid stew of xenophobia, racist steroetypes, sexual sadism and mindless violence that makes up these games' content."

Apart from the GTA series, name even one other game that includes such as you just described.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

48. I'm no fan of gratuitous violence, but if this is a ploy by Bayh to make

himself more "presidential," it ain't working.

The fact that he thinks video games are an important issue are just one more bit of proof that he's an empty suit.

[moriverrat]

52. The founding fathers are turning in their graves

Bad as they were in matters of equality, they would see a domestic enemy in the puppets that "run" the country now.

[0007]

54. There are so many more issues that need attention before this

video thingy even needs to be considered.

[Democat]

62. The Democratic Party has decided that video games are the top priority

Forget the war and the poor, we must stop zombie video games! :)

[pinniped]

55. Aw come on, I compiled an arsenal not because of no stinking...

video games. It was the boob tube that dun it!:silly:

[BiggJawn]

57. "You don't need a Weatherman to know which way the Wind Blows..."

Just watch Eyeben Baught.

He's not trying to catch your attention when you see him with a finger in the air, he's checking which way the political winds are blowing.

[MrBenchley]

60. Good for him...