Author Topic: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law  (Read 9279 times)

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Offline The Doctor

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SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« on: June 27, 2011, 04:42:19 PM »
I'd give you a shiny image over there to the left but I'm honestly not sure which depictions of SCOTUS I'm allowed to use.  Regardless if you are not familiar in 2005 California passed a law restricting the sale or rentals of "violent" videogames to minors.  "violent" was defined as depicting "killing, maiming, dismembering or sexually assaulting an image of a human being" and violations carried a fine of up to $1000.  The law was challenged in an appeals court which ruled against the law and the US Supreme Court has voted 7-2 in favor of the appeals courts decision.  I'll include a couple of worth while excerpts after the break as well as a link to the full opinion.[cutoff]

"Instead, the State wishes to create a wholly new category of content-based regulation that is permissible only for speech directed at children.  That is unprecedented and mistaken.  This country has no tradition of specially restricting children’s access  to depictions  of violence.   And California’s claim  that “interactive” video games present special problems, in that the player participates in the violent action  on screen and determines its outcome, is unpersuasive."

"California also cannot show that the Act’s restrictions meet the alleged substantial need of parents who wish to  restrict their  children’s access to violent videos.   The video-game industry’s voluntary rating system already accomplishes that to a large extent.  Moreover, as a means of assisting parents the Act is greatly overinclusive, since not all of the children who are prohibited from  purchasing  violent video games have parents who disapprove of their doing so."

Via U.S. Supreme Court
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Offline killer rin

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2011, 04:47:15 PM »
W00T.. TAKE THAT CALIFORNIA

Offline Rakia_Time

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2011, 05:13:44 PM »
Ah California, how wonderfully faschist you are :D things like that law make me love living in a lawless country :D :D :D
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Offline El Destructo

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2011, 06:17:49 PM »
Wonder how Jack Thompson will like these apples...   :whistle:
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Offline The Doctor

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2011, 06:36:25 PM »
Wonder how Jack Thompson will like these apples...   :whistle:

Heh,  good point.
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<CaptainJean-Luc> Doc: You have ruthlessly high standards.

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Offline Foxdonut

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2011, 07:14:55 PM »
Wtf California srsly lol

Offline The Doctor

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2011, 07:24:06 PM »
Wtf California srsly lol

This is what you get when both of your political parties are 50% "Stay out of my business" and 50% "Regulate everything".  The only difference between the two is which party wants to regulate what and they neatly split up the "sane" regulations between each other so everyone will keep arguing. :P
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<CaptainJean-Luc> Doc: You have ruthlessly high standards.

His name was Marauder Shields.  Never forget his sacrifice.

Offline Mukora

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2011, 09:19:29 PM »
Wtf California srsly lol
I no, rite? Tis es soooo stoopid.


But seriously, glad this got revoked. And I find it funny that the justice basically said "This is stupid. You're stupid."
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Offline El Destructo

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2011, 12:33:50 AM »
I've always kind of thought video games had something of a Dr. Jekyll vs. Mr. Hyde sort of property to them. They let you get thrills doing all kinds of dangerous and irresponsible stuff you couldn't do in real life without harming actual people and ruining lives, including your own.
There are always going to be the ones who will take things too far... but honestly they were most likely disturbed and near their breaking point even before they played a video game.

I find my perception of gaming violence could be somewhat corroborated by scientific studies of pornography and its effect on sex crime...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101130111326.htm
TLDR; having an outlet for your fantasies and to take out some of the stress from your life on to that doesn't harm anyone generally will make you a better person. As long as parents keep their kids grounded in reality, there is really not much cause for concern.

I grew up playing games. Some of them were your average kid games fare like some cutesie english and math games, or maybe Commander Keen. However, I also played Wolfenstein 3D when I was in elementary school.
At the time, my father was very frank with me about the differences between games, and reality. That there are no save games and no respawns. Death in real life is tragic, and final. It's a simple talk, but it made an important point to me at an early age.

In the end, I think most of the blame for the crime related to video games falls on poor parenting, or a mental imbalance. In which case, chances are they would have snapped, regardless of whether violent games existed or not, at some point in their lives.
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Offline Foxdonut

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2011, 01:22:19 PM »
Interesting article mike.

Offline Mukora

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #10 on: June 28, 2011, 03:15:58 PM »
Interesting article mike.
...

No one named Mike has posted an article in this thread.
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Offline mikethor007

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2011, 03:43:47 PM »
"A toaster is just a death ray with a smaller power supply!"
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Offline Foxdonut

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #12 on: June 29, 2011, 04:57:10 AM »

Offline mikethor007

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #13 on: June 29, 2011, 05:11:05 AM »
The science daily thing.
I didn't post it. :P

It was El Destructo.
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Offline Mukora

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #14 on: June 29, 2011, 05:49:30 AM »
The science daily thing.
...
They don't even have similar avatars!
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Offline Foxdonut

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #15 on: June 29, 2011, 05:52:57 AM »

Offline Mukora

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #16 on: June 29, 2011, 05:17:47 PM »
Suuuure.

Just admit that you derped. It's not that big a deal.
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Offline mikethor007

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #17 on: June 29, 2011, 05:31:45 PM »
Suuuure.

Just admit that you derped. It's not that big a deal.
ZING!
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Offline High Chancellor Delta

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #18 on: June 29, 2011, 11:30:51 PM »
I heard about this on the radio the other day. I'm glad it got revoked.

Also, my first post in weeks, methinks.

Offline Foxdonut

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #19 on: June 30, 2011, 06:07:26 AM »
Suuuure.

Just admit that you derped. It's not that big a deal.
Yup I derped.

Offline XT Vengeance

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Re: SCOTUS Strikes Down California Videogame Violence Law
« Reply #20 on: February 21, 2012, 08:18:16 AM »
This is what you get when both of your political parties are 50% "Stay out of my business" and 50% "Regulate everything".  The only difference between the two is which party wants to regulate what and they neatly split up the "sane" regulations between each other so everyone will keep arguing. :P
Which is why i have to agree with George Washington's sentiment that political parties are a bad thing. It gets us nowhere. They are always trying to push their party's objectives forward, while ignoring the wants of the people they were elected to represent. I am a firm believer in term limits on everyone in government. And that they shouldn't be given the ridiculous pensions they get.