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Comic for: November 3rd, 2010
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Gaming News: "Free Speech"
Posted: Wednesday November 3rd, 2010 by

As many of you know, California's attempt to ban the sale of violent video games to minors has worked it's way through the court system and has now landed in the laps of the Supreme Court. And where, on the very surface, I agree that certain games should not be sold to minors, but rather the sale needs to be the decision of the parent. That idea doesn't change the fact that a state push for content-based regulation is a violation of our right to free speech.

Now, I'm not so comfortable in our legal system that I think this is a wash or that the Justices (despite some of their comments/questions in the case so far) will side with the rulings that shot down bills in other State, and wave California off. But I do see it as promising that the Justices are mentioning violent content in other forms of media, and even mentioning the impact on children of things like smoking and drinking presented in other forms of media. It seems to be a nod to common sense that I've harped on all along.

In Woody's perfect world all media would be measured against the same stick. Films, television, games, and even books would share the same rating system. But this rating system is a suggestion of maturity, it would be up to the parent or guardian to decide if that film, show, game or book was "right" for their child. Because no court, governmental agency, or third party assessment is ever going to know my child better than I will.

Here's where I'll yield the floor to your views, and hope everyone plays nice.

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Remember! State your own views. Let them stand on their own merits. Don't respond to someone directly unless they ask you a question specifically. An opinion can NOT be wrong (because it is a personally held belief). It is not your job to correct someone else nor is it necessary to "agree" or "disagree". Don't argue your point; you're not going to change anyone's mind. Best bet? Write your responses like you're writing a very short term paper and ignore everyone else (basically).

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