Jay Rockefeller introduces bill to study video-game violence
According to a copy of the “discussion draft” obtained by POLITICO, the legislation directs the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission to make “appropriate arrangements” with the NAS to enable the study.
“Recent court decisions demonstrate that some people still do not get it,” Rockefeller said in a statement. “They believe that violent video games are no more dangerous to young minds than classic literature or Saturday morning cartoons. Parents, pediatricians, and psychologists know better. These court decisions show we need to do more and explore ways Congress can lay additional groundwork on this issue. This report will be a critical resource in this process. I call on my colleagues to join to me in passing this important legislation quickly.”
In particular, the draft bill wants the NAS to explore “whether current or emerging characteristics of video games have a unique impact on children, considering in particular video games’ interactive nature and the extraordinarily personal and vivid way violence might be portrayed in such video games.”
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Remember this gamers, it was a Democrat that didn’t trust you and wanted to “study” you.
thebrokenrattle on December 19, 2012 at 1:03 PM
I suggest starting with Donkey Kong. There’s this giant ape, see, and these barrels and this little dude always getting knocked off by the barrels….truly awful.
Help us, Big Government, we’re lost without you.
Bishop on December 19, 2012 at 1:03 PM
PMRC redux.
The youth used to rage against the machine. Now they’ve enabled the machine.
BardMan on December 19, 2012 at 1:05 PM
(most? all?) Video games carry ESRB ratings – so, it would appear that the issue has already been “studied”, and a solution found.
Pork-Chop on December 19, 2012 at 1:07 PM
Yes, jumping on Goombas brings out the murderous impulse in everyone.
Someone (maybe here, I don’t remember) said that video games may provide an outlet to some of these folks, versus them acting it out in the real world. Will this possibility be part of the study, or is this more ‘fell good, do nothing’ legislation?
changer1701 on December 19, 2012 at 1:08 PM
Wait. It sounds like there has already been a definitive study done and Rockefeller is referencing it here. Oh no? He’s simply talking out of his ass? Imagine that.
Kataklysmic on December 19, 2012 at 1:08 PM
I blame PacMan for all of this.
JPeterman on December 19, 2012 at 1:08 PM
Kids have been playing games with toy guns for a very long time. Video games are less realistic than cap guns that actually make sounds and feel more like real guns than any video console.
Pierce Morgan can take this Rockefeller douche back to England with him.
ThePrimordialOrderedPair on December 19, 2012 at 1:10 PM
Jay Rockefeller introduces bill to study video-game violence
Another true blue idiot of the American Political System.
ToddPA on December 19, 2012 at 1:10 PM
Dear Video Game Industry:
You are not donating enough to our party. If we were honest, we’d also have useless studies about the effects of violence in movies and TV, but since Hollywood gives us billions, they are off the hook. Please start opening your checkbooks, if you know what’s good for ya.
Signed, The Democrats
shaner5000 on December 19, 2012 at 1:11 PM
And another Dem up for re-election in 2014. West Virginians, you know what you need to do.
TxAnn56 on December 19, 2012 at 1:15 PM
Yeah, but ReThugliKKKlans still want to take away my pot and my pr0n and no 1 rly bleves they’ll do anything wit video games. Bsides the #1 issues are really leting teh gayz marry, global warming, and net neutrality.
/GamerObamaVoter
JimLennon on December 19, 2012 at 1:15 PM
Before home video games existed my friends and I would play war throughout the neighborhood deep into the evening. In fact most toy stores carried a large selection of toy guns, and the ones I remember most were a battery-powered M16 that would chatter with firing sounds, and a belt-fed machine gun complete with bipod and flip up sight.
That was in the 70′s and strangely enough every single one of the boys in my “war” group were affected by it, we all ended up joining the military.
Bishop on December 19, 2012 at 1:16 PM
How about studying the leftists’ adoration of arab/muslim terrorists who blow up everything that moves? How about studying how the despicable POS Arafat was Clinton’s most frequent White House visitor, and at over 50 visits, will probably remain one of the most frequent ever? How about studying how Barky loves him some islamic terrorists (so much that he’s aided and abetted them in gaining control of whole states – even at the cost of American lives in Banghazi, where Barky made sure that the Americans were undefended, disarmed, and with no help on the way)? How about looking at hos the left lionizes the arab/muslim terrorists who blow up schools and attack hospitals? That insanity has more to do with convincing weak personalities that those sorts of actions are sanctioned (as they certainly are by the left) than any laughable video games. With video games, even nutballs understand that they are MAKE-BELIEVE. When the left supports terrorists and murderers like Mumia and Tookie Williams, that is REAL LIFE and it is true mayhem that the left supports.
ThePrimordialOrderedPair on December 19, 2012 at 1:18 PM
OMG I just hope they leave Mario Karts out of this.
Sharke on December 19, 2012 at 1:18 PM
If it is a legit study it will find that the more prevalent violent video games have become, the fewer murders have occurred. If, say, one or two states ban violent video games, probably there will be no affect because people will get them anyway, and even if there is a way for them to prevent access in their states, if anything evidence will suggest that the murder rate will go up. It would be counterproductive and a waste of resources for the government to try to ban these video games. They should stick to enforcing real crimes, not political ones. We have enough political prisoners in this country already because of our unjust drug laws.
FloatingRock on December 19, 2012 at 1:19 PM
Need to add MTV, Rap and pop music, books, and the TV show “Cops” to the study.
BobMbx on December 19, 2012 at 1:20 PM
What about movies Jay?
reddevil on December 19, 2012 at 1:20 PM
Hey…why don’t we de-criminalize gun violence, and tax it?
“Want to shoot up a mall? Fill out the application and pay the fee”
BobMbx on December 19, 2012 at 1:21 PM
Two months ago, I would have supported Hollywood in their production in over the top gory films. Now, I say screw it: let these liberal fuq’s reap what they sow. Hit them in their wallets by forcing them to produce boring movies that no one wants to watch.
The Count on December 19, 2012 at 1:24 PM
Exactly. And most retail outlets already honor those ratings, without government interference.
And these morons are still stuck in the mindset that gamers are all 14 year olds. The average gamer is actually 30:
http://www.gamespot.com/news/average-age-of-us-gamers-now-30-6380546
strictnein on December 19, 2012 at 1:29 PM
Are you accusing me of supporting murder, liberal? Even Piers Morgan of CNN has better arguments than you.
FloatingRock on December 19, 2012 at 1:30 PM
Don’t forget “Cheaters”
JPeterman on December 19, 2012 at 1:31 PM
Alls I know is I was ripping people’s spines out in Mortal Kombat and gunning down people and aliens right and left in Duke Nukem 3D and Doom respectively when I was in my teens, yet I turned out just fine.
Doughboy on December 19, 2012 at 1:32 PM
Who is going to introduce the bill to study the factor the wall-to-wall coverage plays in driving this phenomena?
agmartin on December 19, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Ditto. All the while listening to scary Industrial music like Nine Inch Nails and KMFDM.
strictnein on December 19, 2012 at 1:34 PM
“Uhhh…you forgot about becoming a conservative. Case closed, murderer.”
-lib
Bishop on December 19, 2012 at 1:34 PM
There’s already been numerous studies on this subject over many years, and none of them have found a substantive causal link between video games and violent behavior. There’s not even a strong correlation, and like the gun control argument, it’s based on hysteria, anecdote and shallow thinking.
But by all means, let’s waste some more taxpayer money we don’t have to study this again so politicians can say to the simple-minded that they’re doing something. Every complex problem has a simple solution, and it’s usually wrong.
RadClown on December 19, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Ding ding ding. Even as we type, some unbalanced loon is watching this over the top 24/7 saturation, romancing the notion of how he or she can go out in a blaze of glory and notoriety.
TxAnn56 on December 19, 2012 at 1:37 PM
Yep, neither Nine Inch Nails nor Dr. Dre’s The Chronic made me go out and harm anyone. Neither did watching A Clockwork Orange, Pulp Fiction, or Natural Born Killers.
Doughboy on December 19, 2012 at 1:38 PM
Oh look! I have the results already.
Sonic the Hedgehog is nothing but capitalism in motion, see how his only goal is to grab gold rings?!
Super Mario Bros. represents the working man trying to climb out of his current class but can’t because Bowser, the evil head of the Koopa Corp keeps him down.
Guitar Hero encourages drug use. Because you need to be on speed to play some of those songs.
Modern Warfare makes people mass killers because guns.
Gatsu on December 19, 2012 at 1:40 PM
People who buy video games are already taxed.
FloatingRock on December 19, 2012 at 1:41 PM
i am a huge fan of the anime/manga, Death Note… the whole story is about the protagonist killing tons and tons of people, lol
and yet i haven’t killed a single person. wow!!
Sachiko on December 19, 2012 at 1:43 PM
although i don’t have a notebook that can kill people, i admit. XD
Sachiko on December 19, 2012 at 1:44 PM
You are by far one of my favorite posters here!
Gatsu on December 19, 2012 at 1:49 PM
I blame it on the Three Stooges. They’re the ones who started this with all that crowbar and hammer violence. Do you know how many kids have poked each others eyes out because of those guys? I don’t know either and there’s probably none, but I’m right because I said so, and you hate kids if you disagree with me.
RadClown on December 19, 2012 at 1:50 PM
Obviously neither of you are old enough to have fallen asleep with a radio on, and some time in the night had “You Can Ring My Bell” injected into your Id.
BobMbx on December 19, 2012 at 1:59 PM
Sort of reminds me of Sen. Estes Kefauver investigation into the possible link of comic books and juvenile delinquency back in the 1950s and Al Gore’s ex-wife’s attempt to get “control” of the music industry. What they really need to do is have government censorship of the news./s
SC.Charlie on December 19, 2012 at 2:00 PM
This is nothing new folks..good old Joe Lieberman for years has been trying to link violence to video games but have failed every time..It’s politicians trying to place blame on everything else other than the individual..they have no shame
sadsushi on December 19, 2012 at 2:17 PM