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  • WEDNESDAY APRIL 26 2006 1:00 PM

Oklahoma Politicians Decide Some Videogames are "Harmful to Minors"

Submitted by WilWheaton

Edited by Rahodeb

Proving once again that government totally knows what's best for everyone, the Oklahoma State Senate has unanimously passed a bill which would equate "violent video games" with hardcore pornography.

HB3004 seeks to amend an existing Oklahoma statute, and redefine what is considered "harmful to minors." Authored by State Rep. Fred Morgan (R), the bill would add "inappropriate violence" to the statute. In the actual wording of the bill, "harmful to minors" means: "the material or performance lacks serious literary, scientific, medical, artistic, or political value for minors."

Well. that's awesome. I'm so glad a bunch of politicians sitting in Oklahoma City have decided that they are the arbiters of decency for everyone in their state, including all the adults.

The effect of this legislation, if passed, would mean the Oklahoma government could designate certain games "inappropriate," and the games would then be treated like pornography—meaning it would be illegal for retailers to sell the game to minors. What makes the Oklahoma Senate's unanimous decision particularly significant is that similar bills in other states have been killed time and time again, because of the same vague wording of HB3004's definitions of "inappropriate."

Virtually everyone can agree that there are games which are clearly inappropriate for children, but that's what ratings and parents are for. Why is it that Republican lawmakers are gung-ho for personal responsibility and government abstinence when it comes to healthcare, welfare, and minimum-wage laws, but they can't vote "aye" fast enough when it comes to intrusively legislating morality?

If this bill becomes law, it will be a crime to sell a "harmful" game to a anyone under 18. There are countless reasons that this is incredibly stupid, among them the fact that a 17 year-old can buy himself a ticket to a graphically violent film like Saw or Hostel, or a sexually-charged film like Showgirls. But that same 17 year-old couldn't legally purchase DOOM 3, and the person who sold it to him would be criminally liable. How does this make sense? The answer is, it doesn't. Bills like this have nothing to do with protecting the children or seriously addressing issues which need governmental attention. Bills like this are entirely about election-year pandering to the ultra-conservative minority who unfortunately make up the modern Republican Base.

Bills like this have come up time and again all over the country, but they've always been defeated by lawmakers who have a last-minute attack of common sense, and several laws have been over-turned at the federal level, the most recent in Michigan, on First-Amendment grounds (note to conservatives: you have to respect all the amendments, not just the second one.) If this bill is signed into law by Oklahoma's governor (very likely, according to sources) it will certainly set up another legal battle, which will likely be found in favor of the game developers, because scientific studies have yet to find a link between simulated violence in videogames and real-life violence in the streets, yo.

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Comments
Paul9000

Paul9000

Monterey, CA
November 2004

APR 26, 2006 02:15 PM

bean said:

Paul9000 said:
Both of you failed to mention that it is also illegal to get tattooed in Oklahoma.


Keith said:
Only state in union where tattooing is still illegal.


I assumed Keith meant the practice of tattooing (eg. both artist and patron) rather than just the act of putting a tattoo on someone.


Ah, I got Beaned!

Paul9000

Paul9000

Monterey, CA
November 2004

APR 26, 2006 02:18 PM

Paul9000 said:

bean said:

Paul9000 said:
Both of you failed to mention that it is also illegal to get tattooed in Oklahoma.


Keith said:
Only state in union where tattooing is still illegal.


I assumed Keith meant the practice of tattooing (eg. both artist and patron) rather than just the act of putting a tattoo on someone.


Ah, I got Beaned!



Edit it add: I think the way the law is written, it is illegal to give "permanent marks". Is is perfectly legal to receive a tattoo.

captainoats

captainoats

Bronxville, NY
September 2005

APR 26, 2006 02:51 PM

Bullshit as this may be, at least they're focusing their efforts on violence rather than sex. I've always found it interesting that a PG-13 movie can contain an amazing amount of violence, but can't show a nipple.

SonOfAPunk

SonOfAPunk

Maple Ridge, BC
January 2006

APR 26, 2006 03:58 PM

Fuck.

mad

Shit like this pisses me off.

*@#!& the censors!

Nokturn

Nokturn

United Kingdom
April 2006

APR 26, 2006 04:58 PM

Strangely enough, I've recently come back from Thailand, where there is no censorship or age restriction on films or games (or, it seems, prostitution, which is a different matter)
My 12,14 and 16 year old step brothers & sisters seem fine.

And guess what? There's almost zero street crime!
(A lot of prostitution tho- s'pose you can't have it all)
I'm gonna do a thread about this...
Cos I'm bored, OK??? skull

voodoognome

voodoognome

Norman, OK
May 2005

APR 26, 2006 05:35 PM

OH NO! kids will have to get their parents to approve and buy the games they play!? for shame Oklahoma! for shame!

I think the law is a good idea. Yes, i live in oklahoma. Yes, i played violent video games as a minor. I think people should be getting their panties in a twist over a more important issue.

SCANDAL!!!11

Necia

Necia

San Francisco, CA
August 2005

APR 26, 2006 06:09 PM

Alyk said:

Keith said:




I'm sure having a douchebag for a US Senator named Dr. Tom Coburn doesn't help shit in Oklahoma.

In January 2005, during a Senate Judiciary Committee discussion about class-action lawsuits and silicone breast implants, The Washington Post quoted Coburn as stating:

"You know, I immediately thought about silicone breast implants and the legal wrangling and the class-action suits off that. And I thought I would just share with you what science says today about silicone breast implants. If you have them, you're healthier than if you don't. That is what the ultimate science shows...In fact, there's no science that shows that silicone breast implants are detrimental and, in fact, they make you healthier."



According to The American Prospect during Coburn's 2004 senatorial campaign in Oklahoma, Coburn remarked that in the town of Coalgate, Oklahoma, lesbianism was "so rampant in some of the schools...that they'll let only one girl go to the bathroom." [9] School officials have denied his statement. [10] Coburn has also been quoted as saying:

"The gay community has infiltrated the very centers of power in every area across this country, and they wield extreme power... That agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today. Why do you think we see the rationalization for abortion and multiple sexual partners? That's a gay agenda."





On Fake Boobs: what???

On Lesbian Schoolgirls: Clearly I went to the wrong schools when I was little . . . whatever

On Abortion and the Gay Agenda: What the fuck would people having homosexual sex need with abortion? Didn't anyone ever give him the "Mommy and Daddy wanting a Baby" talk? Like, maybe in med school?

malkav11

malkav11

Saint Paul, MN
July 2003

APR 26, 2006 06:14 PM

captainoats said:
Bullshit as this may be, at least they're focusing their efforts on violence rather than sex. I've always found it interesting that a PG-13 movie can contain an amazing amount of violence, but can't show a nipple.



Yes, America has fucked up priorities. On the other hand, if there actually were many videogames with significant sexual content, they'd be targetting that too. Trust me.

Aya

Aya

SUICIDEGIRL

Alberta, Canada

APR 26, 2006 06:31 PM

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOklahoma is the place to be!

puke

Trevallion

Trevallion

Murfreesboro, TN
February 2004

APR 26, 2006 06:41 PM

Keith said:
Also:

Liquor stores close at 9pm.
Bars close at 2am.
Only 3.2 beer may be sold outside of bars and liquor stores.
Only state in union where tattooing is still illegal.
Pornography may show no penetration.
Strippers must wear pasties, underwear.

Oklahoma, where we liked how things were during the Eisenhower administration and see no reason to change!



I was going to bring those things up too.

Keith

Keith

Oklahoma City, OK
August 2002

APR 26, 2006 06:47 PM

Trevallion said:

Keith said:
Also:

Liquor stores close at 9pm.
Bars close at 2am.
Only 3.2 beer may be sold outside of bars and liquor stores.
Only state in union where tattooing is still illegal.
Pornography may show no penetration.
Strippers must wear pasties, underwear.

Oklahoma, where we liked how things were during the Eisenhower administration and see no reason to change!



I was going to bring those things up too.


Did I also mention that there are only like 6 public bus routes in all of Oklahoma City, and they stop at 6pm? And sidewalks are about as rare as the dodo bird? But that's okay, it's not like we're one of America's fattest cities.

But like someone said, it's ridiculously cheap, so as long as there is cable internet to be had...

Nokturn

Nokturn

United Kingdom
April 2006

APR 26, 2006 07:15 PM

Lets hope they don't ban BBQ sauce or Oklahoma's gonna be a warzone skull

Andvari

Andvari

Calgary, AB
April 2005

APR 26, 2006 07:22 PM

Keith said:
Only state in union where tattooing is still illegal.



This struck me as so odd. I mean the others I utterly disagree with, but I can at least pretend to see some sort of reasoning behind.

WTF would be the reasoning behind this?

FrankMask

FrankMask

Saint Paul, MN
June 2003

APR 26, 2006 07:27 PM

Andvari said:

Keith said:
Only state in union where tattooing is still illegal.



This struck me as so odd. I mean the others I utterly disagree with, but I can at least pretend to see some sort of reasoning behind.

WTF would be the reasoning behind this?



I'm guessing that it refers to the bits of the bible that say changing your body in any way is sinful, and somewhere in the past 1600 years it got into the collective subconscious that tattoos fit that category.

MarginWalker2002

MarginWalker2002

San Diego, CA
April 2004

APR 26, 2006 07:35 PM

I bet this one's still okay to play...

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