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Oklahoma Politicians Decide Some Videogames are "Harmful to Minors"

WEDNESDAY APRIL 26 2006 1:00 PM

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.

32 Comments

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steve626

Tarentum, PA

February 2005

APR 26, 2006 01:05 PM

Taliban 2: Christian edition.

Heard on Stern that South Carolina wants to outlaw the sell of vibrators and dildos.

zoton

Kuwait

November 2005

APR 26, 2006 01:10 PM

things just keep getting worse and worse.

Keith

Oklahoma City, OK

August 2002

APR 26, 2006 01:10 PM

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!

Alyk

Boston, MA

February 2005

APR 26, 2006 01:27 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'm sure having a douchebag for a US Senator named Dr. Tom Coburn doesn't help shit in Oklahoma.

A few of his totally awesome highlights (and yes, he's a MEDICAL doctor):

Coburn also objects to legal abortion in cases of rape, and he has justified his position by noting that his great-grandmother was raped by a sheriff.

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."

A woman alleged that Coburn sterilized her without her consent during an emergency surgery to treat a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy in 1990. Coburn contends that he had her oral consent, but he did not obtain written consent. A resulting civil malpractice suit was filed, but ultimately dismissed with no finding of liability on Coburn's part.

During his run for the U. S. Senate, Coburn was quoted as saying that there was, "....no hard evidence to support global warming." Coburn called global warming "just a lot of crap."

seanvegas

Lincoln, NE

December 2004

APR 26, 2006 01:28 PM

1. How many video games have these ass hole politicians actually played?

2. I'll bet most of Oklahoma's legislature is run by Republicans. the party the claims to be for "less" government.

Keith

Oklahoma City, OK

August 2002

APR 26, 2006 01:29 PM

Yeah. I had some pointed questions for Mr. Coburn about the connection between his views on homosexuality and his position (appointed by Bush) at the head of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS during the town hall debates between him and his opponent. He is a collosal douchebag.

Keith

Oklahoma City, OK

August 2002

APR 26, 2006 01:33 PM

seanvegas said:
1. How many video games have these ass hole politicians actually played?

2. I'll bet most of Oklahoma's legislature is run by Republicans. the party the claims to be for "less" government.

Actually, until 2004, it was dominated by Democrats. The previous long-serving governor was a hardcore Republican, but the current is a Democrat. Southern Democrats, mind you. The kind who mostly moved to the Republican party after the Civil Rights Act, y'know.

arariel

Oklahoma City, OK

November 2004

APR 26, 2006 01:51 PM

What's this "we" crap? Do you have a mouse in your pocket or are you speaking french?

Edited because I'm a Grammar Nazi

[Edited on Apr 26, 2006 3:52PM]

Moirae

Sacramento, CA

February 2005

APR 26, 2006 01:56 PM

Alyk said:

McCarthy said:
Why do you think we see the rationalization for abortion and multiple sexual partners? That's a gay agenda."

You know...cause unplanned pregnancies are such a rampant problem within gay relationships.

dAHMER

South Vienna, OH

OLD SKOOL

APR 26, 2006 02:02 PM

Moirae said:

McCarthy said:

That's funny, cause I was thinking the same thing.

Sandman262

Yukon, OK

February 2005

APR 26, 2006 02:05 PM

Moirae said:

Alyk said:

McCarthy said:
Why do you think we see the rationalization for abortion and multiple sexual partners? That's a gay agenda."

You know...cause unplanned pregnancies are such a rampant problem within gay relationships.

That one made me laugh

I cant say much about Oklahoma, I just live here and try not to pay attention to the crap that flies around. At least its relativly cheap to live here.

Paul9000

Monterey, CA

November 2004

APR 26, 2006 02:07 PM

arariel said:

What's this "we" crap? Do you have a mouse in your pocket or are you speaking french?

Keith is from Del City.

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

Idjit

HOPEFUL

I'm lost

APR 26, 2006 02:11 PM

Honestly, I don't have a problem with this. Putting it on parents is bullshit. Unless ratings systems are actually enforced, they won't work.

It's funny that you get the contigent of people who say "Why does America have such a problem with porn, but not violence" and then stuff like this goes down and everyone gets in a tizzy?

bean

STAFF

Los Angeles, CA

APR 26, 2006 02:12 PM

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.

xrinti

Madison, WI

April 2006

APR 26, 2006 02:14 PM

What is it about flat states that makes them long for a time when people thought that the world was flat? Kansas and its lovely education stance and OK and this...

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