Dianne Feinstein: Congress May Take Action On Video Game Violence

[Phyphor]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/04/dianne-feinstein-video-games_n_3016703.html

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that Congress may be forced to take action to limit video game violence.

Speaking to an audience of around 500 in San Francisco, Feinstein, who led the charge in the Senate on an assault weapons ban, said the video game industry should take voluntary steps to make sure it does not glorify guns in the wake of the December mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. She added that if the industry does not, Congress is prepared to take action, according to the Associated Press.

Feinstein said that video games play, "a very negative role for young people, and the industry ought to take note of that."

"If Sandy Hook doesn't do it ... then maybe we have to proceed, but that is in the future," she added.

The California Democrat is the latest to add her voice to a chorus of lawmakers, including many Republicans, who have connected violence in video games to gun violence.

In January, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) told MSNBC's Chuck Todd that he believes "video games is a bigger problem than guns, because video games affect people."

Tennessee Republican Rep. Diane Black attributed the Sandy Hook shooting to "unprecedented levels of violent games, music and so on," and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) in December introduced a bill to study the impact of violent video games on children, one of Congress's first pieces of legislation related to the tragedy in Newtown. Former Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) also stated his support in December for a commission to study the effect of violent video games on mass shootings.

National Rifle Association CEO and executive vice president Wayne LaPierre was also quick to blame violent video games for the events at the Sandy Hook, after it was found that shooter Adam Lanza may have played video games like "Call of Duty" and "Starcraft."

Nearly 30 years of studies have shown that there is scant evidence to support the claim that violent video games influence real-life violence, dating back to the first major violent video game study in 1984. Critics argue such attempts to correlate the two are little more than scapegoating video games in order to avoid getting to the root of gun violence.

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Over on a forum I frequent, there's quite a few antigun libtard types.  Those same types are screaming at this news right now, yelling about the first amendment being violated here.  I have to confess to a bit of dark amusement at this, the very same arguments they used against guns are now being turned against their favorite pastime.

I mean, whoda thunk it? Someone who disrespected the 2nd Amendment might just go after the 1st as well?  Color me completely surprised.
Really.

[Tallpine]

How about a background check before you can buy a video game ?   

[Perd Hapley]

Oh, come on, this makes perfect sense.

A) To the sort of people that vote for her, this makes her look like she's trying to do something.

B) The video game industry enriches some people, and employs many, many more. That has to be stopped.

[dm1333]

I agree with Feinstein that video games are a problem.   

[Fitz]

I agree with Feinstein that video games are a problem.   

Successful troll is successful

Until I saw the popcorn, I was RAGING

Well played

[dm1333]

There is a tiny kernel of truth in the statement that video games can be a problem.  When you spend your whole life on the internet playing games you never learn how to get along with others and how to disagree.  I think the real problem lies elsewhere, though.

[Fitz]

There is a tiny kernel of truth in the statement that video games can be a problem.  When you spend your whole life on the internet playing games you never learn how to get along with others and how to disagree.  I think the real problem lies elsewhere, though.

Sure


However

None of the governments business

[dm1333]

I agree 100 per cent. 

[Phyphor]

There is a tiny kernel of truth in the statement that video games can be a problem.  When you spend your whole life on the internet playing games you never learn how to get along with others and how to disagree.  I think the real problem lies elsewhere, though.

Yeah, in the parents who allow their kids to do this.  Super-obsessed gamers aren't born in a vacuum.

But the idea isn't that basement dwellers are the problem, the idea is that video games cause/inspire violent actions.

Of course, the same was said of TV, music, movies, etc, so take that for what you will. 

[lee n. field]

There is a tiny kernel of truth in the statement that video games can be a problem.  When you spend your whole life on the internet playing games you never learn how to get along with others and how to disagree.  I think the real problem lies elsewhere, though.

What one fills one's mind with, can't help but have an effect.

Nevertheless

None of the governments business

[Monkeyleg]

What one fills one's mind with, can't help but have an effect.

Nevertheless

It's interesting that advertisers will pay $50 million or more for a 60 second superbowl commercial to try to get people to buy stuff, yet opponents of restricting children's access to video games and violent movies argue that hundreds or even thousands of hours of exposure has no effect on the kids.

[T.O.M.]

Games are an easy target for politicians.  It's hard to defend violent games, outside pure 1A arguments.  Gamers don't have the organization and resources of the 2A crowd.  No one can point to anything positive in support of games, unlike our 2A arguments have done.  No long standing traditions.  Don't save livess through defense.  Don't put food on the table.  Gotta wonder if the Hollywood  crowd will jump in on a "slippery slope argument"...

[Regolith]

It's interesting that advertisers will pay $50 million or more for a 60 second superbowl commercial to try to get people to buy stuff, yet opponents of restricting children's access to video games and violent movies argue that hundreds or even thousands of hours of exposure has no effect on the kids.

Yeah, it seems to have tamed the little bastards.

[freakazoid]

Gamers don't have the organization and resources of the 2A crowd. 

Not entirely true. The gaming industry itself is HUGE. If they tried to actually do something they could easily all band together. And then you throw in people like Penny Arcade.

No one can point to anything positive in support of games, unlike our 2A arguments have done.

Not entirely true.

It's interesting that advertisers will pay $50 million or more for a 60 second superbowl commercial to try to get people to buy stuff, yet opponents of restricting children's access to video games and violent movies argue that hundreds or even thousands of hours of exposure has no effect on the kids.

  Of course the point of these commercials is to have a different "effect". Getting exposure, giving a friendly face to there products, ect. Thousands of hours of playing "violent" video games has the effect of... nothing. I have put many thousands of hours on these games, and yet I'm not about to go commit a mass murder. Not only I, but many hundreds of thousands of people too. Why don't we see so much more? Could it be because it is not the games that made people do it? Does spending hundreds of hours violently sending lead down range make people go out and commit murder?

National Rifle Association CEO and executive vice president Wayne LaPierre was also quick to blame violent video games for the events at the Sandy Hook, after it was found that shooter Adam Lanza may have played video games like "Call of Duty" and "Starcraft."

Holy Crap!! Not that uber violent game StarCraft!!! 

Nearly 30 years of studies have shown that there is scant evidence to support the claim that violent video games influence real-life violence, dating back to the first major violent video game study in 1984. Critics argue such attempts to correlate the two are little more than scapegoating video games in order to avoid getting to the root of gun violence.

This. It's always something that kids find fun that is to blame, pin ball, rock and roll, "violent" video games, shooting, card games, books, ect, ect, ect.

[MicroBalrog]

Is it the government's job to make basement-dwellers into nine-to-five tie-wearers? No.

Is it the government's job to regulate against harmful cultural influences? No.

Not every bad thing is a thing the government should deal with.

[Monkeyleg]

Yeah, it seems to have tamed the little bastards.

I'm not arguing a cause and effect between video games and violent crime. I am questioning whether young kids can play violent video games and not be affected in some way.

[roo_ster]

Sorry, reality intrudes upon the "video games and teevee have no effect" on kids or whomever.  And there is scant on the upside, it is almost entirely downside influence.

Doesn't mean gov't should get in the middle, other than maybe with truth in labeling, so folks will know what they are about to stuff in their skulls. 

[Tallpine]

It's always something that kids find fun that is to blame, pin ball, rock and roll, "violent" video games, shooting, card games, books, ect, ect, ect.

Pool.  Trouble right here in River City.

[dm1333]

I am questioning whether young kids can play violent video games and not be affected in some way.

I know plenty of people who grew up playing these video games and they turned out just fine.  I also know some who aren't gamers and are a waste of human protoplasm.

[TommyGunn]

Sorry, reality intrudes upon the "video games and teevee have no effect" on kids or whomever.  And there is scant on the upside, it is almost entirely downside influence.

Doesn't mean gov't should get in the middle, other than maybe with truth in labeling, so folks will know what they are about to stuff in their skulls.

Does the same cause=effect relationship exist in other countries ... because these "violent" video games are not limited in distribution to just America, they go to Canada, europe, Asia, and elsewhere.

[Perd Hapley]

I know plenty of people who grew up playing these video games and they turned out just fine.  I also know some who aren't gamers and are a waste of human protoplasm.

Now that's not fair. I haven't done anything to you. 

[MicroBalrog]

Does the same cause=effect relationship exist in other countries ... because these "violent" video games are not limited in distribution to just America, they go to Canada, europe, Asia, and elsewhere.

I don't think anyone seriously implied cause and effect. Correlation =/= causation.

[TommyGunn]

I don't think anyone seriously implied cause and effect. Correlation =/= causation.

Oh.

Sorry, reality intrudes upon the "video games and teevee have no effect" on kids or whomever.  And there is scant on the upside, it is almost entirely downside influence.

Doesn't mean gov't should get in the middle, other than maybe with truth in labeling, so folks will know what they are about to stuff in their skulls.  

So, does that mean there's no "cause effect" relationship or  .... whta?  Just a "general condemnation" of the games?  Huh?  What?   Where?  When?
 

[Devonai]

Pac-Man is a circle.  The little things he eats are circles...

OMG CANNIBALISM!  Ban Pac-Man!!!

[TommyGunn]

Pac-Man is a circle.  The little things he eats are circles...

OMG CANNIBALISM!  Ban Pac-Man!!!

FINALLY!  Someone with a sense of humor.