Congressman Wants Health Warning Labels on Games, Again

[BanthaFodder]

the only LINK that has anything to do with videogames just saved Zelda from Ganon (or just helped me and my friend trade Pokemon back in the early 2000's)
but seriously, why can't people stay out of things they don't know ANYTHING about? if you want to be a DOCTOR, you need a DOCTORATE. if you want to be an AUTHOR, you need to know how to WRITE (doesn't apply to Stephanie Meyer). and if you want to TELL PEOPLE THAT SOMETHING IS BAD FOR THEM, you need to have EXPERIENCE WITH WHAT YOU ARE ACCUSING OF BEING BAD. I wouldn't go to a 6-year-old for help studying, but then again, I wouldn't go to an ignorant old "politician" from California for COMMON SENSE EITHER.

 

[spartan231490]

WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent videogames and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior

No....It hasn't.

Exactly. Are all the other Californian Congressmen retarded, or does he just think they are? There are as many studies that show no correlation, or even a correlation between violent media and less violent behavior, as there are that show a correlation between "violent media and aggressive behavior." Why don't we put a warning label on non-organic food saying that it's bad for your health? There's about the same amount of "proof" for that.

 

[Singularly Datarific]

How about no? Games don't mess people up. Just because some psychos have played games doesn't mean jack - they were already messed up. They also drank milk, ate fast food, and watched TV.

Why isn't there warning on soda drinks that excessive consumption of them can be bad for your teeth?

Why isn't there a warning on alcohol that excessive consumption of it can turn you into an asshole, and make some people beat their wives and family?

Why isn't their a warning on most fast food that states that excessive consumption can lead to obesity and poor health?

Why are cigarettes still legal? Right. Only because the companies that own them are rich and powerful. They are drugs, and poison which affect people around you and unlike this crusade against gaming, that's cold hard FACT proven by science.

People are dumb. All the crap wrong in the world and trying to get a false warning on games is what they are choosing to spend their time on? Sometimes I wish I was some James Bond supervillian (good intentioned) so I could take over the world and show these clowns how it's done.

Just wait 20 or so years, our generation will usurp theirs, and things will go our way. Tell you what, if I am ever President, I WILL outlaw smoking. You can get away with outlawing cell phones while driving, so you can certainly outlaw an obviously addicting substance that has concrete links to lung cancer.
Anyways, he is stupid.

 

[balanovich]

Violent video games and violent behavior are probably "linked" .... but that term is very vague. There probably is correlation because.... violent people like violent things.

But to consider putting a label and talking about responsibility, there should be clear cause and effect! I doubt there's that.

Does he quotes any studies ?

 

[MortisLegio]

Warning: Being/Becoming an Elected Official may make you an Idiot

they should put this on ballots. It makes more sense than what this guy wants

 

[joebthegreat]

Let me just say something about this Science that people love to point to, and what it does and does not "prove".

In Science, one must make a hypothesis (testable prediction), and then rigorously test it through experimentation.

In Science, one must be physically capable of disproving the hypothesis, in order for it to be legitimate.

In Science, results must stand on their own. You do not interpret the results. The results stand as they are, and the conclusion should be obvious.

In Science, one (and only one) legitimate experiment that disproves your prediction is all that is needed. If you are proved incorrect, we throw it out. There is no such thing as proving something correct.

For the sake of being a devils advocate, allow me to ask one question. Where is your proof that violence in video games does not promote violent tendencies in children? All you need is one legitimate experiment. The results must stand on their own merit, not on interpretation.

Show me links. I'm not saying that the statement hasn't been disproved. I'm just saying that if you aren't actually aware of a source that disproves it, and you've argued viciously that games don't cause violence, then you are uninformed. You are allowing your personal bias to answer the question, rather than logic. If you're going to do that, please don't say that it's "Science".

 

[superline51]

Seriously, what the hell is wrong with California?

Its full of bleeding hearts who believe that if it isn't green and called "pot" they will try to outlaw it because its not "healthy" (ie forcing their lifestyle on everyone else while accusing others of doing the same). Seriously, people in California are the kinds of liberals that make you ashamed of being a liberal.

High five!

 

[Blatherscythe]

all people over 40 should die really soon so we dont have to deal with this shit anymore

All corrupt polititions and crazy people should all die soon. Not all people over 40 are a bunch of senile old fucks who soil themselves and try to pass bullshit laws

 

[Formica Archonis]

Ah, can't you tell next year is an election year?

But that's being uncharitable. After all, his position must be fairly safe if the controversies [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Baca#Controversies] of '06 didn't hurt him. So why would he pander and lie so shamelessly just to gain votes?

 

[lacktheknack]

You know what? Let him do it... so long as he puts the same warnings on all other media.

 

[Nailz]

snip

But also more importantly,
correlation =/= causation.

Repeat after me folks...

 

[Jaime_Wolf]

Everyone needs to stop bothering to care about this kind of nonsense. It probably won't pass and, even if it does, there is absolutely no chance of it holding up in court. Hell, if this thing looks like it's going to pass, every huge media lobby in America is going to be fighting it (how long until he wants to put this on film DVDs too?).

There's also the issue of no one caring whatsoever about labels like this.

 

[Quantum Star]

Where is your proof Joe Baca? WHERE IS YOUR PROOF?!

 

[Enigmers]

It would be nice if the people who made laws about games have actually been somewhere kind of in the vicinity of someone who has ever touched a video game.

 

[joebthegreat]

snip

But also more importantly,
correlation =/= causation.

Repeat after me folks...

Which does not mean correlation disproves causation. It simply means it doesn't prove causation. But then again when do we ever PROVE causation?

So I state again. Disprove it.

 

[gmer412]

Frank Wolf is my congressman. I can't believe it. The first bill I actually see he cosponsored, and it's this inane, useless, and incorrect bill.

snip

But also more importantly,
correlation =/= causation.

Repeat after me folks...

Which does not mean correlation disproves causation. It simply means it doesn't prove causation. But then again when do we ever PROVE causation?

So I state again. Disprove it.

I think the burden of proof here is on the people who are making the claims that video games cause violence. One cannot simply make a claim and state that it's true unless opponents disprove it.

 

[Vykrel]

Warning: This game might be very fun.

 

[TheGreatCoolEnergy]

"Censorship, like charity, should begin at home: but unlike charity, it should end there." - Claire Booth Luce

The only way, I could ever see this as justified, is if other forms of media received the same treatment, which it wont. You would never see this shit fly if the media in question was a book. I am so sick of the whole "New Media is Evil!!!1!!" mindset.