Parents Group Denounces Supreme Court Decision

[Callate]

I'm a parent; these people don't speak for me. They're wrong, and have no interest in considering arguments that don't fit into their narrow point of view.

...That about cover it? Yeah? Thought so. Moving on...

 

[Rayne870]

Parent more, cry less? I think applies in this situation?

Right on the nose

 

[neonsword13-ops]

It's all in the title. [HEADING=3]A PARENTS COMPANY[/HEADING]

I think it is safe to say we were born in a milenium of idiots.

 

[Alar]

If they want these things not to be sold to their children, then why don't they just try to get the ESRB enforced more strictly?

I... don't see why that would be all that hard.

 

[Mikeyfell]

"This ruling replaces the authority of parents with the economic interests of the videogame industry. With no fear of any consequence for violating the videogame industry's own age restriction guidelines, retailers can now openly, brazenly sell games with unspeakable violence and adult content even to the youngest of children," Winter said.

What? The? Fuck? This ruling wasn't to disband the ESRB was it?

"all I want for Christmas is a law that will absolve me of all my responsibilities as a parent."

Here's an idea: Be a fucking parent instead of some dumb shit who thinks they know what's best for everyone. And if you really can't cope with your kids seeing mature content then maybe you shouldn't have kids, or just lock them away in a bubble until their 18.

In fact I'd love to see a study like that. take a group of random babies and don't allow them to see any mature content for 18 years and just see how fucked up they are after that. 10 bucks says more than half of them won't be able to function in society

 

[Gigano]

While these moral panicky types are all away blabbering about how kids will now run to the stores to buy all the ultraviolent eroge games the stores don't and won't sell, somebody need to find their kids and sell them cheap copies of "The Human Centipede", "Antichrist", and "A Serbian Film", as well as Marilyn Manson's greatest hits collection.

Poor things must be suffocating in all that insufferable wholesomeness, and since it's not like these parents show any restraint in concerning themselves over - and interfering in - how others want to live, they certainly have no claim that others not interfere with their choices.

Although rather than making them rethink interfering with parenting outside their own, maybe it'd simply make them change their focus. If so, good luck with the crusade to ban films and music.

 

[PrinceofPersia]

I know this post is in vain, but it felt better to get that off my chest anyways. I get so terribly sickened by the people I have to share the title of "parent" with.

Fixed it for ya, and thank you for the post. It is nice to hear that there are still responsible parents out there willing to raise their kids instead of trying to blame everything under the sun when something goes wrong. Carry on you wonderful human beings you! Excelsior!

 

[starwarsgeek]

That's interesting, I don't think anything is covered by freedom of speech where I come from (Scotland) but there aren't any sales restrictions or censorship (except common sense) over here.

What I gather from the law is that if a parent wanted their child to have a violent videogame they'd have to physically buy it themselves? Maybe that's a good thing, to enforce that there is a connection between the parent and what the child is exposed to.

Actually, the parents already have to physically buy it themselves. Game retailers self-regulate rules similar to this law, and the FTC actually finds the ESRB system and game retailers more effective than the other medium equivalents. Sure, they occasionally screw up, but not nearly as often as, say, movie theaters.

The law is redundant and pointlessly strict (games with acts of violence against human or "human-like" enemies would basically be an automatic "M", which would have restricted sales, and accidentally selling one to a minor would be a crime), it would have set terrible precedent, and it would leave the American gaming industry at the mercy of not just the Federal level, but State Laws as well. I know I wouldn't want to be in a position where I had to keep track of 50 different definitions of what is acceptable to sell something in my own country.

I'd like to know more about how things work in Scotland, because that is really interesting, but trust me when I say suddenly removing protection from the media's favorite scapegoat would not have a happy ending over here.

 

[Sovvolf]

snip

Which does raise the questions... Where are these kids getting the money to freely buy £40/$60(?) games in the first place? I don't know about you but outside of Birthdays and Christmas I wasn't seeing £40 or even £20 very often as a kid. So surely, if these kids are getting a hold of these games then its probably through their parents... So... Who is responsible? The video game company the puts a nice clear warning sign on the Video game saying who its intended to be sold to? or the Parents who buy their kids it?

That and if the kid is buying it himself, I imagine the local video game store is probably at a shopping center (or Mall for those in the states) or the retail area of the town. In which, for the kid to buy it without the parents intervening, he'd have to go all the way their alone to purchase it... Which again, is bad parenting.

I wish parents would stop looking for scapegoats and you know? do their jobs as parents.

That being said, over here it is illegal to sell a video game to a minor or anyone under that age. Which might make me sound hypocritical considering what I've said above. I don't think its a bad system, it means that parents really do have to go into the store to buy a game for a kid under the age rating of the game. So any harm (think of the children) does happen, it really is there faults for buying them it. However that kind of system might not work all too well over in the states. I don't mind the current system we have over here though. Honestly prefer it.

 

[Cropsy91]

Honestly? This doesn't make me mad at all.

Don't get me wrong or anything, these people are freaking idiots, but after the game industry's victory in court, seeing the losers of the battle whine and gloat to no avail just makes our victory all the sweeter.

 

[Optional Opinion]

People keep bringing up "Parent more" "Lazy parents" "Shit parents" blah blah blah.

If these people are that incompetent to supervise their children when it comes to gaming then surely a law doing it for them is a good idea. That way children are protected even if their parents aren't the ones doing the protecting.

The idea is to protect all children not just the ones with decent parents.

 

[ShatterPalm]

Okay, for the love of God, do NONE of these idiots know that most kids get M rated games is FROM their parents? I'm sixteen and I'm STILL not allowed to touch m-rates because my parents are WICKED strict. My body Scott, on the other hand, is allowed to play whatever the hell he can get his hands on and usually lets his ten year old cousin who lives with him play as well. His parents are really easy going about it. Now I'm not saying this applies to everyone, because there are people I know who play violent games who still have really smart parents who make damn sure their children don't do anything stupid, but if someone under the age of 17 is playing a rated M game with blood, guts, gore, sex, swearing, whatever, then it is, around 90% of the time, the parents fault. Get the fuck over yourselves, PTC.

 

[mik1]

Doesn't every system now have parent controls that pretty much allows the parent to make sure their child only plays E-rated games for 1 hour a week. I mean seriously even if the child makes GTA appear out of magic they still can't play it.

 

[Seventh Actuality]

Calling the PTC a "parents' group" is insulting to parents and falling into their trap. They're not speaking on behalf of parents or even as parents, they're garden variety Bible Belt fascists who use their own children as a pretext for spewing the same hateful ignorance they would be spouting anyway.

 

[Dr_Steve_Brule]

They make the stupidest point ever.
"This ruling replaces the authority of parents with the economic interests of the videogame industry."
What about, I don't know, NOT buying violent video games to children if you think it'll harm them?

 

[Dr_Steve_Brule]

People keep bringing up "Parent more" "Lazy parents" "Shit parents" blah blah blah.

If these people are that incompetent to supervise their children when it comes to gaming then surely a law doing it for them is a good idea. That way children are protected even if their parents aren't the ones doing the protecting.

The idea is to protect all children not just the ones with decent parents.

Here's a new Idea for a law-Since a lot of parents are crappy at supervising their children, let's make sure children will never leave the perimeter of their house until they are 18.
How bout them apples.

 

[funguy2121]

Parent more, cry less? I think applies in this situation?

More like, parent more, scapegoat less. Lazy parenting is the reason we still have policies like zero tolerance.

Or, and I know this idea is controversial, how about you don't bring more human beings to this planet at all until you're ready to dedicate your life to them for 18 years? Why not take advantage of our friends latex and polyurethane until you've got your career on track and a substantial sum in the bank, and how 'bout not marrying that person you've known for 6 months and dated for 3? And, if you don't follow any of this advice, you don't get to throw around the fact that you fucked up and accidentally ended up with a kid as though it makes you some sort of honorable person. Instead, you get the payoff of hearing so many other people call you a great Dad/Mom when you've done a great job and they walk across a stage 18 years later.

Excuse me, is this a soap box I'm standing on? Attica!

 

[Crazycat690]

It's really annoying with people like this... If we kill them we will proove them right with their "games create killers" theory, and if we let them do whatever they want they'll eventually ruin gaming, perhaps even all media for the rest of us.

Man I hope I'm not this annoying when I become a parent...