Comments about ‘Lawmaker says gamers don't need to fear bill’

funny thing kids can go to the public libary and cheek out R rated movies and games and music cds with every swear word in the book i guess it just depends ...WHO YOU ARE....

This bill is a great step in the right direction. There is nothing more important than protecting our children from harm. It is good to see at least one political leader who stands for old fashioned values such as moderation, prudence, and self-control.

That was not very diplomatic to call them "crazies"

Unfortunately, this bill will not protect children from 'harm'. How will stores protect themselves from civil litigation made possible by this bill? They will drop existing store policies that already stop 94% of occurances. In fact, a store could create a policy stating that they WILL sell m-rated games to minors, and this bill would only penalize them if they refused to sell an m-rated game to a minor. Why would anyone want to pass legislation that incentivizes stores to drop their policy of selling m-rated games to minors? Call it the law of unintended consequences.

The ESRB is a private organization devoted to informing parents of potentially 'harmful' video games. Currently, stores across the nation stop 80% of minors from buying games, in Utah the number is 94%. What this bill will do is incentivize stores to drop already successful store policies, so politicians can claim that the system doesn't work, allowing them to create a federal/state board to regulate the sale of video games and the like. Of course, those on the board will be friends and family of the politicians that create the board.

If the system works now, why are our legislatures creating bills to fix it?

I'm afraid that I have to agree with Gavin on this one. By all accounts the filter is already working very well in Utah. Is there room for improvement? Certainly. But the threat of lawsuits will not do it, and in fact will be countproductive.

This is a bad bill, and should be vetoed. Parents, it is your responsibility to monitor what your kids are playing or watching, not the state's.

So let me see if I understand its alright to create a situation where it makes it easier for people to seek litigation against others only when it fits into the conservatives desires? I see no hypocrisy there right?

Nice comment Z. Really, I get the point with the bill which is well intentioned but really we need less government. It just adds to the bloat of laws out there already when really parents should be in charge of their kids gaming habits. I think the system they have works since I get carded all the time and certainly hope I look older than 18 (I'm a month or two away from 29).

Let's take responsibility for at least a few things in this life. We all want the blame to be on someone else and have people take care of us. Freedom means that you have to take a little risk here and there... dare I say everyday... let's not complicate the legal books anymore than is absolutely necessary.

Also you shouldn't call people crazies... it immediately makes others think that you are not as intelligent of a person as you think you are.

I agree completely with "Future Federal Regulation?". What is the incentive for these stores to post ads saying that they will not sell these games to minors? Kids aren't going to care about that, and even if parents do care about it and decide only to patronize businesses with this claim, they aren't the ones doing the bulk of the buying. It seems to me that this is an incentive for stores to make no guarantees about whom they will and will not sell to. If 94% of stores in Utah are already abiding by this in good faith, why don't we let them keep at it instead of inserting government where it doesn't belong?

The legislature of Utah would do well not to dismiss and insult everyone who doesn't happen to agree with them, especially considering some of the strange bills and proposals they tried to get through this year.

Do we really need big brother watching and monitoring everything we do? When does it stop. Will they also want to monitor what toilet paper we use? What brand of dog food we buy? When does all the monitoring of the nanny state stop? Don't parents believe they are the best at teaching their children and then watching what they do?

John you seem like a person that expects people to do his work for him. It is not the states job to teach your kids "old fashioned values such as moderation, prudence, and self-control", it is your job.

And as a former video game retail manager, I will tell you... more often than not, the parents were involved in every transaction, and a good number of them didn't give a dang what their children played.

So because I work 50+ hours a week collecting at a local bank, am an eagle scout, a returned missionary, married for more than 2 years, volunteer teaching financial basics to at-risk children AND happen to spend my free time at nights 'gaming' with my 'gaming clan' that makes me a 'crazy'? If they had been talking about Mormons or Jews or Blacks or Gun-owners or Stay-at-home Moms, that comment would have blown up but since it's still popular to make fun of the 'geeks' then I guess we can all just let it slide.

The system as it is designed works just fine, why fix what isn't broken? It's kind of like the texting ban, this is all about padding the ol' political resum without actually do the homework just to pander to those with $.

Again, it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL to prevent the sale of M-Rated Games...they are protected speech!!!

I love how just two weeks ago this website had an article titled "Retailers selling adult games to minors could face fines" where readers learned that the bill, quote, "would place at risk of a lawsuit a retailer who advertises that it doesn't sell adult-rated video games to minors, but then does sell them to underage players" and "specifically places such offending retailers under the truth in advertising law, subject to an angry parent's civil lawsuit if they sell his child an adult-rated game". None of the amendments and "free passes" were mentioned. But surely all these OTHER websites are to blame for CRAZY, misinformed people. Hypocrites much?

Too many young people out there corrupted by games. School shootings and everything and it's desensitizing youngsters to violence and the value of human life. They ought to be restricted, like alcohol, prostitution, or cigarettes, because, let's be honest, they're all the same. I mean, what kind of education are we letting kids receive nowadays? When they learn how to shoot people in the head in a violent video game, that's just crazy and wrong. I don't remember learning anything like that in the Book of Mormon. Maybe if they made more LDS games I would support video games, but until they have more appropriate moral and religious content, I think they ought to be restricted. Like what would the Prophet say in this situation? They're messing up kids. That's what I think.

@ LimitThem

Games aren't to blame for school shootings and never were, other than by ignorant buffoons pushing their self-righteous, self-serving agendas.

Video games are protected free speech under the First Amendment and alcohol and cigarettes are not. So let's really be honest, video games are not, never were, and never will be the same as alcohol, prostitution(illegal everywhere in the US except Nevada), or cigarettes, because alcohol and tobacco are drugs.

The only reason kids are messed up is because parents would rather use every inanimate object like the TV, video games, etc. as an electronic babysitter rather than watch and play with their kids.

And by the way, people learned how to shoot people in the head from John Wayne, Al Capone, Dirty Harry, and the Terminator, long before video games became a scapegoat for no reason.

I think there should be enough government programs and bills passed so I will not have to raise my kids anymore. We should also keep passing stimulus packages and increase welfare so I will never have to work again.
Maybe I could just drop my kids off at school and never see them again while my neighbors pay for my mortgage and I live on welfare. I could stay home and demand I get something for nothing while I play these controversial video games.

@LimitThem

There are already rules in place. This is a time wasting bill, as it says retailers who advertise they do not sell M Games to under 18 kids, can be punished on the 3rd strike. It is up to good parenting skills to prevent problems with their kids. Every game store I've been to has always asked for ID on the sale of M games to obvious underage buyers, and will decline the sale if they cannot prove they are over 18.

It is the thinking that you have demonstrated here by saying games corrupt kids that is the issue. Playing Half-Life or another FPS game does not make a child more likely to shoot up his school. The kid already has mental issues, and need serious treatment. Blaming games is silly and sophomoric.

As to your remarks about games based on the Book of Mormon, wow. Can you imagine a game based on the life of Joseph Smith or Nephites and Lamanites. It would not be for kids for sure.

Please do some research and some soul searching on your beliefs. If need be get on your knees and pray for enlightenment.