Video game ban: good idea?

So this happened the other day.

I don't think people should sell violent video games to kids, but I also don't think they should be in trouble legally if they do. It's not like they are selling them a weapon.

But the thing that bothered me the most about the Supreme Court ruling was this statement by Justice Scalia:

Unlike depictions of "sexual conduct," Scalia said there is no tradition in the United States of restricting children's access to depictions of violence, pointing out the violence in the original depiction of many popular children's fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella and Snow White.



Hansel and Gretel kill their captor by baking her in an oven, Cinderella's evil stepsisters have their eyes pecked out by doves and the evil queen in Snow White is forced to wear red hot slippers and dance until she is dead, Scalia said.

First of all, I never read or was read to, those versions of "Snow White" or "Cinderella." And even if kids are, those things are done in a way to teach a lesson to kids.

What lesson do kids learn from beating up and robbing a hooker in "Grand Theft Auto?" That it's her fault?

Or games like "God of War" where people get their heads ripped clean off.

Here's my favorite quote of his:

"Certainly the books we give children to read - or read to them when they are younger - contain no shortage of gore," Scalia added.


What the... what the heck kind of books was he reading as a kid? Good Lord. I don't ever remember reading that Freddy vs. Jason Golden Book. Or those awesome "Choose Your Own Adventure" books, but with the theme of "Saw IV."

In the end I think the stores should enforce these rules, but if things slip through the cracks then it's up to the parents to figure it out. Plus if a parent is dumb enough to buy "Saints Row" for their 9-year-old, then they need to be legally on the hook if that kid ever does something horrible.