My local got closed down

[BurningDoom]

They shouldn't sell M-Rated games to kids. It's no different than selling R-rated movies to kids. What's the difference?

Selling R rated movies to kids isn't illegal, at least in the US. Selling M rated games isn't either. Thankfully we have at least a modicum of protection against government censorship. It ain't much, but I'll take it.

Come on guys, you're smarter than this. Someone who is bigoted against violent video games shouldn't be able to use the government to enforce their bigotry on other people.

Adults, yeah, I completely agree. But children, heck no. They're children. That's the parents' decision to make, not yours or the store's decision to make.

[Michi]

The "think of the children" movement is the greatest threat to our freedom. We'd be safer and freer if we abolished all arbitrary age limits than we would be if we let them have their way.

http://harmful.cat-v.org/society/childr ... e_children

Thank you. This made me smile.

[AppleQueso]

Age rating systems are dumb. Call me when showing a penis doesn't get a 18+ rating or they even bother to have some transparency.

Plenty of documentaries of raising children, sexuality, etc.

[Hatta]

Adults, yeah, I completely agree. But children, heck no. They're children. That's the parents' decision to make, not yours or the store's decision to make.

It IS the parents decision. Which is why the government and game stores shouldn't be making the decision for millions of parents. It's not their job to enforce some random prude's morality any more than it is their job to enforce my morality.

Personally, I find the lies they tell daily on Fox News to be vastly more offensive and harmful to children than anything I've ever seen in a video game. Do I ask the government to censor Fox News "for the children"? No. That would violate their right to free speech.

Similarly, if you believe that animated violence is harmful to children, is it right for you to ask the government to censor video game makers and retailers? No, that violates their free speech rights.

I don't see why this is so hard to understand. Why do all the prudes out there get to have their morality enforced by the government and I don't? Why is the government enforcing anyone's idea of morality?

[BurningDoom]

^ But a kid can buy an M-rated game if their parents are present and say it's okay. The issue is selling to kids without their parents present.

[Weekend_Warrior]

I doubt the store was shut down by anyone except for the owner. They probably just got hit with such a large fine that they couldn't afford to keep the store open.

[Hatta]

^ But a kid can buy an M-rated game if their parents are present and say it's okay. The issue is selling to kids without their parents present.

True, but why don't we ban other things that people might find offensive. It's OK to ban things for children as long their parents can still allow them to do it, right?

So what about my Fox News example? Lets ban Fox News for children, unless they have parental consent. Would that be OK?

When you understand why it's not ok to ban Fox News for children without parental consent, you'll understand why it's not ok to ban violent video games for children without parental consent.

I doubt the store was shut down by anyone except for the owner. They probably just got hit with such a large fine that they couldn't afford to keep the store open.

There is no difference. It's the government that levies fines, so if a fine shut down the store then the government shut down the store.

[alienjesus]

^ But a kid can buy an M-rated game if their parents are present and say it's okay. The issue is selling to kids without their parents present.

True, but why don't we ban other things that people might find offensive. It's OK to ban things for children as long their parents can still allow them to do it, right?

So what about my Fox News example? Lets ban Fox News for children, unless they have parental consent. Would that be OK?

When you understand why it's not ok to ban Fox News for children without parental consent, you'll understand why it's not ok to ban violent video games for children without parental consent.

I doubt the store was shut down by anyone except for the owner. They probably just got hit with such a large fine that they couldn't afford to keep the store open.

There is no difference. It's the government that levies fines, so if a fine shut down the store then the government shut down the store.

Parents can limit the TV children watch to the same extent they can limit what games they buy. Just because most don't doesn't mean they can't.

[Erik_Twice]

Plenty of documentaries of raising children, sexuality, etc.

You know what I am refering to. And even then why sex is wrong to show except if it's just for an educational puporse is dumb.

And it's not like you can know what they call "art", what is "porn" and what is "educational". At least with most rating systems you can't.

[AppleQueso]

Hatta, is your issue only with government enforcement of age-rating systems?