Terming it "a bullet dodged," the Salt Lake Tribune has lauded Gov. John Huntsman's veto of HB 353 in an editorial.
Although it did not mention the disbarred Miami attorney, the editorial was unsparing in its criticism of the Jack Thompson-conceived bill:
Somehow, this misguided piece of legislation zoomed through the Legislature with hardly an opposing vote, and, we suspect, without a thorough vetting...
This was patently ridiculous legislation, easily challenged in court as unconstitutional...
The bill ignored the fact... [that] the ratings can provide helpful information to parents, but should not supercede a parent's decision to let a child buy a game or DVD. In that, HB353 flew in the face of Utah's traditional support of parents' rights...
Is that really what legislators believed they were voting for... ? Probably not, but the legislation's broad language invited a whole set of consequences that were not intended...
In their misplaced zeal to limit access to media they don't like, our legislators might have eliminated the very tools parents need to set limits on what their children see and hear. We dodged a bullet on this one. Having misfired badly, the Legislature should not bring it up again.
Comments
Re: Leading Utah Newspaper Applauds Veto of Jack Thompson Bill
A simple truth that not all newspapers in Utah supported the bill.
This one was more informed and almost got it spot on.
Although I don't think that anyone in Utah ever cared who Jack Thompson was, I guess most parents were taken for a ride when they were hearing all about how good the bill was without even reading it.
The Language of the law can be a thickle thing, it is not what the politicians say but it is how the law was written that could have been more damaging.
Considering how much of the bill was changed while it was still being discussed in the house, I am glad that the Govenor vetoed it.
Re: Leading Utah Newspaper Applauds Veto of Jack Thompson ...
How about a link to the article?
------ Ago. Perceptum. Teneo.
Re: Leading Utah Newspaper Applauds Veto of Jack Thompson ...
Nah, I say give him all the credit in the world for the bill.
Why?
... well, why not? He created a bill that failed, was spat on as unconstitutional and adds to a list of failures in his bid for world domina---I mean, his bid to protect the world from violent video games. Give him credit for creating a bill that utterly FAILED in Utah. It'll settle right next to how he got disbarred. Add up his failures, for maybe, just maybe... if people see this growing list of desperation, the less likely he'll succeed in his mission to rule the wor---Oh, I mean his mission to ban video games.
Just a thought.
Amy Levandoski
Re: Leading Utah Newspaper Applauds Veto of Jack Thompson Bill
"Although it did not mention the disbarred Miami attorney"
Ooh I bet THAT hurt...
Re: Leading Utah Newspaper Applauds Veto of Jack Thompson Bill
To the person who wrote the editorial,
I commend you. Well said.
Sincerely,
"A Chrono Trigger is anything that unleashes its will or desire to change history!" -Gaspar
Re: Leading Utah Newspaper Applauds Veto of Jack Thompson Bill
The epic fail, it grows.
Re: Leading Utah Newspaper Applauds Veto of Jack Thompson Bill
I've always said that the best ratings system is our own common sense. When laws attempt to supercede our own brain and our two eyes to judge what's right or wrong, then something bad will happen.
Re: Leading Utah Newspaper Applauds Veto of Jack Thompson Bill
To tell the truth, i doubt anyone there other than Jack and his allies even know he "created" it, I say now that it's dead, we follow suit (after all, not crediting him probably pisses him off as much as it failing).
Re: Leading Utah Newspaper Applauds Veto of Jack Thompson Bill
But It's not likely that they would care that much, Given Bigots Like the Eagle forum and all.
"This was patently ridiculous legislation, easily challenged in court as unconstitutional..."
Finally Common Sense triumphs all, And im glad some utah people including certain media thought this piece of trash was a waste.
Re: Leading Utah Newspaper Applauds Veto of Jack Thompson Bill
I wish they would have put in the fact that Jack was a disgresful lawyer that got disbarred. That what Utah would see his true color.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/