Where Politics And Video Games Collide

Canary Wundaboy,

Here’s what it comes down to:

Games do not hurt children.

Therefore, there is no reason to legally restrict the sales of mature games to children. If Mom or Dad thinks something’s unsuitable for their child, then they can take appropriate parental action (don’t buy the game, set parental controls, etc.) No one else has the right to do so.

Game retailers can refuse sales to whomever they please. So can movie theaters. That’s fine. What’s not okay is the law mandating that these establishments have such policies.

Let’s say I’ve made it clear that my boy may not purchase GTA. I give him money and tell him to go buy a game. I like giving him responsibility and I trust him. If he betrays that trust, we’re going to have a talk. That option is not available if he doesn't have the option of buying the game in the first place.

I cannot get behind laws that are pointless, infringe on the rights of children, and limit parental options. It’s also silly to give lazy parents an excuse to pay even less attention to what their kids are doing.

Andrew Eisen