Another Senate Democrat Targets Video Games
On Tuesday it was Hillary Clinton of New York and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Now, Senator Evah Bayh (D-IN) has declared himself in favor of legislation restricting the sale of violent games to minors. The former Indiana governor is said to be considering a presidential run in 2008.
A press release on Bayh's website says that Bayh, the father of twin 10-year-old boys, recently completed a statewide tour of Indiana to gather support for his proposed video game legislation.
"Parents are doing everything they can today to provide their children with the tools they need to succeed in life, but they can't be everywhere at once," Bayh said. "Right now, it's too easy for children to purchase violent video games that are meant for adults. When the Senate returns to work next year, I hope to introduce legislation with my colleagues that will help parents draw a line against the violence that their children see."
Bayh's plan would prevent minors from purchasing M-rated games and fine retailers that violate the provisions of the proposed law. According to the senator, only half of retail stores report that they currently train employees in the use of the ESRB system.
"Parents need to learn about the games their children are playing now, but they should also be able to rely on stores to obey the guidelines on the violent game labels to keep them away from our children," Bayh added. "We've got to strike the right balance between free speech and doing right by our kids... There is a growing body of research that shows exposure to graphic violence, graphic sexual content has adverse consequences for kids - anger management issues, violent behavior issues, frustration, desensitization."
Although previous laws have been struck down in Washington State, Indianapolis and St. Louis, the Indianapolis Star reports that Bayh thinks his bill has a chance to pass constitutional muster.
"It is much more narrowly defined (than past attempts), basically making mandatory the voluntary system that is already in place," he said.
The paper quotes ESA honcho Doug Lowenstein's opposition to Bayh's legislation.
"The proposed strategy laid out by Senator Bayh has already been deemed unconstitutional in courts around the country," Lowenstein said. "Every court that has reviewed the research has found that it is not legally sufficient to justify passage of these kinds of restrictions... Parents have to do their part in using these tools. That is their role, not the government's or industry's."