-These kinds of stories fascinate me. -This is a solid public relations move, motivated, in -some cases, by genuine concern: who, besides the oddly -cantankerous, will argue against protecting children? -But will the law, as described in the ABC News piece. -really keep 'violent games' away from minors or merely -create a few opportunities for Calif. market -television "news" outlets to do "shocking, hidden -camera exposes" of how some retailers are still -selling these gateways to mental unhealth on disk to -minors (with the followup story showing heroic police -raids).
The problems in enforcement are one reason I have mixed feelings on such a law, but they also undermine Dennis's semi-hysteria that we are entering a fascist state.
In reality, such laws are as much symbolic statements of moral values as anything else. I'm generally not that into legislating morality, but I'm also don't get that upset that some politicians want to try to bond with voters by showing they share their moral condemnations of the violence involved in these games.
-- Nathan