I ran across this story today about some disturbing new law that is about to be passed in Louisiana regarding video games. Here is an excerpt from Gamespot regarding the bill:

"HB1381 would make it illegal to sell, rent, or lease a game to a minor if it met three conditions. First, if the "average person" would think "appeals to the minor's morbid interest in violence." Second, if it "depicts violence in a manner patently offensive to prevailing standards." Lastly, a game would only qualify if it "lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors." Violators could be fined between $100 and $2,000 and sentenced to up to 12 months in a state prison."

Say what? "Appeals to the minor's morbid interest in violence"? What the heck does that mean? Since when did we start putting judgmental language like that in laws? And can it get any more vague? "Patently offensive to prevailing standards"? What does that mean? Whose standards? The religious right-wing zealots that wrote this crap?

I don't know much about how they run things down in Louisiana, but last I remember they had this horrific natural disaster a few months back. I guess this means things are back to normal if they have time to come up with moronic stuff like this.

This entry was posted by Brad, on Wednesday, June 07, 2006. You can leave your response.