Spring Break
No Separation Between Games And State
Good Game
Fernando Dutra
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: Focus
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has been the most vocal from the Democratic party lines. Aside from co-sponsoring the Family Entertainment Protection Act, Clinton has asked the ESRB to disclose how their video game ratings process works with regards to the Rockstar "Manhunt 2" controversy. In the letter, co-signed by Sens. Lieberman, Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Clinton wrote, "We are writing to suggest that it may be desirable to revise or enhance the current ESRB rating system. We continue to believe that the ESRB takes seriously its responsibility with respect to the ratings and their enforcement. However, we believe that a number of issues have been raised regarding the release of Manhunt 2." In an online interview conducted by Common Sense Media, Clinton said, with regards to her stance of video game legislation, "When I am president, I will work to protect children from inappropriate video game content."
On the other hand, presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) was of the position that he'd "be more inclined to let the video game industry try to police itself … than to have the government regulate [violent game sales], at least as a first step." Though Obama hasn't been as vocal about video games as Clinton, the issue seems to be making its way into his speeches.
"We're going to have to parent better, and turn off the television set, and put the video games away, and instill a sense of excellence in our children, and that's going to take some time," Obama said in his Wisconsin victory speech.
This undercurrent of indolence associated with video games is an assumption that may prove important to Obama's future plans for the video game industry. Though he plans to allow the industry to regulate itself, he shows a clear indication that, in his mind, underachieving and video games are synonymous, or in the very least closely related.
On the other hand, presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) was of the position that he'd "be more inclined to let the video game industry try to police itself … than to have the government regulate [violent game sales], at least as a first step." Though Obama hasn't been as vocal about video games as Clinton, the issue seems to be making its way into his speeches.
"We're going to have to parent better, and turn off the television set, and put the video games away, and instill a sense of excellence in our children, and that's going to take some time," Obama said in his Wisconsin victory speech.
This undercurrent of indolence associated with video games is an assumption that may prove important to Obama's future plans for the video game industry. Though he plans to allow the industry to regulate itself, he shows a clear indication that, in his mind, underachieving and video games are synonymous, or in the very least closely related.
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