Video Games Legislation

For purposes of this week’s Discussion Forum for Week Thirteen (May 2—10),

FIRST: You must answer in your contributing post(s) the questions:

[1] HOW MIGHT new legislation might be designed restricting the sale of violent video games to children, WITHOUT violating the video game creators’ and vendors’ freedom of expression. That is, HOW MIGHT, if it is possible at all, such a newly designed law fashion certain exceptions to the ban specifically for parents and wardens or caretakers of children who do not think that violent video game entertainment is harmful to their children and who believe, instead, that their children should be able to make such buying decisions on their own,

AND [2] HOW MIGHT such a newly designed law adequately define and distinguish the essential characteristics of such video game entertainment from other sorts of entertainment that some parents might consider to be equally harmful to the disciplinary maturation of their children, such as certain violent TV shows, or even the explicit and violent representations that exist in much of Greek mythology?

AND SECOND: You must ALSO indicate, defending your point of view, WHICH of the opinions in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Ass’n, you believe to be the BEST REASONED, from among: [1] Justice Scalia’s lead opinion for the majority of the Court, OR [2] the concurring opinion of Justice Alito (beginning on page 6 of the handout), or [3] the dissenting opinion of Justice Thomas (beginning on page 11 of the handout), OR [4] the dissenting opinion of Justice Breyer (beginning on page 16 of the handout).

            I recommend the following journalist reports of the current status of the debate:

[1] The Debate Behind Video Game Violence @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaf_Xjz6Mxs&t=3s

[2] Donald Trump blamed the internet and video games for atrocities @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHboVKpGiaU&t=2s

[3] A “Behind the News” program broadcast in Australia aimed at school-aged children @

https://www.abc.net.au/btn/newsbreak/btn-newsbreak-20190807/11393378

            State the grounds (the evidence and reasons) for holding your position CLEARLY AND CAREFULLY. You must answer both the general and specific questions I have presented in this opening post. I expect that your initial post should be at least 250 words in length but not more than 500 words in length.