Liberty Watch: Video Games in Washington State
This must be “piss Brian off week” in the various legislative bodies of America.
The Washington State Legislature is considering House Bill 2178 which would allow for personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits against video game manufacturers and retailers. This would apply if the person committing such injury or death was 17 years of age or younger while playing the game, and imitating it in real life.
Do I even need to tell you how bad this is?
Essentially, this tells any 17 year-old that nothing he does is his fault. It’s the fault of gun manufacturers if he shoots someone, the fault of the pharmaceutical companies if he’s taking anti-depressants, and now the video game companies too.
Of course none of these various legislatures that keep harping on video games comments on allowing the NBA to be sued if some high-school kid runs into the stands and beats a spectator down. And none of them have the testicular fortitude to consider holding the parents criminally responsible for the crimes of their minor children.
No, this is yet another attempt by the nanny-staters to stifle expression that they don’t control. Which is why piss-Christ is OK - they funded it through NEA. But no Grand Theft Auto - someone might make money on that.
On the off chance that anyone from Washington reads this, PLEASE stop your legislature before they give anyone any ideas.
hat tip: IGN, by way of [H]ard|OCP