State lawmaker wants tax on violent video games

[Lejuan]

Ugh as a teacher there is a correlation. I don't know if a tax would be a good idea. However, it is a little chilling when an 11 year old tells you his favorite image is blood splatter and he wants to be Tony Montana or if he's making shooting gestures at other students because he just got Black Ops II and that's all he's thinking about.

That is not the fault of the movies or the games. It is the fault of the adults in that child's life allowing them to be exposed to content that they are not supposed to be exposed to.

 

[CriterionCollector]

That is not the fault of the movies or the games. It is the fault of the adults in that child's life allowing them to be exposed to content that they are not supposed to be exposed to.

I totally understand that. I am in no way supporting the tax idea. However, if someone has a practical alternative I'd like to hear it.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

That is not the fault of the movies or the games. It is the fault of the adults in that child's life allowing them to be exposed to content that they are not supposed to be exposed to.

With all of the avenues of accessing information available to kids these days, good luck with that. It's not like just keeping them out of r rated movies like it was back in my day.

 

[Duck]

With all of the avenues of accessing information available to kids these days, good luck with that. It's not like just keeping them out of r rated movies like it was back in my day.

But do you realize how many parents willingly rent/buy M rated games for their children. I worked for Blockbuster for 2 years and I had parents every day renting their young child Dead Island, Call of Duty, BF3 etc. Even AFTER I warned them that their is a ton of blood/nudity/swearing etc. Funny thing is the violence was not what they were worried about more parents were concerned about the swearing and said they will just have to play it muted.

 

[CriterionCollector]

So let me propose this. I skimmed through the article. There is no mention of the rate of taxation, but stay with me here.
Let's say federally, there is a dollar tax added to all video games labeled M. The allocation of these taxes would go to fund better access to mental health, early childhood education and parenting classes. If it goes for that stuff would you really put up a fuss over a dollar?
I mean we hear about all this being taxed too much and everything and food stamps and welfare and medicare and stuff, but the tax that gets taken out of your paycheck for that is actually low compared to the taxes taken out for things like defense.
So where would you, as a citizen and a member of this country begin to be selfish?

 

[Lejuan]

I totally understand that. I am in no way supporting the tax idea. However, if someone has a practical alternative I'd like to hear it.

That one is well and truly buried at the bottom of the 'too hard basket'.

But... I know in this country, and I am presuming it is the same just about everywhere, that early intervention in mental health - and mental health in general - is poorly funded and co-ordinated. I'd start with mental health. The individuals who perpetrate acts of mass murder seem to often be those who 'fell through the cracks'. How to plug up those cracks would be a more sensible place to start than a tax regimen imo.

With all of the avenues of accessing information available to kids these days, good luck with that. It's not like just keeping them out of r rated movies like it was back in my day.

Yeah, don't I know it. I'm dreading the day my daughters start on social media, and that day is not far away. So I'm starting to educate them now. Build up their self esteem and awareness of them as individuals in a broader society.

 

[Duck]

So let me propose this. I skimmed through the article. There is no mention of the rate of taxation, but stay with me here.
Let's say federally, there is a dollar tax added to all video games labeled M. The allocation of these taxes would go to fund better access to mental health, early childhood education and parenting classes. If it goes for that stuff would you really put up a fuss over a dollar?

But whose to say this money ACTUALLY gets their? If it supports early childhood education and parenting classes why don't we just tax diapers baby food etc? That has everything to do with that kind of stuff. In no way does a violent game correlate with these things. The problem is this could get way out of hand before anyone knows it. By the end of it we will be getting taxed extra on everything to support whatever cause they feel like "supporting"

 

[jonny88]

Ugh as a teacher there is a correlation. I don't know if a tax would be a good idea. However, it is a little chilling when an 11 year old tells you his favorite image is blood splatter and he wants to be Tony Montana or if he's making shooting gestures at other students because he just got Black Ops II and that's all he's thinking about.

Games and movies are not the poblem. I grew up watching violent movies and video games.

In the end it is usually parenting failure. Example, in the news a few years ago, a kid (six years old) stole his parents car and police chased him for like 10 minutes. The news crew was interviewing the family and the kid said he did that all he time in grand theft auto, so thought he could in real life. Once the said the the Idiot parents laughed . Well, why the hell was a six year old playing a game te clearly says 17+ on the cover. Parent failure 100%.

People go crazy and kill because they are crazy and psychotic end of story. Games and movies have zero influence. A sane person knows the difference. If a young kid is saying thing like you describe then it comes down to parenting failure, allowing young kids to be exposed to those things (young kids don't understand) and psychos are just psychos.

On a different note, same thing with gun laws. Banning models of guns wont do a damn thing. If a psycho wants to kill a large number of people he will with guns or a different tools.

To the tax issue If the U.S. is hard up for money they should get with the times and make prostitution legal and tax that, they would make a killing

 

[a-dev]

But do you realize how many parents willingly rent/buy M rated games for their children. I worked for Blockbuster for 2 years and I had parents every day renting their young child Dead Island, Call of Duty, BF3 etc. Even AFTER I warned them that their is a ton of blood/nudity/swearing etc. Funny thing is the violence was not what they were worried about more parents were concerned about the swearing and said they will just have to play it muted.

Thats one of the things I find hilarious about shows like Walking Dead and CSI. They show people being eaten alive by zombies in pretty graphic detail, autopsies with internal organs and brain exposed but god forbid anyone says '***k' or that theres a naked boob anywhere to be seen.

 

[Lejuan]

But do you realize how many parents willingly rent/buy M rated games for their children. I worked for Blockbuster for 2 years and I had parents every day renting their young child Dead Island, Call of Duty, BF3 etc. Even AFTER I warned them that their is a ton of blood/nudity/swearing etc. Funny thing is the violence was not what they were worried about more parents were concerned about the swearing and said they will just have to play it muted.

Some parents don't have a clue, and taxing video games won't give them one.

So let me propose this. I skimmed through the article. There is no mention of the rate of taxation, but stay with me here.
Let's say federally, there is a dollar tax added to all video games labeled M. The allocation of these taxes would go to fund better access to mental health, early childhood education and parenting classes. If it goes for that stuff would you really put up a fuss over a dollar?

I don't agree with this because it would create a perception that there is a causal link between violent entertainment and mental health. It's a dangerous path to tread. Establish a mental health levy by all means, but don't have funding of a mental health service dependent in any way on revenue raised from an unrelated source like video games.

 

[Duck]

Games and movies are not the poblem. I grew up watching violent movies and video games.

In the end it is usually parenting failure. Example, in the news a few years ago, a kid (six years old) stole his parents car and police chased him for like 10 minutes. The news crew was interviewing the family and the kid said he did that all he time in grand theft auto, so thought he could in real life. Once the said the the Idiot parents laughed . Well, why the hell was a six year old playing a game te clearly says 17+ on the cover. Parent failure 100%.

People go crazy and kill because they are crazy and psychotic end of story. Games and movies have zero influence. A sane person knows the difference. If a young kid is saying thing like you describe then it comes down to parenting failure, allowing young kids to be exposed to those things (young kids don't understand) and psychos are just psychos.

On a different note, same thing with gun laws. Banning models of guns wont do a damn thing. If a psycho wants to kill a large number of people he will with guns or a different tools.

To the tax issue If the U.S. is hard up for money they should get with the times and make prostitution legal and tax that, they would make a killing

Please don't bring up the Gun law. I don't really want this topic to get closed which it will forsure if people start arguing over that.

 

[a-dev]

On a different note, same thing with gun laws. Banning models of guns wont do a damn thing. If a psycho wants to kill a large number of people he will with guns or a different tools.

He won't be able to kill as many with ''different tools'' though.

A couple of years ago in my town a guy went on a jealous rampage to his ex-girlfriends new boyfriend's house. He stabbed 3, only one of whom died. One person too many of course but it could have been much worse if he had a certain other tool at his disposal.

Please don't bring up the Gun law. I don't really want this topic to get closed which it will forsure if people start arguing over that.

Sorry, I took that up. Thats all I'll say though.

 

[DPrime]

The crux of the issue, for me, is how different, really, are videogames from books?

I mean, essentially they're just media... art forms... telling a story. Why are videogames (and TV, and movies) always the scapegoat, when you can read some really, really chilling stuff in any Chapters store?

Time to start burning, fellas.

 

[Duck]

The crux of the issue, for me, is how different, really, are videogames from books?

I mean, essentially they're just media... art forms... telling a story. Why are videogames (and TV, and movies) always the scapegoat, when you can read some really, really chilling stuff in any Chapters store?

Time to start burning, fellas.

This! I can't believe no one has mentioned this before you. Comics and novels can be absolutely gruesome at times yet you don't see ANY media blaming books. I bet if they went back and looked at these peoples reading history I guarantee they had read a violent book of some sort in their life time. So if a video game makes people violent why can't books? Is thier even a rating on books besides comics? I don't read many novels so I'm not really sure how that works. I've never been carded for a book

 

[jonny88]

He won't be able to kill as many with ''different tools'' though.

A couple of years ago in my town a guy went on a jealous rampage to his ex-girlfriends new boyfriend's house. He stabbed 3, only one of whom died. One person too many of course but it could have been much worse if he had a certain other tool at his disposal.QUOTE]

Well lets say all guns are gone. If a nut wants to kill people I'm sure grabing two long mashetes or two samurai sword and slashing up a public crowded place, l am sure you could still take out a large handful of people.

Just saying if a crazy person wants to kill a bunch of people, he or she will find a way.

 

[CriterionCollector]

I never said that violent video games was the only factor that contributed to violence. The subject is a bit more nuanced than that. However, I was trying to foster a rational discussion, but since you guys are just cherry picking and slippery sloping I'm splitting jack.
Later Gaters!

 

[Lejuan]

The crux of the issue, for me, is how different, really, are videogames from books?

I mean, essentially they're just media... art forms... telling a story. Why are videogames (and TV, and movies) always the scapegoat, when you can read some really, really chilling stuff in any Chapters store?

Time to start burning, fellas.

I support the availability of all violent video games and films that can be properly classified - but there is a substantive difference between these media forms and text-based forms. With video games in particular, there is an interactive component to the engagement which promotes a greater physiological response in the player.

 

[a-dev]

Well lets say all guns are gone. If a nut wants to kill people I'm sure grabing two long mashetes or two samurai sword and slashing up a public crowded place, l am sure you could still take out a large handful of people.

Just saying if a crazy person wants to kill a bunch of people, he or she will find a way.

Of course but even with a machete as opposed to a mere knife - it still requires the killer to be very close to his intended victims and a crowd could easily overwhelm and disarm him if running like ***k isn't possible.

Sorry, I took that up. Thats all I'll say though.

So much for that

 

[Duck]

In b4 the lock. Seriously why did this discussion have to go to gun talk? This started off with NOTHING to do with that.

 

[Lejuan]

In b4 the lock. Seriously why did this discussion have to go to gun talk? This started off with NOTHING to do with that.

You're kidding aren't you? The first paragraph of the first article link you posted is this:

A Republican lawmaker from rural Missouri bucked her party's anti-tax bent on Tuesday and called for a sales tax on violent video games in response to a deadly Connecticut school shooting.

...and the headline of the second article you linked to is this:

In Missouri, We Won't Follow Obama's Gun Laws