2005
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
dog, then
reat thing
nenneman
; a dog
ing it to
true/KANSAN
rends
club event,
OPINION
man said
she finds
only one
to com-
ne's trains may be it takes o protect
Schmidt
bizgraphics s
bizgraphics.com
Rules
You are allowed
to communicate with
persons.
You can visit any
person.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8,2005
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 5A
A 'HOYT, MATIES!
Legislation won't stop video game violence
I am an avid gamer. I spend a lot of time playing video games and reading about them. I've reviewed video games for Jay-play. I've written articles about them in other papers. I have my own gaming blog. My e-mail address involves a certain Hylian, sword-wielding hero of mine. I could go on about why I'm such a hardcore gamer, but I think you get my point.
One of the coolest people in my book is Arnold Schwarzenegger, but with some legislation he's pushing, he may drop down a peg. Schwarzenegger is trying to pass a law in California very similar to laws in other states that ban the sale of violent video games to minors by imposing a $1,000 fine.
I've worked at Hastings Books Music & Video and I was proud to prevent kids from buying games like Grand Theft Auto. Despite what many of my fellow gamers don't want to admit, violent video games are bad for children. Psychologists and sociologists have completed studies that argue about the effects of violent video games, but I'm willing to admit I don't want my nine-year old cousin to play GTA. It would have a bad influence on him. I know that and I don't need to conduct or even read a study.
While I agree that violent
DAN HOYT
opinion@kansan.com
video games need to be kept out of the hands of children, I don't think vague, expensive and ineffective legislation is going to fix the problem anytime soon.
Bills like the one in California are vague on the definition of violence. The California bill defines violence as, "to virtually inflict serious injury on images of human beings" or human-like characters in a way that is "especially heinous, cruel or depraved in that it involves torture or serious physical abuse."
Although this is a decent definition it makes no distinction between cartoon-like violence such as in Nintendo's Mario games and realistic violence in games such as Manhunt, which is even more violent than Grand Theft Auto.
According to these standards, fighting space aliens could be violent if they resemble humans. It doesn't define degrees of violence.
The legislation doesn't mention the established Entertainment Safety Ratings Board, known as ESRB ratings. They
are printed on every video game sold in the U.S. If the California legislature want to be less vague it should monitor "Mature" and "Adults Only" games. Otherwise, the government will have to decide which games are violent and which aren't along with investigating stores and issuing fines.
My next point: cost. Somebody has to be paid to check retailers for carding underage children and check games for violent content without the ESRB ratings system. Nobody has said anything about the expense yet but it will cost money to enforce this law.
My last point: ineffectiveness. Almost every major gameretailer has a policy where it cards anyone who wants to buy an "M"-rated or an "AO"-rated game. The companies are fixing the problem without state legislatures trying to police anything. Even if they pass a law banning the sale of "M"- and "AO"-rated games to minors the problem is still there because parents.
According to the Entertainment Software Association 87 percent of game players under the age of 18 report that they get their parents' permission when renting or buying games, and 92 percent say their parents are present when they buy games.
best as a responsible gamer and convince parents not to buy "M"-rated games for their kids. Some parents listen and some don't. My experience has been that most don't.
I think having this legislation will create a false sense of security for parents who let the TV
At Hastings I tried to do my
Max Kreutzer/KANSAN
I think the only way to truly fix the problem is by educating parents on the ESRB rating system and reminding them to be good parents and monitor what
Grand Theft Auto: Mushroom Kingdom
raise their children. They are the ones who will buy violent games for their kids because they don't understand or don't care.
their kids watch, read and do. We can't expect the government to do what parents should be doing and we shouldn't be wasting time, money and effort on an issue that government doesn't need to deal with.
♦ Dan Hoyt is somethin'
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Article misleads on Israeli situation
In an Associated Press article that appeared in Friday's The University Daily Kansan, the first line read: "Israel killed seven Palestinians ... Thursday against Islamic jihad." Two days before this article was written, there was a suicide bombing in Hedera, in Northern Israel, which killed five people.
This was not stated until the article's sixth paragraph. When students read the first line of the article they were led to believe that Israel was killing Palestinians for no reason.
In the last paragraph, the article states "In the Gaza refugee camp of Bajaaliya, Israeli aircraft
fired two missiles at a car carrying Islamic Jihad militants. Once again, one is left with the impression that Israel is firing rockets with no provocation. The article failed to mention, however, the Kassam rockets that were fired at an Israeli town just dawn before.
bomb Renews Conflict," leads one to believe that a new conflict is rising.
This suicide bombing is the first since Aug. 28, 2005, in Be'er Sheva. The headline, "Suicide
In addition, the caption beneath the photo stated "Palestinian youths gather around the wreckage of a car hit in an Israeli missile strike that killed seven Palestinians in the Jebaliya refugee camp ..."
The lead Palestinian negotiator was quoted on CNN saying they don't want to fall back into that vicious cycle.
The students read this and don't know all the facts. They have incomplete information about what is going on.
This is not the kind of article we want to print in our paper, especially when we don't normally print articles about Israel.
Tanya Johnson is a Dallas Junior and President of KU Israel Alliance.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Students not under tax burden
Tennyson Cambern's assertion in an article published on Nov. 1 that middle- and lower-income students would pay for raising tuition prices with the money saved from taxes assumes those students are currently under some massive tax burden.
I'm presuming most students are not suffering from excessive property or income tax, as they do not own property and/or do not receive an income high enough to equal the likely rise in tuition.
After attending a nationwide conference-call in the Office of Chancellor on the results of TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights), I heard firsthand the ridiculous decisions Colorado's public Universities were forced to make.
Which buildings and programs would we cut at the University, how much money would the Alumni and Endowment Association have to raise to match our lost funds?
Additionally, many financially needy students take
loans, receive scholarships and/or independently pay for their education without parentalsupport.
The nation would think Kansas is just doing what it always does, listening to Libertarians and Reformists posing like Republicans.
I challenge the KU College Republicans to start acting like traditional conservatives and help the KU Young Democrats and Student Senate in defeating all threats to our University's future.
Marc Langston is a Wichita Sophmore and President of the KU Young Democrats.
TALK TO US
Austin Caster, editor
864-4854 or acaster@kansan.com
Jonathan Kealing, managing editor 884-4854 or jkealing@kansan.com
Joshua Bickel, managing editor
864-4854 or jbickel@kansan.com
Sarah Connelly, business manager
864-4014 or adddirector@kansan.com
Matthew Sevclik, opinion editor
864-4924 or msevclik@kansan.com
SUBMISSIONS
John Morgan, sales director
884-4462 or addirector@kansan.com
Mcalm Gibson, general manager, news
advisor
moll or moblason at kkanan.com
Jennifer Weaver, sales and marketing
adviser
904-328-5800 jenniferweaver@hawaii.edu
864-7667 or mgibson@kansan.com
864-7666 or jweaver@kansan.com
The Kansan welcomes letters to the editors and guest column submitted by students, faculty and alumni.
The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions.
For any questions, call Austin Caster at 864-4810 or e-mail opinion@kansan. com.
GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES
LETTER GUIDELINES
General questions should be directed to the editor at editor at kanaan.com
Maximum Length: 200 word limit
Include: Author's name and telephone number; class, hometown (student); position (faculty member); phone number (will not be published)
**Maximum Length:** 650 word limit
**Include:** Author's name; class, home-
town (student); position (faculty
member); phone number (will not be
published)
Also: The Kanas will not print guest columns that attack another columnist.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Eilei Ford, Yanting Wang, Joel Simone, Dohy Hoyt, Annie Waltmer, Jillian Patiase, Natha McGinnie, Joah Goeting, Garic Garkic, Travien Brown, Julian Fortillo, David Archer
SUBMIT TO
Kansen newroom
111 Staffer-Flint Hall
1435 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 66045
(785) 864-4810 opinion@kansen.com
Free All for
Call 864-0500
Free for all callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansas editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded. Instant message the Free for All at "uktreeforall."
To the cute TKE with the broken arm that stood next to me at the game: Sorry I high-fived your bad hand!
Nick Reid: I'm still willing to have your babies.
KJHK play by play sounds a lot better when you're drunk. Sober? Not so good.
You know that really not funny commercial, where they're like, selling cars?
David Ta and Ryan Joy are not merely roommates, they are life partners, and the Kansan should not have omitted the fact that they are.
If Cory and Topanga are fighting, why is she eating dinner with his family?
The sorority girl article was the stupidest thing I've ever read in my entire life!
I just called Free for All and then hung up.
I'm so embarrassed I got Free for All stagefright!
Free for All, I heard your girlfriend just broke up with you, you failed a big test and your dog just died, but I got some good news for you, I just saved a bunch of money on car insurance.
I swear I just saw a fox run through the stadium parking lot, and I don't mean like a really hot girl, I mean like an actual animal fox. Yeah.
★
I saw Eric Jorgensen wearing jeans shorts and dang does he look hot!
Whoever was dressed as Double Dare starring Marc Summers at the Hawk had the best costume ever. Way to go!
+
Adam thought the chill was not very good.
The last batch? He thought it was too spicy!
I thought it was great.
✩
Hey, Free for All! I think I've met the greatest guy I've ever met in the world. And that everything about guys being dogs and jerks is wrong. What do you think?
Editor's note: Give him a week.
I'm still angry about the sorority girl article.
Whoever wrote it is a freaking idiot.
That is stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
♦
Yeah, that chick dressed up as Christina Aguilera really made my night the other night.
So, I definitely just dropped a Free for All in the toilet at Wescoe, so whoever the janitor is, I'm sorry.
+
I still can't believe you guys put that sorority girl article in there. I hope you guys won't do something like that again.
I just walked by the south side of Fraser Hall next to the pioneer statue and the pioneer statue was holding a shovel in one hand and a corndog in the other. I don't know why he was wearing a corndog.
To the girl wearing capri jeans today:
Honestly, what were you thinking?
Score another point for KU journalism! Catholics to celebrate All Saints Day Mass? It's never been done! It's new! No, they've been doing it for 200 weeks. Wav: To go on. ques.
I just walked by the pioneer statue again, and he still has the corndog in his hands, but I think someone ate half of it.
I think you could have used that sorority girl thing to make more Free for All room.
Andrew Soukup and Dustin Elliott just created the best opinion section the Kansan has ever seen.
Ninjas on the 5th floor of McColm just stole a person! It was amazing.
Free for All, do you have an ecstacy?
I'm freaking desperate.
Brian, your painting was picked up, and it's at the Pi. Phi house.
Chuck Norris broke his own leg, purely for the sake of winning the Special Olympics,
+
Straight? Fine by me.
I've been calling all day, bitching about the sorority girl article, and I just realized it was in the Tongue and Beak section, so I actually give props to the guy who wrote it, and uh, my bad.
✨
Kuck Kansas is the laemest rag on Kansas I've ever heard. Muck Fizzou, however, just rolls of the tongue! I mean, Kuck Kansas? It sounds racist.
I rejected a girl as a friend on facebook.com.
That has to be the ultimate insult.
+
I want to lose my virginity to Free for All. Yeah.
OK, what is up with all the macho boys outside walking with umbrellas when it's barely sprinkling. I have long hair, and I walk on campus without an umbrella. Tell the boys to man up!
Damn it feels good to be a hampster.
---
A