Jail Parents in NZ For Giving Kids Mature Games?
- Thread starter John Funk
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What sort of repercussions will throwing the parents in jail have on the children?
Please, please, oh elected law-making officials, think of the children.
Please, please, oh elected law-making officials, think of the children.
Heh love the picture of the sheep.
While I actually think this law has some merit to it, but it's simply too oppressive. There are plenty of people under the age of 18 who are plenty capable of handling the content of M rated games. I mean, you're going to only allow someone to play a mature videogame at the same time that they can go off to war and see and experience all the traumatic events that are a part of it (I assume New Zealand's minimum age where you can join the military is 18)?
It's not fair to legally restrict someone underage to play a videogame. The point of a Mature rating is as a guidline, not a law. I mean, it's not illegal for someone under 18 to see an R rated movie. Or read a book...books don't even have rating systems! Do you know what kind of sick shit you can put in a book?
While I actually think this law has some merit to it, but it's simply too oppressive. There are plenty of people under the age of 18 who are plenty capable of handling the content of M rated games. I mean, you're going to only allow someone to play a mature videogame at the same time that they can go off to war and see and experience all the traumatic events that are a part of it (I assume New Zealand's minimum age where you can join the military is 18)?
It's not fair to legally restrict someone underage to play a videogame. The point of a Mature rating is as a guidline, not a law. I mean, it's not illegal for someone under 18 to see an R rated movie. Or read a book...books don't even have rating systems! Do you know what kind of sick shit you can put in a book?
Well, whatever else it may be, it certainly is a refreshing change from blaming everything on the government, corporations and the game developers themselves. If parents really are so high and mighty about games, they'd better damn well take some of the responsibility on themselves rather than trying blanket cencorship out of lazy ignorance.
Well if I was 17, I would sleep a lot easier knowing my legal guardian was trying not to drop the soap, having been arrested and jailed for buying me a copy of GTA4 for my 18th birthday.
That was sarcasm by the way, oh and so was that, I guess.
That was sarcasm by the way, oh and so was that, I guess.
It always bothers me greatly to be in a chain store, and see someone clearly under the age or could possibly be near the age and the person has the little beeper go off for a mature title and does nothing. I think it would be going a little to far and it would be very very hard to prove. This argument would mean that the parents that purchased the game in the first place and only the child was the one using it. They might have played the game themselves or bought it for themselves. They forgot to lock it under lock and key and the kid got to it. Basically the same defense a parent could use for alcohol or anything else.
I hate whiny twelve year-olds in multiplayer games as much as the next guy, but they have no right taking this right from parents. If a parent feels their child is responsible enough to handle M (or T) rated games, then let them. Plus, Spaz has a point; depriving a child of a parent by throwing them in jail is far worse for a child's development than giving them a violent video game.
I'm sort of glad that someone is punishing the adults for whatever happens. Except even i your a mature child (yes there out there) can't play. Also i believe the charges are too tough. This will need a little changing and reforming but there definitely on the right track.
I am a parent and a gamer. I think if the games are properly labeled, this deterrent actually makes a ton of sense as long as there is no jail time or even a fine, make it strictly community service. Something that gets parents to spend more time with their children and pay more attention to their responsibility in guiding their children's activities? As long as it isn't hurting the family, I'm all for it.
Anonymouse said:
I am so with you on this, provided the games are properly labeled. A locked cabinet for my adult games? I have no problem with that. Heck, I could even come off as the cool parent for letting my kid(s) experience adult games before the gov says they can, it would be like our secret illegal activity that doesn't actually do any harm. But that may just be me, I am already teaching my child not everything she sees is real and/or should be emulated.Anonymouse said:
HEY GUYS! I'm a politician so I know more about raising your kids then you! You better do what I say or i'll bankrupt you with fines and make you unable to provide for your child, forcing them into foster care and causing irreperable emotional scarring to their pysche! That'll stop all the murderers!
Meanwhile, providing a child a violent videogame, an act which has not been proven to be harmful by any -credible- source, is a 10,000 dollar fine? Because of the 'risk'?
CanadianWolverine said:
Read... article? Jail time or a 10,000 dollar fine are strictly enforced. Let me put that in perspective. I got a ticket for speeding 15 mph over once. It was around 200 bucks. I didn't go to court over it, I took my punishment because my actions could have directly endangered lives. That 15 mph could've meant the difference between life, death, or dismemberment.
Meanwhile, providing a child a violent videogame, an act which has not been proven to be harmful by any -credible- source, is a 10,000 dollar fine? Because of the 'risk'?
I could understand this if a parent was buying their 10 year old an 18 rated game just because the kid wanted them to. But even then, three months imprisonment or a fine of $10,000 is going too far. The maximum punishment should be a small fine and a slap on the wrist. Hell even force the parent to attend a class that is nothing but '18 rated games are for 18 year olds' repeated over and over again.
Fair enough if the parent thinks their kid can handle it. But if their kid ends up doing something stupid like murdering someone cause they wanted to see if it was as easy as in GTA, then they'd have no right to moan about their kid playing an 18 rated game. And every gamer in their local area would get to punch them once in a place they decide for their stupidity.
And that's my two cents.
Fair enough if the parent thinks their kid can handle it. But if their kid ends up doing something stupid like murdering someone cause they wanted to see if it was as easy as in GTA, then they'd have no right to moan about their kid playing an 18 rated game. And every gamer in their local area would get to punch them once in a place they decide for their stupidity.
And that's my two cents.
No. Even though I think that parents are stupid for doing it in the first place, they have no right to take that kind of stuff away from them, I mean what are they going to do next? Do the same with booze? Thats more leathal.
Sad...just sad. God forbid we take responsibility for the raising of our own children. No, now it takes the government. Has the human race fallen so far? Every species on earth can properly raise its healthy offspring, yet humans, the higher species appears to fail at every turn.
Shit, if my mom didn't buy me GTA III 8 years ago, i'd be mad (I'm 15 now, you figure)
Even though me and my friends alike = "Way too young" to play GTA when it came out, that didnt stop us from having bucketloads of fun sniping people watching the blood go at a 90 degree angle straight up then watching them bleed out on the street.
Hell, if some kid went out to kill someone on the street cuz he saw it on GTA, then theres gotta be something wrong with the kid in the first place, don't blame the game ;o
Even though me and my friends alike = "Way too young" to play GTA when it came out, that didnt stop us from having bucketloads of fun sniping people watching the blood go at a 90 degree angle straight up then watching them bleed out on the street.
Hell, if some kid went out to kill someone on the street cuz he saw it on GTA, then theres gotta be something wrong with the kid in the first place, don't blame the game ;o