Massachusetts Town Ponders End to Public Videogame Ban

[-Dragmire-]

Chairwomen Faith Jean warned at the time that allowing videogames in public places would attract other "smut" to the town, a sentiment echoed by resident Tom Jackson, who "guaranteed" that the presence of arcade machines would "open the door to adult entertainment."

Thank God! Finally, when people ask me why I have no faith in humanity, I now have a direct quote to prove my argument.

On another note, you definitely know what she's thinking when she hears the word 'joystick'

 

[Jumplion]

I can understand why a coastal tourist town would want to keep this law. People go there for a particular experience and if someone is hoping to open a few video arcades it will completely change the feel of the town. Have you seen Blackpool (UK)? It's almost nothing but arcades on the waterfront and it's massively seedy.

It's not like arcades will just start popping up everywhere in the town, and the arcade business is pretty much dead in the entire United States.

And even if arcades did start popping up in the city, it would barely change anything as it would just be a few extra stores on the coastline, and wouldn't it attract more business opportunities and therefore more economic growth?

It's just a silly law that should be overturned. Over reactive and oversensitive populace.

 

[jericu]

Well, all this town needs is Kevin Bacon to help convince Reverend Moore to have a change of heart and lift the ban.

Or something.

 

[Dragonpit]

What part of her argument makes sense? She's calling video games 'smut.' Smut. Yet the town has gambling machines in public places. On top of that, is she really that insecure of her town's heritage? A couple gaming stores isn't going to turn a town into a fun house.

 

[Natan923]

I'm actually from Marshfield and the town meeting was tonight and it was voted to keep the ban in place. I didn't manage to make it to the meeting but it seems that the vote wasn't even very close. It only bans things like arcades though, not hand held systems or anything like that, but it's still incredibly stupid.

 

[Super Toast]

Such ignorance is truly staggering.

 

[FogHornG36]

Humm... does this town have a ban on bars/pubs too? those can lead to drinking, and we all know what drinking leads too....

A fun night?

In all seriousness, public gaming ban sounds more like arcade ban. Who goes to arcades in the US anymore? The only arcades I know of are Gamesomething and Dave and Buster, and those are mostly bars/restaurants that happen to have arcade games... which are old.

still i know most bars now a days have a tuch screen game somewere at the bar, i wonder were that falls, also, Bolling allys or as i say, (booooooring ally) are another place to find arcade games.

 

[Lightslei]

Humm... does this town have a ban on bars/pubs too? those can lead to drinking, and we all know what drinking leads too....

A fun night?

In all seriousness, public gaming ban sounds more like arcade ban. Who goes to arcades in the US anymore? The only arcades I know of are Gamesomething and Dave and Buster, and those are mostly bars/restaurants that happen to have arcade games... which are old.

That would be a number of college kids who want to have fun, so say several of my friends, my girlfriend and myself, along with a bunch of high school kids.

Did you know DDR/ITG/PIUP are considered one of the best forms of cardio?

 

[Rayne870]

It's still illegal to eat ice cream on a Sunday on bank street here.

I hope Marshfield can end their ban on public video games though since it just doesn't really make sense.

 

[Zenode]

A similar motion to repeal the law was brought before the 1994 Town Meeting and was shot down in flames. Chairwomen Faith Jean warned at the time that allowing videogames in public places would attract other "smut" to the town, a sentiment echoed by resident Tom Jackson, who "guaranteed" that the presence of arcade machines would "open the door to adult entertainment." Police Chief William P. Sullivan Jr., speaking as an expert in the field of law enforcement, claimed that publicly-available videogames "put children at risk to the negative aspects of life."

I think I figured out why the town had it banned for so long

[HEADING=2]Tom Jackson = Jack Thompson[/HEADING]

[HEADING=1]THE MAN HAS AN SECRET IDENTITY[/HEADING]

 

[tmdude]

how many facepalms is this worthy of???????

 

[Lunafox]

Hay, you know what, Fine...

If people want to live somewhere where computer games don't exist, they should have the 'option' to do so, much the same as many Amish comuniutes.

That said don't expect me to live there nor should their oppinions on games and life choices have any sway on the laws and life choices here in my own backyard

live and let live

 

[Giest4life]

Why are we out looking for alien life in the cosmos when we have ourselves people of the town of Marshfield, Massachusetts?

 

[Twilight_guy]

Are these people aware that there is a world outside of their town? A world where people do stuff and don't get corrupted for it. I mean this is seriously starting to sound like the arguments of an Amish society that new tech will corrupt everything.