Games Industry Accused of 'Buying Political Clout'

A parent's group is lambasting the Electronic Software Association for announcing its intention to curry political favour in Washington DC. The games industry, for most of its life a much-maligned business sector, has just begun to work towards changing its image with US lawmakers. The Parents Television Council views this as attempting to 'buy influence in Congress', and views the ESA's plans harshly: "'The videogame industry continues to fight meaningful accountability for selling inappropriate material to children. The industry has been exposed repeatedly for its reprehensible behavior and now they are looking for ways to buy friends in the government,' said PTC President Tim Winter. 'Let me be clear of our intentions: Any public servant who cashes a check from the videogame industry will be exposed by the PTC as taking a stand against families, and his or her actions will be communicated to constituents in his or her congressional district.'" I wonder how they feel about lobbying by conservative 'pro-family' groups?

New Government Program for Protection of Children

[Free_Meson]

The videogame industry continues to fight meaningful accountability for selling inappropriate material to children. The industry has been exposed repeatedly for its reprehensible behavior and now they are looking for ways to buy friends in the government,' said PTC President Tim Winter. 'Let me be clear of our intentions: Any public servant who cashes a check from the videogame industry will be exposed by the PTC as taking a stand against families, and his or her actions will be communicated to constituents in his or her congressional district.

I'd like to announce a new program to help screen inappropriate material from children. Tentatively titled the "Federal Universal Child Kinship Oversight and Family Force Act" or F.U.C.K.O.F.F. Act for short. This act empowers the states to appoint guardians over minors based on whatever criteria they find reasonable, though it is expected that minors will be assigned based on a matching of their genetic makeup to that of available guardians. These guardians will be allowed to control the media the minor is exposed to, including but not limited to internet, television, radio, video games, and print media. It is the hope of Congress that this formal delegation will clarify the role of the government in the care of minors.

Sincerely,

-Ron Paul

Re:Duh.

[orclevegam]

So I wonder, how much has the Parent's Television Council donated to various congresspeople?

The technical term for them is congresscritters. If you call them people, others might get the wrong idea and expect things like morals out of them.

"Market Forces"

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

And why not? That clout is for sale!

Re:Arseholes, basically

[Quiet_Desperation]

I've seen "conservatives" take the principle of "personal responsibility" to the point of blaming people rear-ended in car accidents for having made the decision to get out on the highway.

No, what you've got there is an Objectivist. :-)

It's totally unfair

[Aggrav8d]

Gaming experts gaming the system? They have way too much experience, they'll run circles around their competitors! At the very least lobbyists should have to get past some kind of jumping puzzle to reach the senate, only to be told their congressman is in another office.

Only one way to deal with this..

[knavel]

There's only one way to deal with nutjobs that are so far removed from reality...Respond with an equally removed from reality response. And how pray tell do we, the tech community, do such a thing? By using technology to our advantage. I'm sure someone else remembers Scott Pakin's famous complaint letter generator:

http://www.pakin.org/complaint

And a quick search over the PTC's site reveals the email for "Letters to the Editor":

[e-mail]

Now go forth, my tech brethren, and fight crazy with crazy!

Re:Duh.

[geminidomino]

I dunno... "congresscritters" sounds sort of cute and fuzzy, and reminds me of this show [wikipedia.org].

Just call them what they really are, a term that leaves no room for misunderstanding the nature of the evil that they spread across the earth. "Mostly lawyers."