Video Game Voters Network: Mississippi's Video Games Under Attack

Send a Letter to STOP Nationwide Anti-Video Game Bill

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Once again, politicians are attempting to circumvent the First Amendment and interfere with the sale of the video games you enjoy. This time it's your U.S. Senator, Roger Wicker.

Sen. Wicker introduced S.3315, an anti-video game bill that is unnecessary and unconstitutional. Unlike the state bills that continue to fail all over the country, this is a federal bill that would restrict the sale of M- and AO-rated games around the country. Twelve courts have reviewed this issue in the past six years and each found laws restricting the sale of video games unconstitutional. In some cases, the courts required that the state pay for the video game industry's legal fees using the taxpayer's dollars.

Please, send a letter to Sen. Wicker now and express your strong opposition to his bill.

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Dear Senator Wicker:

I understand you recently introduced a bill that is designed to regulate the sale of video games to minors.  I encourage you to withdraw your bill, as there are better ways to address this issue.  If enacted, your measure will ultimately be found unconstitutional.

More parental education, not government regulation, is the best way to keep inappropriate games away from children.  The video game industry has a very comprehensive rating system, as well as, other tools to help parents and retailers ensure children do not have access to games made for adults.

Your bill attempts to solve a problem that does not exist. The video game industry is successfully self-regulated and offers a range of methods to protect children.  The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) system includes ratings that are prominently displayed on the front of all video games as well as "content descriptors" that give parents additional information about what is in the game.  Parents can also prevent their children from playing inappropriate games by using the parental controls available on all new video game consoles.  In addition, the overwhelming majority of video games are family-friendly; last year only 6 percent of video games were M-rated.
This year, the Federal Trade Commission conducted a secret shopper survey that found video game retailers are scrupulous when screening for underage shoppers, with 80 percent of underage buyers rejected at the point of sale when they try to buy M-rated games. This is far better than the performance of the other forms of entertainment, which are not regulated by the government.

Furthermore, your bill, while well intended, is unconstitutional.  Twelve courts have reviewed this issue in the past six years and each found laws restricting the sale of games unconstitutional. In some cases, the courts required that the state pay for the video game industry's legal fees. Such legislation is a waste of government time and taxpayer dollars.

As a computer and video game player and Mississippi voter, I strongly urge you to withdraw this legislation before it wastes more of your time and my hard-earned dollars. Instead, please focus on collaborating with the video game industry on a campaign to educate parents about how to keep our children safe.

Sincerely,

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This letter will be sent to the following individual(s):

Roger F. Wicker, U.S. Senator, MS, Republican Party

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Send a Letter to STOP Nationwide Anti-Video Game Bill