For possibly strong opinions and language, and bashing of the powers that be. [Initializing Rant Engine v.0982a] Just found this little nugget on a certain bittorrent site which shall remain nameless: == Lawmakers voted Saturday to ban the sale of violent or sexually explicit video games to minors in Illinois, a move other states and cities have tried but federal courts have repeatedly struck down. Wow! The justice system actually works sometimes.. The measure now goes to Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who proposed the ban late last year after hearing about the video game JFK Reloaded, which puts the player in the role of President Kennedy's assassin. Ah yes.. JFK reloaded. See also This entry - The game wasnt even that good.. Under the legislation, clerks who knowingly sell adult video games to minors could be fined $1,000. They could defend themselves by showing they did not know the buyer was a minor or that they followed the industry ratings on the games. Having solved all other problems such as child molesters and murderers on the loose..... The legislation leaves it to stores to determine which games are too violent or sexually explicit for minors, and retailers have argued it turns them into violence and sensitivity police. WRONG!! Havent we decided long ago that the the ratings are there to INFORM and not to ENFORCE? Leave it to the consumer (parent or child, it should be the decision of the one with the cash) to decide if a game is right for them. Dont you people ever read the back of the boxes? A federal judge last summer struck down a Washington state ban as a violation of free speech because it banned selling to minors video games depicting violence against police officers but not other depictions of violence. So its ok to kill anything ELSE in a game, just not police officers. Riiiight... The Washington judge also determined the ban was too broad because it was unclear which games would be banned -- something Illinois lawmakers say could be a problem with the legislation now headed to Blagojevich's desk. Standard operating procedure, make laws, and make them vague enough to do whatever the f**k you want to do with em. Federal courts have also struck down bans in Indianapolis and St. Louis County, Missouri, saying the measures encroach on the First Amendment. Someone in the feds has taken their daily dose of Common Sense© "What we have is all we ever get -- all fluff and no stuff," Republican Rep. Bill Black said. But supporters insisted the government has a duty to help parents shield children from violence and sexuality. "Don't let them become the monsters that we see in these violent games," Democratic Rep. Monique Davis said. "What we have is all we ever get -- all fluff and no stuff" ... which is exactly what we'll get in our games from here on out if you let these damn politicians get their way. How many of you have played Halo 1? It was a kickass game. Best selling on the xbox. Hella fun. It was M rated. Did it deserve that rating? Definitely. Am i a violent monster who's going to go pick up a pistol and start shooting stuff? No. In fact if i was, my folks would probably have me locked up and nowhere NEAR a game console. But, if Blagojevich and Lieberman get their way, there would be no halo. There would be no GTA, there would be no Mercenaries. As for you, Lieberman & Blagojevich, you need to loosen up and play some games. May i suggest Halo 2? It'll take your (mind? LOL) off your constant attempts to circumvent the first ammendment. See you on xbox live - you're going down. ~Till next time Tsukasa "In your face, basket case!" Karuna