For as long as we’ve had entertainment industries, people have been trying to regulate or ban them. Luckily, reason usually wins out in the end, even if it’s a pain in the ass getting to that point. This time around, the good guys won with an Illinois federal judge killing a proposed law to outright ban violent video games to minors. I understand the desire to prevent an eight year old from buying GTA on their own, but let’s telling a parent what they can or cannot buy for their kids is a lot different than telling a kid what they’re allowed to buy without adult supervision.

From the Associated Press:

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A federal judge has pulled the plug on a law in Illinois that would have blocked the sale of violent and sexually explicit video games to minors.

U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kennelly said the laws are unconstitutional — and so he has barred the state from enforcing them. Supporters of the measure — including the governor — believe children are being harmed by exposure to video games in which characters go around killing or taking part in sexual exploits.

Opponents said the law is an unfair restriction on free speech — and that similar laws had been thrown out in other states.

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