Charles Schumer is an Out-of-Touch Boob - His war against the video game “25 to Life”

(Quotes taken from an article in the Washington Post

…Sen. Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, said the “cop killer” video game, called “25 to Life,” had hit an “all-time low” and discouraged the sale and distribution of the title, due out this summer.

“‘25 to Life’ makes ‘Grand Theft Auto’ look like ‘Romper Room’,” Schumer said on Monday in comments e-mailed by a spokeswoman. The blockbuster video game series “Grand Theft Auto” from Take-Two Interactive is frequently criticized for its violence…

First of all, if you want people to take you seriously, you need something more effective than a kids show that originally aired in 1953 like “Romper Room.”

The article goes on to talk about “25 to Life” which is like Grand Theft Auto and allows a player to choose to either be the thugs or the cops. It is an ultra-violent game about crime. As a criminal, you can kill cops. As a cop, you can kill criminals, etc.

Do I think this game is wholesome? Nope.

Do I think that kids should be playing it? Not at all.

Does that mean, it shouldn’t be produced and available for sale? No.

Schumer continues…

“The last thing we need here in New York is to reinforce a destructive culture of violence and disrespect for the law. Little Johnny should be learning how to read, not how to kill cops,” Schumer said in separate comments.

Nice soundbyte, you trite, politician, douche-bag. I agree with you that “Little Johnny” should not be learning to kill cops, but I have no idea why that HAS to be tied to this video game. The video game industry has ratings which should keep young people from owning them. If that doesn’t work, then video games have price tags around the $50 mark, and these kids presumably have parents, so they shouldn’t have $50 bucks sitting around unaccounted for by their parents, to buy this game. Finally, parents should know what their kids are playing. That is the bottom line.

You can’t censor a product because a kid might accidentally get his or her sweet little television-watching hands on it.

On top of that, we need to expand our minds a little bit. VIDEO GAMES ARE NOT JUST FOR KIDS!!! I grew up in one of the early video game generations. I missed out on Pong and some of the Atari stuff, but I grew up playing Nintendo and Sega games.

Yes, I did grow up.

I still play games.

IE Games aren’t just for kids anymore.

While I am at it, this goes for cartoons too. Just because a TV show, or movie has animated characters and funny voices does not mean it is for kids or is automatically being marketed to them as a result of it being a cartoon. We are now adults, and we haven’t given up cartoons or video games. Adults represent a market with a lot more disposable income than kids, so it only makes sense that cartoons and games will be targeted at older audiences than they used to target.

And by the way… this isn’t to say that the game isn’t tasteless. It is. But, tastelessness has never been a good excuse for censoring something in this country before. It shouldn’t start today.

“25 to Life” carries an “M” rating — for those 17 and older — from the Entertainment Software Rating Board for blood and gore, intense violence, sexual themes, strong language and drug references, according to the Eidos Web site.

If this offends you, then don’t buy the game. I won’t be buying it, but mostly because this game style bores me too quickly. It is a choice that I am making as a consumer over the age of 18. Don’t deny me my right to choose because of your moral judgements, Chuck.

If you want to pass legislation in your state making it illegal to sell this to someone under the age of 18, be my guest, but don’t try and stop these things from coming out altogether.

And please can you answer one question for me, Mr. Schumer?

Aren’t there issues in your state that might be a little more important and a little less “newsworthy?”

I’m just saying…

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