US politician proposes tax on violent video games, would help 'prevent mass shootings'

Diane Franklin, a Missouri-based representative, has proposed a new sales tax on violent video games, in which she thinks "would finance mental health programs and law enforcement measures to prevent mass shootings."

The Entertainment Software Association told Joystiq in response to the proposal that "the U.S. Supreme Court ruled only 18 months ago that laws penalizing video games are unconstitutional. Taxing First Amendment protected speech based on its content is not only wrong, but will end up costing Missouri taxpayers."

I don't see how pushing in some new taxes is going to somehow curb mass shootings - guns don't kill people, people, kill people. I don't think video games are the cause of all of this, and if they're going to be targeted as a source, then I think we should be looking at the bigger picture. Is it society? Parenting? The influence within movies, music, TV shows?

What really makes me mad is people blaming video games for violence, my nephew plays crazy hours playing games like League of Legends, Battlefield 3 and more and you know what? He has built team building skills, management skills, and countless other skills from the games - RTS games are notorious for multi-taskers to really excel, and that he does. He doesn't finish Battlefield 3 and go out and get violent.

What about sport players? They generally are violent on the field, with millions of kids around the world playing violent sports. Physical contact sports, where they actively punch or tackle each other. Video games are always targeted because the politicians don't play them, and have no idea. They see "gun + game + blood = violence and it must be stopped".

If we had 18-35 year olds running the government, these excuses wouldn't be used. How long have kids been playing cops and robbers? Cowboys and Indians? Violence has been here since the dawn of man, and video games for how long? A few decades?

Do you really think introducing a "video game tax" is going to actually stop mass shootings?