You know, we need to stop completely freaking out ever time some clueless ponce decides to twist his frilly thong over his head about video games and decides there ought to be a law against them "for the good of the children." They are clearly, self-evidently unconstitutional, and federal judges always overturn them as such.

The bottom line is that you just can't pass a law censoring video games without applying it to all other forms of media... and there's just no way that would swing.

Anyway, rest your pretty heads easy tonight. Federal District Court Judge James Rosenbaum overturned Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch's crazy law against violent video games, that would have fined minors who bought mature or adult oriented games. Judge Rosenbaum ruled:

The First Amendment . . . was certainly established to keep the government from becoming the arbiter of what constitutes 'worthless' or 'disgusting' speech. The Court declines the State's invitation to enter into an evaluation of this kind.

He went on to say, "There is a paucity of evidence linking the availability of video games with any harm to Minnesota's children at all." Right. The science isn't there to support it. Of course, maybe we should worry... a lack of science didn't stop anyone from passing any laws against second-hand smoking. Florian Eckhardt

Previously: Judge in Minnesota Games Case Reviews Xbox Firsthand

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