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SALT LAKE CITY -- A conservative group wants Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff to say no to violent video games being sold to children. It's a case that is now going to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The proposed law goes along with something California has already ruled on. Five years ago, California legislators made it illegal for children under 18 to buy violent video games, but an upper court said that was unconstitutional.
We can [support the California law] if there's solid evidence that it'll protect kids, but there's no solid evidence it'll protect kids.
–Attorney General Mark Shurtleff
Now the case is headed for the U.S. Supreme Court, and the national and Utah Eagle Forums held a news conference Wednesday to urge Utah to side with California.
"I believe that we, as policy makers, have every right to restrict open access to children on things we believe could be harmful to them," said Rep. Michael Morley, R-Spanish Fork.
Morley is siding with the Eagle Forum in trying to classify the sale of violent video games to children in the same category as alcohol, cigarettes and pornography.
"If the parents want to buy them and let their children play them, fine. That's up to parents. But don't sell them directly to children," said Andy Schlafly, with the national Eagle Forum organization.
The group says it has support for the proposed California law being implemented in several states, but not Utah. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff says he still wants to study it before making a decision.
"Yeah, we can do it if there's solid evidence that it'll protect kids, but there's no solid evidence it'll protect kids," Shurtleff said.
That, he says, goes to the very core of this debate.
"The question is, is there a connection between playing the violent video games and violent conduct? The truth is there is not," Shurtleff said.
Some children who are not mature enough to handle it may get addicted to the games and then go on a killing rampage.
–Andy Schlafly, Eagle Forum
Schlafly disagrees.
"Some children who are not mature enough to handle it may get addicted to the games and then go on a killing rampage," he said, "which we've seen in many of the school massacres."
Shurtleff says he'll make his decision by Friday, which is the filing deadline to send a brief to the courts outlining his opinion on the matter.
"I want to do what's right, but ultimately, it's going to come down to what's right and what's political. If my only reason for not supporting this brief against the California law would be for political reasons, then I don't want to do that; but I'm still deciding. I have until Friday to make the final decision."
"This is not about free speech," said Utah Eagle Forum representative Cherilyn Eagar. "This is about protecting our community standards."
Eagar says she was shocked when she started looking at some of the video games. Some characters killed each other using chainsaws; others violently choked their victims.
"As a society, we have to protect what's called ‘public virtue' or we'll lose our freedom," Eagar said.
Some stores already have a policy against selling violent video games to children, but Schlafly says it's a weak system that isn't followed by everyone.
"The average eighth-grader now spends 23 hours a week playing these violent games," said Schlafly.
Shurtleff says he understands both sides of the issue but still isn't sure what side he will endorse.
"This would be like if we decided we were going to punish Larry Miller Entertainment and fine them $1,000 or $5,000 for every time a kid snuck into an R-rated movie," said Shurtleff, "and no one here wants to do that."
E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com
