US proposes violent games tax

US proposes violent games tax

www.news.com.au

VIOLENT video games could soon be hit with a sales tax.

US congresswoman Diane Franklin said her proposed tax would help to "finance mental health programs and law enforcement measures to prevent mass shootings."

Since the Sandy Hook massacre in November in which 20 children and six adults were killed, American politicians and lobbyists have been pointing the finger at violent video games as the catalysts for the countless massacres that have occurred in the US over the last 50 years.

(visit the link for the full news article)

It was only a matter of time. Politicians seem to think that taxes are the answer to all our problems, whether it be alcohol, Fast food, etc. Now gamers are expected to cop the flak, one person does something terrible and the rest of the law abiding citizens have to pay for it.

I'm really tired of video games getting the blame every time a lunatic decides to run amok with a firearm. Tens of millions of violent video games are sold each and every year, and how many shootings happen every year?

Not to mention politicians only assume that video games are the catalyst. So how do you explain massacres before the invention of gaming? movies and music of course. So with that logic i guess we should blame vaudeville for Jack the ripper going on a rampage.

The fact remains. People are killing people with guns, not with copies of call of Duty.



www.news.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

I wouldn't tax the games.





I'd tax the bullets we fire in war, and every second the news media shows war footage.

This is where the Robert's Court decision in regards to the Patient Protection and Affordable Act will come into play. Most likely this type of tax will have to fall back onto the Commerce Clause; a clause that Roberts brought back into line in regards to how the Federal government has utilized it.

On the other hand, a tax imposed on video games will bring about the following: The voluntary "ratings" the industry has implemented will go away. Why label your game as "M" when you know you will get levied a tax? Silly Congress Trix are for Kids.....

They've never met a tax they didn't like...

this is getting real old with exploiting the tragedy and everything being another reason to soak citizens of more money somehow. There isn't any more to take....they seem to fail at understanding a simple concept. WE can't print money like THEY can.

Maybe people should've done something when they raised taxes on cigarettes....

At $60 dollars a pop already an added sales tax like this will kill the console market.

Originally posted by Thecakeisalie


It was only a matter of time. Politicians seem to think that taxes are the answer to all our problems, whether it be alcohol, Fast food, etc. Now gamers are expected to cop the flak, one person does something terrible and the rest of the law abiding citizens have to pay for it.

I'm really tired of video games getting the blame every time a lunatic decides to run amok with a firearm. Tens of millions of violent video games are sold each and every year, and how many shootings happen every year?

Not to mention politicians only assume that video games are the catalyst. So how do you explain massacres before the invention of gaming? movies and music of course. So with that logic i guess we should blame vaudeville for Jack the ripper going on a rampage.

The fact remains. People are killing people with guns, not with copies of call of Duty.



www.news.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

Exactly....And to be completely honest....video games like Call of Duty, actually offer quite a constructive release for frustration and other negative emotions, that might lead to violence, without it!

The proposal is ridiculous. This attempt by the MSM to associate violent massacres with playing video games is disgraceful and opportunistic.

There will be nothing left to ban at this rate...

I love how we just recycle the same old basic argument and switch out the "brand" name that we want to vilify. Or am i showing my age remembering similar talk about Dungeons and Dragons, Metallica, The Beatles and the first Harry Potter books.

This is ridiculous and absolutely inexcusable. This is nothing but typical political scapegoating. There is no evidence that playing violent video games contributes to acts of violence or homicidal ideation, and these idiots proposing the tax should be turned into cat food. Cat food is delicious. (I'm on a budget.)

well you really cant say that they are not transparent any longer. their motives are clear. so what are they going to consider violent. ? is pacman a violent game? mario bros? i know theres a lot of graphic games out there, but i havent had a video game counsel in 25yrs, but anyway , this is not them trying to do the right thing , but for them to make money by whatever means. why dont they tax doctors who prescribe "mental meds" per pill?

I still cannot comprehend how the heck video games are getting as much political focus as they are now. Has it even occured to them that maybe....violent people are drawn to violent video games? How many people in the US are playing Call of Duty at the moment? Are all of them developing into mass-murdering psychopaths soley because of Call of Duty? Are 50% of them turning into psychopaths? 25%? 10%?

Does seeing violence on a TV screen just "set off" someones brain and turns them into a killing machine? Did Alexander the Great play Command and Conquer on his PC, and that game then made him want to conquer the world? Isnt this just rediculous and dosent solve a damn thing? How the hell does a tax make some lunatic not a lunatic anymore?

"Uh oh, so and so politician thinks these games turn our citizens into blood raging lunatics....Better make them give us, lets say, an extra $5 dollars a game....that will definantly stop them from murdering people!!!!!".....

Stupid stupid stupid is all I can say.

reply to post by Thecakeisalie


My husband and I have played video games for well over 27 years and never once have we had a thought of acting out what we play and display acts of violence. That's just crazy....and a cop out.

I am sick and tired of them exploiting the school tragedy and pointing the finger every where except where the blame lies...with Adam Lanza.

And for Obama to use kids for a background drop while signing the executive order made me want to puke.
How low down and manipulative can he get, to use them like a prop in a play? They were used as pawns in his pursuit of his agenda. Disgusting....

Games and movies have never influence us ever....and we watch some gory, violent crap.

The issue is with the perpetrators mental health, not ours.
And proper responsibility of parents to LOCK UP their guns, especially around kids.

---------------------

ETA: Games are rated like movies.....the ones rated "M" for mature, have an age requirement so those "kids" that play them have to get mom or dad to buy it for them, not to mention pay for it. So that is the parents responsibility once again.
Where are the parents in all of this blame game????
They need to step up to the plate and take control of their kids instead of letting the government do it for them.
Just my two cents worth.....

reply to post by Thecakeisalie


looks like they will make a new trend, Pirated games.

They try to charge more, and we will try to buy less.....

Taxes, fees, penalties, charges, fines, and the endless list of money out of our pockets......

There is a breaking point.

I never understood how greed can make you ruin your own pie. I mean, come on. You want to steal, fine. BUT be smart about it. If you ruin the gig for everyone by being too greedy, there is a point when you cant steal any more.

Like having the perfect con for a casino. You can try it big and take a million in one shot, risk getting your legs broken and get kicked out with your million. OR you can take a few thousand a day for the rest of your life or until you reach a goal of like 50 million or what ever.

One is a bigger pot, but it has worse consequences. The other is an endless supply of small pots you can really always get away with.

Greed is counterproductive to the thief.

Why don't we go ahead and just tax everything... I'm going to be straining to pay my office chair actuation tax I'll tell you that..

I don't want to even think about my walking more than 100 feet a day tax...

I do see where they are coming from though....

I mean if you're going to ban "Assault type" weapons you just have to tax Call of Duty.... It's a natural progression...

In all seriousness..... Are they brain damaged? Is that a requirement to get into office?

We should tax liberal media publications.
Violent video games are a reflection of the technological achievement of society.
Kids have always played violent games, when video games were not around children used to buy toy guns or pick up sticks and use them as pretend guns to kill the Nazis or native americans. But we had no school shootings back then.
Where does the line get drawn?
Video games are art. They are really just interactive movies, so are movies next? What about art? literature? If they continue to go down this path it ends at the bible which is pretty freakin violent.
GTA is a very violent franchise but nowhere near as violent as WW2, which they teach in schools.
Instead of a tax they should just implement a left wing guilt box for people who really deeply care about stuff like this. Don't impose a tax on everyone, just make those who care oh so deeply put their money where their mouth is.

Originally posted by Thecakeisalie

US proposes violent games tax

www.news.com.au

VIOLENT video games could soon be hit with a sales tax.

US congresswoman Diane Franklin said her proposed tax would help to "finance mental health programs and law enforcement measures to prevent mass shootings."

Since the Sandy Hook massacre in November in which 20 children and six adults were killed, American politicians and lobbyists have been pointing the finger at violent video games as the catalysts for the countless massacres that have occurred in the US over the last 50 years.

(visit the link for the full news article)

You have got to be kidding me.

It's almost like they think we are too dumb to notice that they are running a complete scam. I want to see every dollar accounted for in the MSM. Guarantee that will not happen.

So while everyone is busy trying to figure out how to prevent another tragedy they are figuring out how to make a buck off the last one?

Are you telling me anyone is foolish enough to think these funds can't come directly from the corporations that lobby to create these messed up policies (and then get paid to clean up the aftermath)?

reply to post by Superhans


In all fairness, there is a difference between allowing Grand Theft Auto and teaching about WW2.

Other than that, I agree with you to some extent.

I also know in the back of my mind that there are those who can not handle violent video games. The same could be said for asprin... or cars for that matter.

Our nations truck drivers don't get enough sleep....but hey whats a few dead bodies when you look at the numbers?

Why did America want to break away from England?

They didn't like being ruled under King George III, didn't have any representatives, and were being taxed for everything

Read more: wiki.answers.com...

just replace king george with obama