Ever since the tragic shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut last month,
American politicians have been scrambling to concoct new legislation in an attempt to
stem the tide of these violent outbursts.
Today, President Barack Obama revealed a slew of possible actions, many suggested by a task
force headed-up by Vice President Joe Biden, including a series of suggestions to Congress.
As pointed out by the Washington Times, embedded in his suggestions to Congress is the requested
allocation of $10 million to study violent media.
However, it’s not as significant as it may seem, with the Times noting that “President
Obama’s pushback against gun violence focuses heavily on new firearms restrictions and on
mental health, but video games and movies – two cultural issues that many Americans
blame for violence – get little attention.”
The requested money amounts to, in governmental terms, an incredibly paltry sum.
The American government spends over $10 billion dollars per day.
Nonetheless, should Congress vote to allocate $10 million to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, the group will be able to undertake a study “investigating the relationship
between video games, media images, and violence.”
But here’s the important part, according to the Times: “…overall, the White House
said that while limiting guns is the role of the government, controlling what Americans
see in movies and games is best left to parents.”
With Congress at an impasse over the debt ceiling, it’s unclear whether the Republican-controlled
House of Representatives and the Democrat-controlled Senate will agree to any of Obama’s suggestions,
nonetheless this one.
However, we’ll keep you posted if and when legislation is officially drafted and sent
to Congress.
For more video game news, stay tuned to IGN.