Boston Mayor: GTA Subway Ads "Hiding Behind First Amendment"

November 24, 2006 -

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is not pleased with the refusal of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority to remove ads for GTA Vice City Stories from its subway cars.

As reported by the Boston Herald, Menino accused the agency and its head, Daniel Grabauskas, of "hiding behind the First Amendment." The mayor said:

These ads are outrageous. The MBTA is a public entity and has a responsibility to protect the public from being bombarded by violent images.

To hide behind the First Amendment is despicable. We are talking about games that promote killing prostitutes, shooting police officers. So what if the ACLU is going to get mad? The MBTA is a public entity and the public is my first concern.

Menino was among those who signed a letter to the transit authority recently, demanding removal of the ads. Grabauskas told the Herald the MBTA has no legal authority to regulate ad content and pointed out that the agency spent over a million dollars in legal fees a few years ago in a failed attempt to block ads promoting a change in marijuana laws. The MBTA boss said:

As offensive as I, or any MBTA person, may find this particular game, we do not have the legal authority to remove it. The content on whatever is being advertised, whether it be a video game, a movie, a music album, a Web site, is not something we are allowed to be concerned about.

Posted in

Comments

Submitted by Gray17 (not verified) on Fri, 11/24/2006 - 20:57.

Personally, I got to give Mr. Grabauskas a lot of points on this one. Is he doing this to back videogames, and fight censorship? No. Is he doing this because it's the sane thing to do? Yes.

The MBTA has a contract to run the ads. Pulling them would be both illegal, and a breach of contract. Mr. Grabauskas and his staff considered the issue when it came up and went "Can we legally pull this? No. Will attempting to do so anyways, just because we or others might find them offensive, waste money? Yes. Answer don't pull them." And Mr. Grabauskas further realized that this was just a bunch of scapegoating and political maneuvering, and as such tossed some barbs of his own back point out some the hypocracy.

It's refreshing in any context to see someone doing what is legal and reasonable and standing up for that, instead of falling in with the knee jerk crowd rather than make waves.

Submitted by BearDogg-X (not verified) on Fri, 11/24/2006 - 21:17.

The mayor of Boston is nothing more than a crybaby.

How pathetic.

Submitted by CyberSkull (not verified) on Sat, 11/25/2006 - 06:05.

If it wasn't for the first amendment, he would not be able to complain about the first amendment.

Submitted by Terminator44 (not verified) on Sat, 11/25/2006 - 09:03.

@Cyberskull

Actually, if there was no Constitution, then these politicians could do whatever the hell the want, because they would be above the law. That's why politicians like Menino hate the Bill of Rights. It was designed to make sure that they work FOR the people, not the other way around.

Submitted by Tyetheczar (not verified) on Sun, 11/26/2006 - 20:37.

@bissel:
Now THAT's what I'm talking about. Good way to give them the barebones facts oy! GREAT EFFORT!

Submitted by illira kallo (not verified) on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 17:26.

Hiding behind the first amendment? You mean people shouldn't do that? I'm sorry, could someone please explain to me why we have a first amendment if we're not supposed to use it.

Submitted by 6db68f2ebbbf (not verified) on Fri, 05/09/2008 - 07:02.

6db68f2ebbbf...

6db68f2ebbbf13209111...

Shout box

Technogeek: If the developer were male there wouldn't have been a "conversation" in the first place.10/19/2014 - 2:27am

Monte: trolls are just at their absolute worst when it comes to women and feminist. You could bet good money that if the developer were male the trolls would be silent and the conversation would actually focus on the journalism.10/18/2014 - 9:18pm

Monte: Papa: Not the first time we've had a journalism scandals before, but the harassment never got close to this level; the difference with this scandal is that feminists are involved. Without the feminist angle, their would be A LOT less harrassment10/18/2014 - 9:15pm

Papa Midnight: Monte: That's honestly rather short-sighted. As has been proven with other persons who have been targeted, if it wasn't Quinn, it would be someone else.10/18/2014 - 6:26pm

Avalongod: I think that's part of what gives an esoteric news story like this real life...it taps into a larger narrative about misogyny in society outside of games.10/18/2014 - 3:29pm

Avalongod: @Monte, well the trolls made death threats that came to police (and media attention). I think this is tapping into a larger issue outside of games about how women are treated in society (like all the "real rape" stuff during the last election)10/18/2014 - 3:28pm

Wonderkarp: Zippy : Havent tried the PS4 controller. might later.10/18/2014 - 2:37pm

Monte: Seirously, If Quinn was not involved and GG was instead about something like the Mordor Marketing contracts, the trolling would have never grown so vile and disgusting. There have been plenty of movements in the past that never sufferred from behavior..10/18/2014 - 1:57pm

Monte: We have seen scandel's before but the trolling has never been as vile as what we see with GG. Trolls usually have such a tiny voice you can barely notice them, but its like moths to a flame whenever femistist are involved.10/18/2014 - 1:53pm

ZippyDSMlee: Wonderkarp: You might be able to if you had a PS4 controller.10/18/2014 - 1:00pm

MaskedPixelante: http://store.steampowered.com/app/327940/ Night Dive starts charging for freeware.10/18/2014 - 12:21pm

Matthew Wilson: the sad thing is there are trolls on both sides of this. people need to stop acting like their side is so pure.10/18/2014 - 12:19pm

MechaTama31: So, only speak out on a scandal that hasn't attracted trolls? I wouldn't hold my breath...10/18/2014 - 10:49am

Monte: I feel like GG just needs to die. The movement is FAR to tainted by hatred and BS for it to be useful for any conversation. Let GG die, and then rally behind the NEXT gaming journalism scandal, and start the conversation fresh.10/18/2014 - 10:33am

quiknkold: and we dont have a Dovakin to call a cease fire10/17/2014 - 7:37pm

quiknkold: The whole thing is Futile. Both sides are so buried deep in their trenchs that there isnt a conversation. Its just Finger Pointing, Name Calling, Doxxing, Threats. there needs to be a serious conversation, and GG isnt it.10/17/2014 - 7:37pm

quiknkold: I thought it was a good article. Jeff is right. I feel like GamerGate did destroy its message. I am for Ethics in game journalism, but man. so much hate. and its on both sides. I've seen some awful stuff spewed on twitter. Its a big reason why I exited..10/17/2014 - 7:34pm

Matthew Wilson: while he focused on gg, he did call out both sides crap.10/17/2014 - 7:18pm

Papa Midnight: That was a damn good read offered by Jeff Gertsmann.10/17/2014 - 7:17pm

Matthew Wilson: http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/letter-from-the-editor-10-17-2014/1100-5049/ deferentially a nice write up.10/17/2014 - 6:44pm

All shouts

<< Return To Top

Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :