Pennsylvania Attorney General Comments Favorably on ESRB, Console Controls

March 23, 2007
According to a press release issued by Microsoft, Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett (R) has issued comments supportive of video game industry efforts to keep younger players away from inappropriate video game content.

Corbett's remarks were cited as Microsoft's Safety is No Game. Is Your Family Set? bus tour rolled into Philadelphia today. The Attorney General said:
Parental controls and the video game rating system are important tools that parents can use to help ensure their children don't access inappropriate digital entertainment. I urge all parents and caregivers to visit the Web site of the 'Is Your Family Set?' campaign to learn more about what they can do to help protect their children.

By GamePolitics' count, Corbett becomes the third state attorney general to publicly support the ESRB system. Others included Utah A.G. Mark Shurtleff and Georgia A.G. Thurbert Baker, both of whom appeared in televised public service announcements.
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Comments

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight (not verified) on Sat, 03/24/2007 - 10:10.
Might I add to my previous comment that we also like to bash and trash those who put video games and gamers in a bad light.

If we want to be taken seriously, many of us need to grow up and think of these things as the politicians would.

Submitted by PyroHazard (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2007 - 20:08.
Haha. What? Leslie Nelson became the AG of Pennsylvania? Since when?

Submitted by ~the1jeffy (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2007 - 15:10.
I had the distinct pleasure of reading an article online that quoted AG Corbett. The article was about an initiative to educate parents about video games rating and parental controls. I was happy to read Mr. Corbett’s comments, because so often my governmental officials, both in my native Pennsylvania and in the Federal government, do not understand video games and seek to criticize them for content. While I understand many people’s concern over violent or sexual content getting in the hands of children, it is a parent’s right and responsibility to decide what is right for their own children, and not the government’s.

As I walk the path toward parenthood with my fiancée (wife in June!) in the coming years, I am glad to see an official taking a stand for empowering me to protect my children without taking away the freedoms our country was built on. Kudos are due to AG Corbett and his clarity of thought in the middle of a heavily politicized and murky issue. I wish him all the best of luck in his career, and hope to see his continued fight for parental education and empowerment.

(See these articles for the quote)

http://digital50.com/news/items/PR/2007/03/23/SFF006/is-your-family-set-...

http://gamepolitics.com/2007/03/23/pennsylvania-attorney-general-comment...

Thank you,
(Full Name)
**************************************************

Sent via email. I hope he reads it.

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2007 - 13:16.
Why is it when there is a negative article about politicians and antigame bills, we get 100s of responses, but when there is a possitive political article, we only get a handful of responses.

Maybe that is why politicians don't take us seriously, we have no passion but to defend ourselves.

PS Thanks for writing the letter ~the1jeffy

Submitted by BmK (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2007 - 11:54.
@Terminator44

Same thing i would say. Good to see another one on our side. At least i think.

Submitted by Zero Beat (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2007 - 11:30.
@ noman

Yeah, with a little bit of Leslie Nielson.

Submitted by Dan (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2007 - 09:59.
WHAT???? A politician with common sense????? THATS IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!! Or is it????

Submitted by ~the1jeffy (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2007 - 10:05.
As a PA resident, I will be writing a supportive letter sometime today. I think it's just as important to let our government officials know when they are doing well, instead of only complaining.

Submitted by ZippyDSMlee (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2007 - 09:43.
common sense alert!!! *shock*

Submitted by DoggySpew (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2007 - 09:15.
Oh, how I love politicians with commen sense.

Submitted by noman (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2007 - 08:40.
Does anybody agree that he looks a little bit like Dean Martin.

Submitted by Terminator44 (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2007 - 06:37.
Yay, another politician who realizes that the answer is education, not legislation. :)

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2007 - 07:04.
I agree. Education is what is going to "save the children" not legislation. Legislation will just make life more complicated. IF we could just have a big pow wow with the governments and discuss this issue like civilized human beings everyone will be happy. Politicians will be able to say they are "saving the children" and the game industry will be able to produce the games tehy want to produce.

Submitted by David L. (not verified) on Thu, 12/20/2007 - 17:11.
I'm glad there's someone who's not giving into the sensationalism of Jack Thompson and other politicians who portray the videogame industry for being responsible for the "ills" of society.

I mean this is almost like 50's McCarthyism or something. Gamers need to be more vocal in what they want and how government intervention isn't always the answer (well in the case of Mr. Corbett, that is as much intervention I would want).

Kudos to Mr. Corbett and I hope many other politicians follow suit.

Submitted by download legal form (not verified) on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 12:32.
download legal form...

BoingBoing has a story about YouTube receiving a takedown notice from NBC about the Saturday Night Live skit, Lazy Sunday. What interests me here isn't that NBC wanted their video taken off YouTube, it's the reaction to this from the editors of Boing...
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