German Government To Consider Petition Filed by Gamers
German Government To Consider Petition Filed by Gamers
July 27, 2009
Who says online petitions are a waste of bandwidth?
Earlier this month, GamePolitics reported on a petition posted to the official internet forum of the Bundestag (the German Parliament) opposing a plan by Interior Ministers to ban video games "where the main part is to realistically play the killing of people or other cruel or un-human acts of violence against humans or manlike characters."
The petition passed 50,000 signatures about two weeks ago meaning the German government will be required to review and discuss its requests. Granted, this does not mean that the ban will ultimately be reversed, but it is a step in the right direction. The petition itself reads:
The German Bundestag should decide against the decision of the interior minister conference from the 5th of June, that aims for a ban of action computer games. As an adult citizen and a person eligible to vote, I beg you firmly;
To erase the irritating and discriminating term of 'killerspiele' [killer game] from political discussion.
To strengthen the trust of the public in existing national youth protection mechanics.
To improve and warrant the execution of existing laws, that ensure kids and the youth only get access to video games and computer games rating according the USK.
To support parents and educationally responsible persons in the advancement of media competence.
To promote the computer games and video games industry in Germany and especially the training of these promising professions.
Via: GameZine
Reporting from San Diego, GamePolitics Correspondent Andrew Eisen...
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Posted 11/21/09 at 10:57am
ZippyDSMlee: magic_taco:days are more specail when zippy gets up in the AM!!!!
ZippyDSMlee: magic_taco:days are more specail when zippy gets up in the AM!!!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:21am
magic_taco: ...ok...
magic_taco: ...ok...
Posted 11/21/09 at 08:16am
ZippyDSMlee: Welcome and goodmorning its zippy in the AM....wat OMG its 8:50AM!!!!
ZippyDSMlee: Welcome and goodmorning its zippy in the AM....wat OMG its 8:50AM!!!!
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:42pm
ZippyDSMlee: oh may the cute stab out your eyes, http://www.youtube.com/user/simonscat
ZippyDSMlee: oh may the cute stab out your eyes, http://www.youtube.com/user/simonscat
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:17pm
JDKJ: O.K. Suit yourself. But when you're wearing Ray-Bans, sitting on a curb with a white cane and a cup of pencils, and doing Stevie Wonder impersonations, don't say I didn't warn you.
JDKJ: O.K. Suit yourself. But when you're wearing Ray-Bans, sitting on a curb with a white cane and a cup of pencils, and doing Stevie Wonder impersonations, don't say I didn't warn you.
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:10pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No thank you I don;t want your cooties...or STDs...
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No thank you I don;t want your cooties...or STDs...
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:01pm
JDKJ: Me. I'm rehearsing the role just in case I do get dubbed Zippy The Soecnda.
JDKJ: Me. I'm rehearsing the role just in case I do get dubbed Zippy The Soecnda.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:59pm
DarkSaber: Wait, is that meant to be Zippy, me or you?
DarkSaber: Wait, is that meant to be Zippy, me or you?
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:49pm
JDKJ: I cud caer lez. =^^= *wakes up in mid-afternoon after staying up until 3:00AM soldering resistors on to circuit boards, stumbles around in formerly white but now grey underwear, while simultaneously scratching groin with vigor and making coffee*
JDKJ: I cud caer lez. =^^= *wakes up in mid-afternoon after staying up until 3:00AM soldering resistors on to circuit boards, stumbles around in formerly white but now grey underwear, while simultaneously scratching groin with vigor and making coffee*
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:46pm
DarkSaber: knell? Don't you mean Neil? Anymore of tht and I'll dub thee Zippy The Soecnda
DarkSaber: knell? Don't you mean Neil? Anymore of tht and I'll dub thee Zippy The Soecnda
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:44pm
JDKJ: Now, now, Saber. Don't be salty. You weren't the first one to knell and bob and you ain't gonna be the last one, either.
JDKJ: Now, now, Saber. Don't be salty. You weren't the first one to knell and bob and you ain't gonna be the last one, either.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:42pm
DarkSaber: JD's feeling rather desperate it seems.
DarkSaber: JD's feeling rather desperate it seems.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:33pm
JDKJ: C'mon, Zip. You already touch yourself way too much. Spread the love. Before you go blind.
JDKJ: C'mon, Zip. You already touch yourself way too much. Spread the love. Before you go blind.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No and I ain't touching any part of you or your friends!! :P
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No and I ain't touching any part of you or your friends!! :P
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:25pm
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Lik Mitaint?
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Lik Mitaint?
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
ZippyDSMlee: neill and bob,oldest giveing head joke and most lamest...
ZippyDSMlee: neill and bob,oldest giveing head joke and most lamest...
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
JDKJ: But thanks for the memory. MIB's a classic. *sings* "Here come the Men in Black. Galaxy defenders. Here come the Men in Black. They won't let you remember."
JDKJ: But thanks for the memory. MIB's a classic. *sings* "Here come the Men in Black. Galaxy defenders. Here come the Men in Black. They won't let you remember."
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:for the record I told you you can suck your own dck.
ZippyDSMlee: JD:for the record I told you you can suck your own dck.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:07pm
JDKJ: Naw, man. That's Mueedeegiaap and Bob. And you can stop bobbing. I got Zippy bobbing now, too.
JDKJ: Naw, man. That's Mueedeegiaap and Bob. And you can stop bobbing. I got Zippy bobbing now, too.
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:56pm
DarkSaber: OH I get it now! It's Men In Black quote! The twins that run the comm centre in HQ.
DarkSaber: OH I get it now! It's Men In Black quote! The twins that run the comm centre in HQ.
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Comments
First... naw, just kidding. Good, hopefully cooler heads will prevail. Looks like video games are a fair target scape goat everywhere in the world, but at least some countries will engage its populace in open dialogue.
Wow.
Well, it may have worked in Germany, but I guarantee valve still doesn't give a shit that all those entitled bratty children are signing that other petition.
Wow, you sure know how to miss the point of this article.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
now doesn't that feel good. It's great to see gamers rally together and give the government a lesson.
Hopefulyl germany will back down from it's Ever increasing facist game policy. I can't help but think that if we could do something similiar in the Us, with are larger number of gamers, we could have a major impact on the poltical side of things in the us. Maybe even get a law passed making it illegal to try and ban video games.
I can only hope that we take a little lesson from this as gamers. We have a voice. We need to learn to use it.
Yukimura is still here. "When he's at his best, he's little less then a man, and when he's at his worst, he's little more then a beast." W.S
We don't need a law that would stop people from trying to ban games. We already have something way better than that. It is called Constitutional rights to free speech granted to us by the First Ammendment to the Constitution.
What wee need are politicians willing to accept Judicial Precedence on it.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
Good luck with that it seems they're only interested in it if it fits in with their ideology, which might be why we still get attempts to ban flag-burning.
I don't agree with all precedent though there's a few cases I think the courts royally screwed up on in terms of 1st amendment protections. Mainly the Bong Hits 4 Jesus case and the one that allows the FCC to still exist.
----------------------------------------------------
Debates are like merry go rounds. Two people take their positions then they go through the same points over and over and over again. Then when it's over they have the same positions they started in.
I hope they look at the petition and know that gamers do not want a overall ban on violent games and decide not to. :)
Good job gamer citizens of germany.
Hopefully if the gamers views pass,maybe we should start trying to do almost the same thing here.
___________________________________
Butter Toast
Great job gamers of germany, keep the pressure on your goverment.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
Who says online petitions are a waste of bandwidth?
I do. Some time ago a petition protesting a proposed internet filtering law was signed by over 130000 people. It did nothing. The law was passed a few weeks ago anyway, it's planned to go into force in August. The petitions committee announced, that it won't even hear the petition until after the elections next fall, when the law will have been in effect for months.
Getting 50000 people to sign your petition means, that you get to talk to the committee. It doesn't mean that anyone will actually listen, and it doesn't even mean you get to talk to them at a point where someone listening to you could still make a difference. These petitions are pointless. And yet I can already see our politicians on TV in September, lamenting the low voter turnout and increasing disinterest of young people in politics, all the while wondering about the reasons.
You're referring to the internet censorship bill. Yes, a petition opposing the bill garnered 130,000 signatures, was heard by the gov't, and still passed. But, like I said in the article: "Granted, this does not mean that the ban will ultimately be reversed, but it is a step in the right direction."
Andrew Eisen
OMG, he's having a stroke! Someone call 911!
Won't someone think of the children!
Saying that Jack Thompson is impotent is an insult to impotent men everywhere. They've got a whole assortment of drugs that can cure their condition; Jack, however...
He said he's Germany's favourite writer ;)
I'm particularly fond of the line about "media competence".
Problem is, it won't be judged by things like 'common sense' or 'intelligence' and the other faculties than normal human beings use, because things like 'political leverage' and 'pleasing the lowest common denominator' will always come first to politicians.
So if German politicians decide that the political advantage outweighs common sense, then common sense will inevitably be ignored.