Oklahoma Rep. Fred Morgan: ‘Games are porn.’

Another headache-inducing law was passed through the state legislature in Oklahoma last month. Representative Fred Morgan [D], the bill's author sat down in a Q&A session with Gamespot to discuss it.

GameSpot: There's no exemption in the law for parents or guardians to give to their children a game that's been deemed inappropriately violent. I was wondering if that was the intent of the law?

Fred Morgan: I think the whole concept is just to move away from the language that's been stricken down by the courts on limiting First Amendment rights, and one of the ways behind this bill is to categorize these types of games as being similar to pornography in the sense that they are harmful to minors. So you can't really say that one group can give it to them and another group can't, so I think that is intentional. If it's illegal for an adult to give alcohol to a minor, you can't sell it to them, but you wouldn't want parents to be giving it to them, either.

GS: The amended law says any description of inappropriate violence, in any form, would be harmful to minors. The way I read that, it would mean that a game review or an editorial in a newspaper could fall under the law if it describes what's so objectionable about the game, and I'm wondering if that was part of the intent of the law.

FM: Say that again one more time. I don't see that at all, but let me make sure I understood the question.

GS: The law says that any description of inappropriate violence, and it specifies "in any form," would be harmful to minors.

FM: I have to take a look at that one. I don't know the answer to that without taking a look at it.

GS: But this wasn't intended to...

FM: I can't say that. I want to see what the actual language of the bill is and have a chance to look at it first before I give you a good response to that.

So, what Morgan is doing not only classifies M-Rated Video Games alongside ALCOHOL and PORNOGRAPHY, it also limits the ability to even distribute media about said games to minors. Later in the interview, Morgan had this to say.

"There are social issues that are bothering the American public. One of the things that came out in this debate is that we don't want Hollywood values being determined for Oklahoma."

Ah, I understand now. I'm glad Frank wants Oklahoma citizens to have good Christian values, and follow laws like 'Thou shalt not play Doom 3 on the holy day.'

posted by golden eagle on 06/07/06 at 11:22 AM