+1 for anyone saying that guns don't kill people people kill people.
+1 for anyone saying that gaming systems are poor replacements for real parenting.
+1 for anyone saying that gaming systems create indifference to violence and violent situations.
+1 for anyone saying that often this argument or do video games cause violence is used to pass the blame to the game manufacturer from the irresponsible parent.
But also IMO the game manufacturers should have the right to sell the games. In any free society people should be allowed to do what they want to them selves or anyone willing to accept the price, whether that price is monetary, physically, or psychologically based. As long as they are not doing harm to others, or property that should be there personal choice to an extent. When you start to regulate and legislate the morality of the people bad things always happen. People look to laws and legislation too often an have to realize that the power to the change the world only lies within your own hands in most cases. This quote is from the Simpsons episode "the Springfield Connection" where Marge becomes a police officer seems to fit quite well.
Lisa Simpson: Mom, I know your intentions are good but aren't the police the protective force that maintains the status quo for the wealthy elite? Don't you think we ought to attack the roots of social problems instead of jamming people into overcrowded prisons?
Marge: [pauses] Look Lisa, it's McGriff, the Crime Dog!
[uses a hand puppet]
Marge: Hey, Lisa, help me bite crime, ruff, ruff!
I think we often forget that failure and change are basic parts of human nature and too quickly look to governments and corporations to sooth our fears. When really violence and criminals IMO are not a problem directly, they are a symptom. If you continue to treat symptoms, and never look for a cause you can really be doing harm, in this case to society. And i don't know if the parenting license model would work either. I know of a bunch of rich and or powerful people who basically abuse our current system of vehicle licensing, especially when most of the penalties are monetarily based. And I'm also not going to advocate the government taking peoples children. I'm not sure about everywhere in Canada, but here our BC child protection doesn't seem to be all that interested in truly protecting children.
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -- Mahatma Gandhi
I would be more worried about the effect on kids under the power of mind altering drugs and using violent video games.
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-d...-our-children/
Here is something on the marketing apparatus that sells parents and their children everything from video games to junk food.
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/consuming-kids/