Very Political Day in US Today November 2, 2010

Today is Election Day in the US, which is decreed in our Constitution as the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November.  I don’t know why the guys who wrote it didn’t want it to be convenient, like on a weekend or something, but it is what it is and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be changed.

Today is also the day that the Supreme Court is going to be hearing arguments from both sides about California’s unconstitutional violent video games law, which despite being struck down by every court is now headed to the highest court in the land.  By the time I write this the hearing has already passed and has definitely made for some great reading.  It seems Justice Scalia has quite a wit about him saying such things like, “Would you Censor Grimm’s Fairy Tales?” (a fair question that has been asked more than once historically) and the other Justices seem to be on the ball asking questions about their clerks who play a lot of Mortal Kombat and what would happen to them if the law would be allowed.

Logic be damned there are no studies to equate violence in games to equally violent behavior in reality, it seems California’s sole evidence on their side is to equate games to porn and their whipping boy seems to be the game Postal 2, which has been referenced a lot by California’s side.  I’m sure the free-speech minded makers of Postal 2 are upset that their single game is being used to demean such a diverse and comprehensively succesful industry.

I seriously hope that the citizens of California, a state on the verge of bankruptcy, who make their games, record their music, produce their movies are appalled by the complete waste of money this has been for the state not just because of today’s proceedings but for the five years they have tried unsuccessfully to force passage of this illegal law.

Please note nothing is going to be resolved today this is just the beginning.  A ruling in this case will probably not be given for many months (It does take time).  Also note that just because the law has been struck down as unconstitutional in every other court below it the Supreme Court can vote differently and even some times in defiance of the Constitution (just ask the late great George Carlin).  However there have been cases where free speech has prevailed (ask Larry Flint).