Can't stop your kid from Manhunting or doing some Grand Theft Auto

Want to stop your kids from buying violent video games? A California appeals court ruled that it's against the first and fourteenth amendments to prohibit the sales of violent video games to minors.

Although research has shown that watching violent acts leads to violent tendencies (don't ask me to look up the study, it's a basic thing in developmental psychology. I promise), which has been the backbone argument against letting kids play Mortal Kombat and GTA, it also does clearly inhibit letting youths make their own choices.

Yeah, that's really callous in one sense- let Johnny shoot his eye out to learn how not to play with shooty toys, but let's be real for a second: kids play war, kids play Cowboys and Indians (maybe. or maybe they play Space Marines and Aliens or something now), kids have pretty vivid imaginations (or at least I did, maybe kids don't have those anymore). Giving kids violent video games, or video games in general, allows kids to act out in a safe fantasy environment. Blocking kids from a safe fantasy environment to learn about violence (or merely see it acted out, as I don't learn much from watching Dante of Devil May Cry fame get impaled by demonic scythes and then punch a guy's head off) forces children to learn through real world experience only. Additionally, it's not that hard for parents to establish a safe environment for a child. They will learn about these things one way or another, be it through video games, television, newspapers, movies, other children, school, or a drive-by shooting on the block. The safety of the home and the educated gaze of a parent should (emphasis on should) be the best learning environment for a child. Learning fantasy from real? Just as important. Video games allow this.

But yeah, video games are ruining America or something. Whatever.