State Senator Leland Yee Says That Supreme Court Favored Corporate America In Violent Video Game Ruling

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Today there was jubilation in the video game community as the US Supreme Court handed down a ruling on Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association – the legal challenge to California’s legislation which banned the sale of violent video games to minors. The SCOTUS found that the California law was unconstitutional, and that video games were protected under the same First Amendment rights as books, movies and music. California State Senator Leland Yee (Dem – District 8), the man who first introduced the bill into the California State Legislature in 2005 is understandably upset at the ruling, and says it favors corporate America over children.

Senator Yee, said that the top court’s ruling on Brown v. EMA (emphasis mine):

[The Supreme Court] put the interests of corporate America before the interests of our children. As a result of their decision, Wal-Mart and the video game industry will continue to make billions of dollars at the expense of our kids’ mental health and the safety of our community. It is simply wrong that the video game industry can be allowed to put their profit margins over the rights of parents and the well-being of children.

Senator Yee is a child physiologist by trade and argued that in his professional experience at violent video games should be banned for sale from people under the age of 18. Despite that, according to the US Supreme Court’s majority opinion, written by Justice Antonin Scalia, those representing the State of California could not prove to the court that violent video games did any damage children.

It’s also sort of a moot point, considering that most retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, Gamestop, etc. will not sell violent video games to children anyway. Most gamers and those industry were afraid of the government law as it would just be needless government regulation in their industry/hobby.

Still, Senator Yee said that he hoped the long legal battle over Brown v. EMA had helped raise awareness over violent video games in the minds of parents around the United States. He said:

[I am] certain that this eight-year legislative and legal battle has raised the consciousness of this issue for many parents and grandparents, and has forced the video game industry to do a better job at appropriately rating these games.

Despite the courts striking down this legislation that Senator Yee had championed, the State Senator will be running for Mayor of San Francisco this fall.