There was a fair bit of irony in the fact that violent action movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger was the governor of California who signed into law yet another attempt at banning kids from buying violent video games. By the time the Governator got around to signing such a bill into law, at least ten states had already had similar laws thrown out as unconstitutional. Yet, in a state that is seriously bankrupt, Arnold kept spending taxpayer money on this issue. It was thrown out of the district court, and again thrown out of an appeals court. Earlier this year, however, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal on the California law. This probably is not a good thing -- seeing as the lower courts had been unanimous in tossing similar laws, so there's no clear "circuit conflict" for the Supreme Court to clear up. Still, it's difficult to see how this is not a First Amendment violation.

In preparing an amicus brief for the Supreme Court, Adam Thierer points out that it seems odd that Schwarzenegger is trying to ban kids from buying violent video games, but seems to have no problem whatsoever with kids riding violent theme park rides, including one based on his own movie, Terminator 2. As Thierer notes, the T2 ride is a hell of a lot more violent and intense than any video game:

But here's the thing about that Terminator 2 attraction at Universal Studios: it was a surprisingly intense and seriously violent experience. The show features cinematic action combined with real-life actors who run throughout the arena firing shotguns at cybernetic robots that come out of the walls or floors. During some segments of the show, water sprays the audience, smoke fills the chamber, and the seats and floors vibrate violently as battles take place on stage and on-screen. The actor hosting the show is also choked to death by a cyborg!

But, he notes, children are admitted to the ride without any kind of restriction. He points out that his kids loved this ride (and don't appear to have gone on to become violent murderous thugs). But the key point is where does the government stop putting restrictions on such things. The evidence that violent video games do any harm to kids is pretty seriously lacking -- and if the government is just banning things it finds violent, then you're going to have to include a lot more than video games. Theme park rides. Cartoons. Comic books. What else?