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Reader Comments (48)

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 1:56PM NuttyBalls said

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Joystiq, u are frickin awesome!

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:01PM Assmar said

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@NuttyBalls

Agreed; brilliant.
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 1:57PM Entegy said

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Well that was awesome.

Also nice to see that the case seems to already be in the favour of common sense.

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 1:59PM Dismissile said

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Nice. I'm glad they seem to understand the implications of what is being proposed by trying to ban violent video games.

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:01PM Tapejara said

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I love how Morazzini literally just got owned by the court.

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 4:08PM A Sandwich said

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@Tapejara

Literally? Holy shit! The court just purchased Morazzini? That is awesomely unconstitutional!
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 4:50PM Crayola Q Pants ESQ said

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@A Sandwich
Is there any way to possibly give you four hearts? You need as many as you can for that one.
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 4:51PM Tapejara said

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@A Sandwich

Considering a sandwhich just replied to my comment, I think just about anything is possible.
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Posted: Nov 3rd 2010 9:30AM Kiichi said

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@A Sandwich

http://xkcd.com/725/
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:01PM Mr Numeros said

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When did Scolia get traded to the Bucks? Man that's gonna mess up my fantasy league...

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:08PM vidguy said

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@Mr Numeros

That's Alito. Good thing he's on my bench right now.
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 3:26PM AtomicPlayboy said

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@vidguy On your "bench"? Brilliant!
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 4:08PM vidguy said

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@Mr Numeros

I got a million of em. Most law-school humor is fairly bland, though.
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:02PM CaptNink said

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LOL! I love it!

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:03PM vidguy said

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It's really a funny read. This is such a "slam dunk" case for unconstiutionality, the justices are just having fun with it now.

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 3:25PM BigE4284 said

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@(Unverified)

Examples?
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Posted: Nov 3rd 2010 8:43AM MowDownJoe said

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@BigE4284 Umm... corporations are legally people in the US? Hear of that ruling? Now entire political campaigns can be funded by... I dunno... Carl's Jr, to throw out an Idiocricy reference.
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Posted: Nov 3rd 2010 9:52AM vidguy said

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@MowDownJoe

Corporations have long been consider separate legal persons under standard corporate law. Granted, allowing them to support campaigns is a concerning mix of politics and commercialism, but it isn't completely radical.

Corporations already could: enter contracts binding only on the corporation rather than its owners; exercise human rights against individuals, or be sued for human rights violations; be convicted of criminal offenses; be responsible for taxes separate from their shareholders and board of directors, etc. If corporations can be responsible for taxes and criminal offenses like an individual citizen, why shouldn't they be allowed to exercise a citizen's right to support political candidates?
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:03PM PuckMercury said

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I am beyond impressed and appreciative that not only did the newcomers see this as absurd, but then the crusty red members were lining up to trounce this. Simply awesome.

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 3:31PM Burritoclock said

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@PuckMercury The "crusty red" members of the court are the ones most likely to strike down this law. It is a myth that only republicans are for these things, and there is a mountain of evidence.
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:05PM Pratfall said

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I think they grilled the Mr. Smith harder that Mr. Morazzini. I think they will rule the law unconstitutional but some of their language when questioning Mr. Smith was pretty harsh.

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:08PM PuckMercury said

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@Pratfall

As it should be. The fact that this legislation is in any way associated with Arnold casts all the hypocritical light required to fully reveal this as absurd. He has stared in some of the most violent movies ever, yet this is somehow different?
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:10PM vidguy said

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@Pratfall

The lawyers have plenty of time to present their arguments in writing (briefs). Oral argument is mention to dissect the case on its pivotal issues. The Court wants clear answers to its concerns - harsh language may be necessary for a squirrely attorney who just repeats the same arguments from the brief.
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:20PM Pratfall said

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@Pratfall Of course, I'm not being critical of the court, they need to do what they need to do. I was surprised by some of their hyperbole when it came to boiling down violent video game content.
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:08PM Protege420 said

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LOL! BOOM SHAKA-LAKA i about pee'd my pants

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:14PM copa said

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JUSTICE SCALIA: You should consider creating such a one. You might call it the California office of censorship. It would judge each of these videos one by one. That would be very nice.

JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR: THREAD WINNAR!

JUSTICE ROBERTS: SCALIA PWNS THE INTERNEHT!

JUSTICE THOMAS: Who put pubic hair on my Coke?

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:14PM BananaBoat said

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Some of the quoted justices are what some people would call "liberal, activist, freedom hating" justices, and even they aren't buying California's BS. If the "conservative" justices are true to their purported beliefs, I can't imagine any outcome other than the law being struck down as unconstitutional.

Then again, I never underestimate the ability of a human being to make a hypocrite of themselves, and until that final judgment is in, I'll be holding my breath.

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:40PM Trojan said

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I have a feeling that gamers are going to be happy with the Supreme Court decision.

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:54PM incognit000 said

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I'd like to see what they have to say about the other side of the argument too. I mean, the SCOTUS is /always/ hard on /both/ sides, that's their job. Are they giving the pro-gaming side the same kind of treatment?

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 4:03PM vidguy said

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@incognit000

Read the transcripts - they grill the pro-gaming side just as harshly.
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 2:58PM reson8er said

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Joystiq has these small flashes of brilliance, that keep me coming back. Very well done McElroy, now go finish Nier and give is a real score.

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 3:00PM supersonic124 said

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@reson8er
and give us a edit button too.
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 3:06PM Chumm said

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This decision never had a chance, and it was a waste of time and money to campaign for it either way. That said, like so many SCOTUS decisions lately it could come down to a 5-4 decision with Scalia the deciding vote. He's a conservative but a strict constitutionalist so he wouldn't let this fly, but look at the votes against if you want to know why some of the supreme court appointees are so scary (Alito, Roberts, Breyer, Thomas)

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 3:32PM Burritoclock said

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@Chumm No one will ever come back to this thread and see how completely wrong and opposite to reality your post will prove to be, and that makes me sad.
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 3:41PM Captain Underpants said

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Schwarznegger should lose his job for this ridiculous farce. If it wasn't for violence in the media, he wouldn't be where he is today. Go back to lifting things Arnie, it's all your feeble mind is capable of.

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 5:02PM The Deuce said

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@Captain Underpants
Seriously. It's funny to see him attacking "violence in the media" now that he no longer profits from it.
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 3:42PM SHADO1980 said

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Scalia is generally a dickhead, but I think he definitely asked the right questions in this case. Strict constructionism does have its place.

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 3:51PM Duke said

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@SHADO1980
Actually, my wife and I met him and he's pretty nice. He jumps into the arguments though and presses. I want my judges to do that in the Supreme Court. This is the big time and you have to hit them hard and push the issues through.

Also, his opinions are usually pretty damn well written.
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 4:04PM vidguy said

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@SHADO1980

I met him a few weeks ago. He definitely says what he wants to. Pretty cool guy.
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 5:01PM The Deuce said

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@SHADO1980
Why do we use terms like "constructionism" in the first place? Do we really need a word to describe interpreting a document to mean what it means? Like, is there a special name for the theory that the Sherlock Holmes stories are about an English detective, and not about a talking spider saving a pig? Do we need any special terms to describe the alternative, other than "severely lacking in reading comprehension"?
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 5:25PM SHADO1980 said

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@The Deuce
Sadly, not every eventuality could be foreseen by the drafters of the constitution. This requires our judges to look a little beyond the document. This is where Scalia often comes up short, trying to shoehorn some concepts that are completely beyond the scope of the document into a strict construction of the written words. The mind often has to take a leap, and some people's limited intellect can't do it.
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Posted: Nov 3rd 2010 12:34PM The Deuce said

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@SHADO1980
Can you give an example?
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Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 3:57PM The Deuce said

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That first pic is Alito, not Scalia.

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 4:20PM EgoPoisoning said

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This made my morning...which starts in the afternoon.

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 7:12PM twistedbee said

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that was fantastic! They never had a chance.

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 7:15PM Mr Khan said

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There is one thing the Roberts court is pretty unified on, and that's free-speech issues

Posted: Nov 2nd 2010 9:36PM okpop said

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Oh no you guys missed the money exchange in the closing arguments! Don't know why but it seems the stenographer didn't get the amicus brief on K's from Midway. Not iconic enough I guess?

JUSTICE KAGAN: You think Mortal Combat is prohibited by this statute?

MR. MORAZZINI: I believe it's a candidate, Your Honor, but I haven't played the game and been exposed to it sufficiently to judge for myself.

JUSTICE KAGAN: It's a candidate, meaning, yes, a reasonable jury could find that Mortal Combat, which is an iconic game, which I am sure half of the clerks who work for us spend considerable amounts of time in their adolescence playing.

JUSTICE SCALIA: I don't know what she's talk about.

******************************************************************************
Tim Kitzrow: OH SHES HEATING UP!!!
******************************************************************************

MR. MORAZZINI: Justice Kagan, by candidate, I meant that the video game industry should look at it, should take a long look at it. But I don't know off the top of my head. I'm willing to state right here in open court that the video game Postal II, yes, would be covered by this act. I'm willing to guess that games we describe in our brief such as MadWorld would be covered by the act. I think the video game industry

-JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR: Would a video game that portrayed a Vulcan as opposed to a human being, being maimed and tortured, would that be covered by the act?

MR. MORAZZINI: No, it wouldn't, Your Honor, because the act is only directed towards the range of options that are able to be inflicted on a human being.

Posted: Nov 3rd 2010 6:53AM stafa said

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Oh no! Bugs Bunny is going to be banned! :O :(

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