Today the Supreme Court denied the State of California the right to ban the sale of violent video games to minors. Backed by Senator Leland Yee, the proposed bill was declared a violation of minors’ First Amendment rights. Will this mean that 14-year olds can now get into R-rated movies?

The ban was shot down in a 7-2 vote. According to SFist, ” [Justice Antonin] Scalia wrote that the state shouldn’t be allowed to, “restrict the ideas to which children may be exposed,” before going on to cite several gory fairy tales that we regularly subject our children to. ”

While I agree with the Court’s decision, I find Scalia’s reasoning a little hypocritical as parents and society and the state are constantly restricting the ideas to which children are exposed. For example, censored lyrics on rap albums, R-rated and PG-13-rated movies, age-requirements for certain web sites, etc.

Perhaps this decision will re-open the censorship debate. And maybe this will mean that Sen. Leland Yee can go back to fighting for his right to eat sharks?

For more, go here.

Photo credit: Geek.com

• Tag: Ban, california, censorship, legal, minors, Supreme Court, video games, violence