Chicago Police Want You to Turn in Violent Video Games

This Chicago Sun Times article is on the edge of scary: Now, police officers in Chicago are offering 10% rebates on educational, non-violent toys when people turn in violent video games and toys:

Games that contain such graphic violence are the target of Wilmette police officer Dan Huck, who is asking parents and their children to turn them in today through Sunday to several participating businesses in the North Shore suburb.

As an incentive, those who turn in violent games or toys will get discounts on services and merchandise. One participant, the Kohl Children’s Museum, is offering a 10 percent discount on educational and non-violent toys featured in its store.

Huck organized the drive after after hearing a presentation on video game violence at a law enforcement convention.

“I learned that video games can desensitize children to violence,” he said. “Video games like Quake or Doom don’t teach kids how to deal with other people or how to solve problems. It just shows them that even the good guys use violence as a means to an end.”

While cities such as Indianapolis have passed legislation restricting violent video games in public arcades and Chicago is considering a similar proposal, Huck’s program is strictly voluntary and targeted at home games.

“We’re not passing judgment on these video games. They may be fine for older people, adults,” he said. “But we’re aiming at kids in fourth grade, sixth grade, junior high, who have a propensity to be highly influenced by this.”

Huck said he tried out similar games himself at an arcade. “I’ve seen these kids shoot and they’re doing better than I am and I’ve trained with a real weapon.”

This is spreading at an alarming rate, but if Chicago proposed similar legislature as Indianapolis and New Jersey, will the right of Freedom of Speech and Expression, a right guaranteed by the great US Constitution, step in? We’ll find out…