Bill Text: PA HR214 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Alerting the citizens of this Commonwealth about the release of "School Shooter: North American Tour 2012," strongly urging parents, guardians and others who care for children to carefully monitor their children's use of all media and encouraging retailers to refrain from selling School Shooter in their retail establishments.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-04-13 - Referred to CONSUMER AFFAIRS [HR214 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HR214-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 1545
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 214 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY CURRY, CLYMER, BENNINGHOFF, BOBACK, BOYD, BRIGGS, V. BROWN, COHEN, D. COSTA, DAVIS, FABRIZIO, FLECK, GERBER, HARKINS, HENNESSEY, HESS, KORTZ, MILLARD, MILNE, PASHINSKI, QUINN, READSHAW, SCHRODER, K. SMITH, TOEPEL, VULAKOVICH, YOUNGBLOOD AND GILLESPIE, APRIL 13, 2011
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS, APRIL 13, 2011
A RESOLUTION
Alerting the citizens of this Commonwealth about the release of
"School Shooter: North American Tour 2012," strongly urging
parents, guardians and others who care for children to
carefully monitor their children's use of all media and
encouraging retailers to refrain from selling School Shooter
in their retail establishments.
WHEREAS, "School Shooter: North American Tour 2012" is a
first-person video game developed by Checkerboard Studios that
allows players to assume the roles of the perpetrators of the
campus massacres at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech and
Northern Illinois University; and
WHEREAS, School Shooter is programmed to provide players with
weapons modeled after those used by the perpetrators of these
campus massacres and lets the player roam freely through school-
themed levels, shooting video depictions of people at will; and
WHEREAS, Given that the tragedies that took place at
Columbine and these universities are among the most horrible
acts of campus-based violence in American history, the lack of
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empathy within this game for victims, their families, friends
and other loved ones is upsetting, morally reprehensible and
disrespectful; and
WHEREAS, Though other first-person shooter video games are
available for play, the portrayal of campus-based tragedies and
the death of children and young adults as entertainment is
particularly objectionable; and
WHEREAS, The release of this excessively violent game is
generating concern among educators, school administrators, law
enforcement and suicide prevention groups; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Department of Health's Bureau of
Drug and Alcohol Programs feels the game is a serious threat to
the health and safety of students and campuses and has urged
their treatment and prevention professionals to take a formal
stand against the release of this game; and
WHEREAS, It is in the public interest of children and the
citizens of this Commonwealth to keep School Shooter and other
morally reprehensible video games out of the hands of children;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives, through this
resolution, alert parents, students, school personnel and
citizens of this Commonwealth about the release of "School
Shooter: North American Tour 2012"; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the game's
creators and distributors to cease production and distribution
of School Shooter; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives strongly
encourage parents, guardians and others to carefully monitor
their children's use of all media and encourage that they assist
in controlling the video games their children play; and be it
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further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge retailers to
better monitor and police sales and purchases of violent video
games and not to offer School Shooter for sale at their retail
establishments; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage media,
including the print and broadcast media, to inform readers and
viewers about the release and content of School Shooter; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That the General Assembly seriously consider the
establishment of a consumer education program on video and
computer games as recommended in the Joint State Government
Commission's Report of the Task Force on Violent Interactive
Video Games.
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