One of the Democratic representatives in Illinois explained why he would like to ban games such as Grand Theft Auto.

We’re not in 2006 (because back then, Jack Thompson happened to achieve the same result…), we’re in 2021, which is why Marcus C. Evans Jr.‘s proposed legislation surprised us. He wanted to ban violent video games with it, naming Grand Theft Auto V as one of the examples. Why did he want to achieve this? He explained his answer in an interview with Spiel Times.

Evans claims that the bill’s purpose is to raise questions about the impact of violent video games, and it wants to encourage a debate over potential steps that could be taken to lessen their impact. He is particularly concerned about violence on the streets of Chicago (which makes sense: he is the representative for Chicago’s Burnside and Chatham suburbs).

Spiel Times pointed out multiple studies (including one by the American Psychological Association) that have found no meaningful correlation between violent video games and crime. However, Evans dismissing the findings, as he takes issue with studies using limited samples and control groups. Bizarrely, he suggested that the findings are unreliable because researchers didn’t study the potential impact of violent video games on „all the young men in Chicago.”

„They only studied a limited sample, and that study could be correct, but that study doesn’t stop the conversation that we’re having. We know that everything we intake affects us. I know music affects me, food affects me, my relationships affect me, and maybe the violent games are affecting us. Or maybe it’s not, and that is a part of why we have the conversation – maybe we’re at a point where we say 100% that it doesn’t and we can be in agreeance, and then we can focus on the things that would help against violence and invoke the gaming community to be a part of helping solve violence in my community and other issues,” Evans said.

*checks calendar* March 11, 2021 – are you sure we’re not in 2006?

Source: PSL