Conservative activist calls for bans on violent game sales to children

Notoriously conservative activist and constitutional attorney Phyllis Schlafly has composed a New Year's resolution list for state legislators, including a suggestion of banning the sale or other exposure of violent video games to children.

In her column at TownHall.com, Schlafly called for legislators to agree that "(t)here shall be no sale, rental or arcade-playing of extremely violent video games by children without parental consent."

Arguing for her position, the columnist noted that "parental control isn't the solution because parents typically have no way to fully review these games before giving or denying permission to their children to play them. ... parents usually don't or can't play the games."

While Schlafly's paternalistic-sounding comments have raised hackles amongst libertarians, the enforcement of age-ratings at retail is a widely accepted goal of anti- and pro-games interest groups worldwide, along with complimentary strategies such as easier access to ratings information for busy parents.

Schlafly is chiefly recognised outside US politics for her 1970's campaign against the Equal Rights Amendment, and within the US for holding a conservative line at the strictest end of the scale.