The court ruled 7-2 in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association (Case No. 08-1448) that the state’s attempt to shield young people from violence in video games violates the First Amendment guarantee of free speech. Writing for the majority, Justice Antonin Scalia said the high court had never permitted government to restrict violent speech directed to minors. From the bench, he noted that children and teenagers are exposed to violence in literature from a very young age, ranging from Grimm’s Fairy Tales to high school reading lists that include Homer’s Odyssey and William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. “In truth, the California act is the latest is a long series of failed attempts to censor violent entertainment for minors,” Scalia said, citing past efforts to restrict dime novels, movies, comic books, and music lyrics.
High Court Strikes Down Calif. Law on Violent Video Games – The School Law Blog – Education Week The comments section signals a divide.