The story about new parents Alfie Patten, 13, and Chantelle Steadman, 15, has got me thinking about an argument that a good friend of mine had regarding Australia’s lack of an R18+ rating. Below is an excerpt from a letter he wrote to Michael Atkinson:

“Your argument is that the act of participating in a video game is more harmful than viewing a violent movie. I argue that drinking alcohol or having unprotected sex (in real life) is potentially far more harmful, yet it is legal, because it is up to adults to choose for themselves and it is up to parents to do their job and educate their children. It is NOT up to you to put a blanket ban across anything that disagrees with your sensibilities.”

If a 16 year old boy and girl, still in school, wanted to go about having a baby, they could. If they wanted to go about raising a child that will live for 80 years, they could. If they wanted to create a human being that would grow up to go to school, get a job and have their own family, they could. Why can’t I, as an adult, choose to play an R rated videogame?

Fuck it. I say let kids play the R rated games. Perhaps then it will stop them from having sex. I know staying up ‘til all hours of the morning playing Grand Theft Auto never got me laid. Ever.

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