THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

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

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

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.