Michigan Democrats Back 25 To Life Boycott

The Detroit News newspaper has reported that Democrats in the Michigan State House have chosen to support a boycott of Eidos Interactive’s 25 to Life by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The fund claim that the game encourages players to kill police offers and has collected more than 220,000 signatures protesting its release. Prior to the decision to support the boycott, House Democrats held media events in Adrian, Lansing, Milan, Monroe, Port Huron, Royal Oak and Sault Ste. Marie, each involving an announcement from a police or sheriff’s department representative. “In many cases, this game will land in the hands of our kids - who are already bombarded by violence," House Minority Leader Dianne Byrum, said at the Lansing event. "Violence in the virtual world infects our children in the real world." As with many U.S. states, Michigan lawmakers recently attempted to pass legislation to bar retailers from selling or renting violent video games to minors, but the law was successfully blocked by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) who alleged that it was “constitutionally vague” and limited First Amendment rights.