(CSTV U-WIRE) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The debate over restricting sales of the wildly popular video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is absolutely misguided.

In a country where there are many other issues that need the attention of our representatives in Washington, D.C. – for example, Medicare, Social Security and homeland security – politicians like Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., are wasting our time by entering into this realm.

Whether or not you agree with the graphic content in San Andreas – many of us do not – is not the point.

The debate over whether the game should be censored, removed from stores or banished comes down to freedom of speech, freedom of communication and freedom of commerce.

However, the most important component to the issue is the responsibility that parents and guardians actually oversee and understand their children’s activities.

When an 85-year-old grandmother sues San Andreas’ producers for being “engaged in false, misleading and deceptive practices,” she is acknowledging that she had no clue of the game’s content before making a purchase. She was an uninformed consumer.

It’s widely known that games in the Grand Theft Auto series feature violence, sexuality and other risque subjects.

Sure, the company has now gone the extra mile and inserted graphic, “hidden” scenes that can be accessed by modifications and codes.

But at what point does it become the responsibility of the parents to have an idea of what their children are engaging in?

No, parents can’t be around 24 hours a day to observe everything their child does. They can, however, take an interest in their children’s activities, making sure they’re in the loop as Johnny and Janey Doe move through adolescence’s various phases.

With lawsuits like this, and several others filed against video game manufacturers in the wake of Columbine and other school shootings, it almost seems that we’re abdicating the responsibility of parenting and shoving it onto the shoulders of the federal government.

In a country where personal freedom – lower taxes, less intrusive government, an open economy – is championed, especially by the party controlling politics in Washington, it’s hypocritical to suddenly ask businesses to restrict their offerings and become concerned about the welfare of minors.

With all the fuss over the game, changing its rating to adult-oriented will only make kids want it more. And the publicity the game is receiving can only help sales.

It’s time for parents to start paying more attention to their kids – and stop blaming everyone else.

Staff Editorial

Daily Collegian (Penn State)