US Representative seeks to ban GTA 5, but why? [Exclusive Interview]

Marcus Evans is a state representative for the US state of Illinois. He represents the 33rd district, which includes Chicago. Illinois currently has a law that prohibits minors from purchasing violent video games. As a response to the rise in carjacking and crime, Representative Evans has proposed a bill that would ban the sale of violent video games in the state, regardless of age. 

After seeing so many sensational headlines, I decided to interview the congressman to get a better picture. 

Micah: My first question is, of course, why do you want to ban Grand Theft Auto and violent video games in your state of Illinois?

Rep. Evans: Well let’s start off: I don’t want to target a particular brand. The bill was an idea to ban violent video games in general, not focusing on one, as there are a lot of video games that include violence.

The purpose of the bill is to bring up the questions: Should we have violent video games, should we censor them, and should we examine these violent video games contributing to the acceptance of violent deviant behavior. These are questions which prompted me to file the bill. Do you know what’s going on in Chicago with all of the violence?

Micah: I’ve heard, yeah.

Rep. Evans: Yeah, it’s pretty terrible, a lot of people are afraid, so because I represent these folks, I wanted to do something to invoke a conversation, which is hopefully getting folks to think about some of the issues going on in Chicago, and how we can work together to solve them.

Micah: Well, I’ve played violent video games, I’m sure you’ve played a couple, and the American Psychological Association reports that there is insufficient evidence to say that there is causation for violent video games and violent behavior, although they have found correlation to increased aggression. 

How do your observations in the youth culture of Chicago differ from what a scientific consensus might say? 

Rep. Evans: By scientific consensus, you mean it is the scientific finding from the particular studies that were done. You do a study with a particular control group and then you base your study off that group, but did they study all the young men in Chicago who could potentially be influenced by violence?

We know that that’s not the case, they only studied a limited sample. And that study could be correct, but that study doesn’t stop the enbulking conversation that we’re having. 

We know that everything we intake affects us. I know music affects me, food affects me, my relationships affect me, and maybe the violent games are affecting us. Or maybe it’s not, and that is a part of why we have the conversation – maybe we’re at a point where we say 100% that it doesn’t and we can be in agreeance, and then we can focus on the things that would help against violence and invoke The Gaming Community to be a part of helping solve violence in my community and other issues.

Interview done via Zoom

Micah: I agree that all forms of media affect us. What do you think are other factors that cause so many teens and young adults to do carjacking?

Rep. Evans: You know, poverty is one. The feeling that life is hopeless and kind of giving up on life. And people choose deviant behavior, I don’t want to just leave it at carjacking. They do them for whatever reason they do them. And that’s one reason why it made me think: maybe video games and their influence are a part of it. Maybe it’s not, but again, we don’t have the conversation so we can analyze and perhaps reject the idea of games having an effect. 

I think that’s important to discuss because every few years, every generation may think, “Hey is this affecting us?” For this time period, I think the last major conversation about this was 20 years ago. So maybe 20 years ago we found that violence was not invoked in video games. Is this still the case? Studies and research have to constantly be updated. You don’t just say that “we did a study in the year 19-something” and everything is okay. You have to constantly ensure and assess that these things aren’t having an effect on the current generation 

Micah: We have come a long way since Mortal Kombat. As for the history of video game regulation in the U.S: In 2011, California tried to restrict minors from purchasing violent video games, but the Supreme Court struck the law down. 

One year later, the current law of Illinois was passed which bans minors from purchasing violent video games. The Supreme Court has not struck the law down, but stated that prohibiting minors from buying violent video games is prohibiting free speech. 

What are your thoughts of the constitutionality and legality of the existing law of prohibiting minors from purchasing violent games as well as the amendment you’re proposing?

Rep. Evans: I think both [the current law and proposed bill] are definitely, if not directly, averse to it [the First Amendment] . They’re challenging it, but we have passed laws that have challenged constitutionality since the beginning of our history. I think as gamers we can never lose our imagination, even when it comes to the real world. A gamer dreams, a gamer thinks. I think that what is the law now is not necessarily set in stone because laws reside in a living document. 

Evans prioritizes a sense of community (pre-Covid)

You’re talking to an African-American- a hundred years ago I couldn’t even go to just a grocery store, so it’s hard for me to look at the laws and just say “that’s what it is”. We determine what the law is based on our ideals, and ultimately, it’s the people who determine the law, not the judges or lawyers. 

It’s all about the conversation with the constituents about what we want as a people. I filed the bill to listen to the people, and I think the gaming community has spoken loud against restrictions, which is why I value the conversation.

Micah: I know in other countries there’s been more regulation for video games than we have here, regarding gambling, loot boxes and also violent content. What do you think the role of the government at a federal and state level should be in regulating video games?

Rep. Evans: I think the role should be reflecting what the people want. I’m a public servant, democratically elected to reflect the interests of my constituents. If people want freedom in violent video games, then that should continue, but I think we should still have both a conversation about making sure that we maintain freedom but also some censorship in certain categories, and always analyze the impact while trying to help those who struggle. 

We know that this country’s about pulling up good people and helping folks survive. I want to save my community that’s suffering from violence. I want to protect the First Amendment, but I also want people to be all-hands-on-deck to help my community 

Micah: I’m aware that this isn’t the only way you’re trying to combat carjacking. You and Early Walker have also executed the Operation Safe Pump* recently. Can you tell me a little bit about that?

*Operation Safe Pump was passed on January 28, 2021, which hired a security firm to position over 30 guards at gas stations, a hotspot for carjacking.

Rep. Evans: The business owner and philanthropist Early Walker is a friend of mine. He’s been really spearheading the Safe Pump initiative. It is meant to communicate to the folks who want to participate in crime and deviant behavior that we are against you, and will stop you. In Springfield, I support programs to help ex-offenders, and other social services. I advocate for Criminal Justice Reform. I’m working on getting dollars for a Park District in my community and a Community Center, so this is 100% nowhere near the only thing I’ve worked on for my community. 

Chicago residents may now feel safer pumping gas.

I also think different communities can support each other. The gaming community can help in current issues such as dealing with mental health, as well as other conversations which I find important to have.

Sometimes, passing a bill isn’t a solution, but can help open a conversation, such as you reaching out to me all the way in Chicago, with the exchange of ideas helping make change for all of us.

Micah: You have also proposed a bill that concerns probation for young adults. Some details of the bill include being more lenient in terms of imprisonment and bail for young adults age 18-26, because of their “diminished culpability,” as the bill states.

Some critics might claim that this will not help the car jacking issue because you’re going soft on the age demographic that is primarily responsible for carjacking. 

How does this bill work in tandem with combating carjacking and the video game bill?

Rep. Evans: That is a very important question. I don’t believe in the phrase, “soft on crime” because that is a term used by folks who support incarceration. I’m all about “smart on crime”. We want to have very bad people incarcerated but we want to give good people the opportunity to live life.

Crime games are often consequence-free, without jail time

Our prison industrial system was created to imprison the poor and minorities. That’s just the truth, so I’m not soft on crime. You can’t drive out Darkness with more Darkness, only with Light. So if you want people to be better if you have to give them opportunities, job opportunities, and especially hope. Many people that commit crimes, other than the hardened criminals, are folks just looking for hope. I’m all about creating hope for people and good conversation. 

Micah: So how else are you looking to improve the communities where these young adults live?

Rep. Evans: It’s all about funding programs, creating more jobs, new projects, but it’s not one thing.  Everybody’s looking for one solution. If you want to get in better shape, it’s not one solution, it’s balancing your diet, your exercise, and more. All issues that I see, it’s a combination of solutions. So if you want to decrease crime, there are a lot of solutions. To attack poverty, it involves more jobs and opportunities. We need to improve the education system, and, of course, we have to work on the mental health programs.

What prompted me to file this bill is to improve the community. It hasn’t passed yet, and is still in its consideration phase, but I’m taking in all the input. Improving communities is a process, and I want to work with the gaming community to work on these issues. We should be all-hands-on-deck for helping every citizen in this country. 

Chicago has the potential to be a hub for gamers.

Micah: I see there are a lot of factors in these problems, but the headlines mainly feature your video game bill. Most of these carjackers are in my age group, and video games are a huge part of our lives. 

If you could talk directly to the Gaming Community, what would you tell them about playing games? 

Rep. Evans: Well I’m 36 and I have friends in their 40s and we still play. The gaming community is a big community, with all ages – 60-70 year olds all the way down to teens and kids. We just want to be sure that the younger gamers understand that yes, we can enjoy GTA and various games, but these are games, they’re entertainment. And we do not want to condone any of this behavior in the real world. Let’s make sure people enjoy their fantasy worlds, but only within fantasy, so we work together in reality to spread love and improve the real world with the passion of gaming. 

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There was an insurrection where people attacked the Capitol. We never want people to think that’s okay behavior. We want to keep all of that crazy behavior in the fantasy game world. A part of my mission is drawing that line, to help gamers reject bad things and support the fun in games.

Micah: And I know there’s especially a spike in carjacking crimes during this whole covid pandemic. Things are starting to seem optimistic, with some light at the end of the tunnel, so what do you hope to see in your district? 

What are your Grand Visions for the near future?

Rep. Evans: Well, getting the vaccine out of course- Making sure people can survive. There’s no plans without survival. Preservation of life is the most important. So we want folks to be healthy. I’m a cancer survivor myself, I had cancer when I was 21 years old. So, my health is important.  

So number one is stopping the spread and getting the vaccine.  

Number two is working on a robust economy. Let’s get these businesses back on, and let’s get folks back working so they can survive, pay their bills, and be in the right state of emotional and physical health.

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And then the third thing is creating more opportunities for young people to have outlets. Maybe we should have some more gaming community events going on, so gamers can have tournaments together. Let’s have more fun activities for young people so they won’t participate in deviant activities like crime and drugs. 

We don’t want people to be depressed and deviant, we want them to be happy, and maybe game is the solution. We can step up the community connection efforts to the gaming community.

Micah: Those are some hopeful aspirations. I’m glad we’re able to reach out and converse about the relationship between gamers and their community. 

Do you have any final thoughts concerning your efforts for curbing carjacking, crime and improving your community? 

Rep. Evans: I want to remind folks that my community is your community. That is what I believe. There is no separation, no lines. When I’m driving from your community to mine, I don’t see any walls, I don’t see any curtains drawn, it’s all a single community. 

We draw lines: Black Community, White Community, but it’s all one United States, and I want us to be United in solving problems.

I want The Gaming Community to be robust because we have “white members,” “old members,” but when we put on our headsets, we’re all just “Gamers”. It’s really a great community and we should be talking about Community Improvement, and matters beyond gaming.

The impact of games can be positive and negative, so it’s about how we can address those. So I’m just excited for the conversation, and I want this bill to be passed in line with the approval of our society, as we are all one.

Micah: Most importantly: What is your favorite video game? 

Rep. Evans: I mean, it’s gotta be Madden and 2K. I’m a sports fanatic. I referee high school basketball, and I have a game today so I love sports. Personally, I was never really good at first person shooter games, my friends would always snipe me out of nowhere, so I wasn’t a big shooter gamer. 

I remember playing a lot of GTA San Andreas nonstop when I was younger and the list goes on. But yeah, mostly sports, I can sit and play 2K and Madden ad nauseam if given the chance, but I’m very busy now so it’s hard for me to play a lot these days

Micah: Eh, I’m more of a Mario fan myself but I respect it.

 

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Special thanks to Representative Marcus Evans and his Legislative and Communications Assistant Brandon Heath for helping schedule this interview.

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