Dumb idea: Senate wants to look at video game violence after Sandy Hook shootings

The Huffington Post is reporting that Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) wants to investigate the impact on children from playing violent video games. This comes after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings and a report that the killer, Adam Lanza may have played "Call of Duty" and "Starcraft."

But do video games cause young people to commit violent crimes? The Post report says this:

"The myth that video games cause violent behavior is undermined by scientific research and common sense," said Michael Gallagher, president of ESA, (Electronic Software Association) in 2010. "According to FBI statistics, youth violence has declined in recent years as computer and video game popularity soared. We do not claim that the increased popularity of games caused the decline, but the evidence makes a mockery of the suggestion that video games cause violent behavior."

Max Fisher at The Washington Post analyzed the 10 largest video game markets in the world and found no statistical correlation between video game consumption and gun-related killings.

Look, there is no evidence that video games cause people to commit crimes. And such actions by Congress, this time by Democrats, will have a chilling effect on the content of video games. And let's face it , video games are protected by the First Amendment. Video games did not cause the Sandy Hook elementary school shootings. The Senate has better things to do like passing an assault weapons ban.