Lisle: No video games until you're 17!

XBox Systems could be banned in Lisle, IL

Lisle residents might want to rethink buying a video game console for their children.  The Lisle Women's Green Hat Society wants to ban children under 17 from playing any video game without parental supervision.  Any family violating this proposed ban could be fined up to $1000.

Monica Devlin, 54, says the society is merely trying to update Lisle's current video game law.

"Right now, the law requires parental supervision for children to play a coin operated game.  That's a good law, and that why we don't have any arcades in Lisle.  Yet a kid could buy an X-station, and play Postman without his parents watching him.  That's (expletive deleted.)"

Under the proposed ordinance, parents would be required to be in the same room as a child playing any video game, regarding of it's rating.  In the current version of the ordinance, parents would not be required to keep their eyes on TV screen while the game is being played.

"Our lawyer that was too restrictive."  Said Devlin.

Linda Kwalski, of the Lisle in Support of Parents group, condemned the proposed ordinance. 

"Anything that happens in my home is automatically under my supervision!  I don't need the village to tell me to monitor my child's video games.  I do that on my own.  I shouldn't be punished because I want to cook and my kids want to play video games! "

Kwalski added, "This law will force parents to spend more money on baby sitters, and this will have an adverse affect on parents.  The kids' video game time is the only chance my husband and I have to spend quality time together!"

A Lisle police officer, who asked not to be identified, said he fully supported the proposed ordinance.

"If I drive by a house, and just happen to see a kid playing videos without parental supervision, I can enter that house without a warrant.  Since I'm in there with good intentions, I can search the house because I want to make sure that the kids are OK.  Anything I find in that search is admissible.  I love this current Supreme Court!"

Devlin says that ordinance will help minors.

"Young people today are stupid!  All they do is say 'dude' and fart at their work desks.  They don't care about doing a good job.  They just want to go home and play a video game.  It's only due to age discrimination that these college graduates get better jobs than I do!"

The officer said that the current ordinance is proposed to prevent crime at arcades and to control addictive spending habits of some children.  He concedes that these issues might not be relevant in terms of home video game systems.

When The Babbler contacted Village Hall for comment, the receptionist laughed, and then hung up the phone.

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