More Calls for Study of Violence in Entertainment

Former Secretary of State James Baker and Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) wrote a joint op-ed published in the New York Times today that suggests that the National Rifle Assn. and the entertainment industry have to ease up on their defense of the status quo via the protection of the Second and First Amendments, respectively.

They write, "Absent wide support, any laws passed now might well be rescinded once the partisan balance of power inevitably shifts. A broad-based approach could also help guarantee that any legislation would survive a constitutional challenge. That means that both gun-rights activists and the entertainment industry will have to moderate their positions."

Baker and Dingell share their experiences as hunters, but they question whether society needs high capacity magazines or armor piercing bullets. But they also reference violent movies, TV shows and videogames and suggest further study on the long-term impact on children.

President Obama called for a $10 million study of videogames and media images, to be conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, in his plan to reduce gun violence.