Well, I see where the movie industry has made some overtures to address America's expectation to share a degree of responsibility for the violence plaguing our culture; welcome new and more specific 'movies content-ratings!' I suppose the movie makers and parents can now feel comfortably smug..
Should the reader detect a bit of haughtiness in my attitude towards such poppycock, so BE IT! We Americans pretend with the best of God's people. I think that our commercial-advertisement indoctrination has us on the perpetual cusp of 'tell me more, tell me more, tell me more!' Whereas the intent of the movie makers may have substance the fact of acting upon these 'new' film ratings and any desired positive outcomes therein is predicated upon the notion that parents will PARENT!! Please don't hold your breath.
Sometime ago, my parents' generation, the one Tom Brokaw references as the 'greatest generation,' dared to tell we children, "You are to be seen and not heard and you will do what I tell you to do." I never doubted for a moment that my parents loved me and likewise I never thought for a moment that they worshiped me; this parenting attitude left little confusion in my life and gave me balance. Over time, a parade of child advocates began telling us that we were doing a harmful injustice to kids by not listening to them and considering the child's "feelings." In a brief matter-of-time a larger question would become problematic and it remains unanswerable today; 'Who is In Control?'
My 13-year-old triplet grandsons have an 8th Grade Formal Dance soon. Many college age students flood the sunny shores of the South in an expression of some self-ascribed rights-of-passage in the annual 'spring-break rituals.' The parking lots of most high school facilities will find later model automobiles in the student section than that of the faculty section; bet on it. If school age kids don't wish to sweat and take showers after a demanding physical education class, then we shall make no such requirements and instead, we shall blame McDonald's menu for child obesity. If our kids dislike home work we will chastise the teacher who has those expectations and if our athletes wish not to be 'yelled' at, we can dismiss that mentor.
Who are we crapping with this 'new' movie-ratings system?? The children will make the final choice; after all, we must entertain and listen to our youngsters' thoughts, desires and feelings. Actually, I am positive that my grandchildren are mature and responsible enough to negotiate the middle-school 'formal' dance and no doubt they will be trustworthy to make good choices on college spring-break moments. I'm not sure that my neighbor's grandkids are ready for these experiences.
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