Fighting the Good Fight

Mary Schmich's column in todays' Chicago Tribune talks about moms who are working to keep small children out of R-rated movies. Two such moms have banded together to raise awareness of this issue, even creating a website, Box Office Offenders.

In my mind, this is *so* not an issue of censorship, but rather of appropriateness. It seems so common sense. As one of the moms writes, "Doesn’t forcing a 4 year old to be subjected to images of molestation, brains being blown onto walls, and cannibalism of the dead constitute as SOME form of child abuse? "

Um... YEAH.

And, if you want to look at it from a different, more self-centered point of view, should adults have the right to enjoy an evening out at a film made for adults without worrying about the 4-year-old screaming in terror next to them. Science Boy and I went to the Symphony last night and even the CSO has a policy that prohibits children under 8 years of age from attending concerts, unless it is a show planned and appropriate for children.

IT'S JUST GOOD SENSE. Just because something is appropriate for an adult does not make it appropriate for a child. I understand that adults want to see grown-up movies and I guess that's what leads to taking the kids along. But DON'T. Drop the kids off with your mom or a neighbor. Arrange a playdate with a friend (you can watch the friend's kid when he/she wants to go to an adult-appropriate film/concery). Hire the teen down the street to babysit for a few hours.

As if the world isn't hard enough... Please don't force your children to watch films that are inappropriate for them.