This saying is always so funny to me. That one little quote has started so many battles, legal and otherwise. Because of it we have the “Parental Advisory” sticker on music albums, we have a movie rating system, a video game rating system, and a TV rating system. We have V-chips and cyber-nannies. Our children have to be in car seats until they are practically old enough to drive. And heaven forbid they ride their bicycles without helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads.
The most interesting thing about this little seven word sentence, is that the people who are saying are the ones that usually tend to not abide by it. Think about it. Tipper Gore, purchased the Purple Rain album for her children to listen to, did she not know who Prince was or what he was doing at the time both musically and professionally? Had she not actually seen the movie Purple Rain? A grandmother sued Take Two over Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, after she purchased it for her 13 year old grandson. Had she not seen a news report? Did she not understand the M rating or the description on the package that read something like “Contains violence and sexual content. Not recommended for those under the age of 17” (paraphrased I’m sure)? What made her think that a game with the description of a felony would be suitable for her just turned teenaged grand child? And finally, there are people like Jack Thompson who take it upon themselves to go so far as to attempt to get games declared as public nuisances. This is the kind of thing that has me ask, what are these people thinking?
Really, are parents this out of touch with the world that something as simple as personal fore-thought can be tossed out the windows? Why are parents not checking the ratings on the video games. You would be surprised how many parents will not let their children watch an R-rated movie but they will let them play a video game that contains loads more of violence and sex than the R-rated movie. We have parents who are going into stores and just buying whatever their kids ask them for, and then realizing after the fact that they purchased something for their kids they should not have. Then, they have the gaul to blame the sales clerk, the retail outlet, or even the game publisher. Excuse me? You bought the game. It is not the clerk’s, retail store, or even the game maker’s responsibility to not sell you, an adult, a video game because you might let your underage children play it. I guarantee you that the sales clerk assumes, since you are purchasing the game, that you are fully aware of what you are purchasing. You are an adult, you can read, do research, ask other adults, or heaven forbid monitor your own children’s game playing.
I really want to know at what point did the parents of this country decide that thinking and parenting for themselves became a bad idea. I really want to know because it seems to be a lot of parents, interest groups, and organizations want our government to raise their children for them so they do not have to do it and if they have to something they do not want to have to think about it too much.
Parenting is a hands on job folks, if you do not want to be a hands on parent, do not have children. If you want the government to raise your children, do not have children. If you are not going to be a parent, do not have children.
[Technorati Tag: Commentary]
Michael Koby 
Will Someone PLEASE Think of the Children
This saying is always so funny to me. That one little quote has started so many battles, legal and otherwise. Because of it we have the “Parental Advisory” sticker on music albums, we have a movie rating system, a video game rating system, and a TV rating system. We have V-chips and cyber-nannies. Our children have to be in car seats until they are practically old enough to drive. And heaven forbid they ride their bicycles without helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads.
The most interesting thing about this little seven word sentence, is that the people who are saying are the ones that usually tend to not abide by it. Think about it. Tipper Gore, purchased the Purple Rain album for her children to listen to, did she not know who Prince was or what he was doing at the time both musically and professionally? Had she not actually seen the movie Purple Rain? A grandmother sued Take Two over Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, after she purchased it for her 13 year old grandson. Had she not seen a news report? Did she not understand the M rating or the description on the package that read something like “Contains violence and sexual content. Not recommended for those under the age of 17” (paraphrased I’m sure)? What made her think that a game with the description of a felony would be suitable for her just turned teenaged grand child? And finally, there are people like Jack Thompson who take it upon themselves to go so far as to attempt to get games declared as public nuisances. This is the kind of thing that has me ask, what are these people thinking?
Really, are parents this out of touch with the world that something as simple as personal fore-thought can be tossed out the windows? Why are parents not checking the ratings on the video games. You would be surprised how many parents will not let their children watch an R-rated movie but they will let them play a video game that contains loads more of violence and sex than the R-rated movie. We have parents who are going into stores and just buying whatever their kids ask them for, and then realizing after the fact that they purchased something for their kids they should not have. Then, they have the gaul to blame the sales clerk, the retail outlet, or even the game publisher. Excuse me? You bought the game. It is not the clerk’s, retail store, or even the game maker’s responsibility to not sell you, an adult, a video game because you might let your underage children play it. I guarantee you that the sales clerk assumes, since you are purchasing the game, that you are fully aware of what you are purchasing. You are an adult, you can read, do research, ask other adults, or heaven forbid monitor your own children’s game playing.
I really want to know at what point did the parents of this country decide that thinking and parenting for themselves became a bad idea. I really want to know because it seems to be a lot of parents, interest groups, and organizations want our government to raise their children for them so they do not have to do it and if they have to something they do not want to have to think about it too much.
Parenting is a hands on job folks, if you do not want to be a hands on parent, do not have children. If you want the government to raise your children, do not have children. If you are not going to be a parent, do not have children.
[Technorati Tag: Commentary]