ET>        If people really want to solve this problem, it's incredibly
ET>        obvious that efforts would be better spent elsewhere than
ET>        regulating TV.
In what way does it regulate tv?
ET>GC>I think the V-chip kind of targets these people, the vast
ET>GC>majority, in my opinion, and makes this aspect of the problem much
ET>GC>easier to handle.
ET>        If I thought *that* poorly of the vast majority of human beings,
ET>        I suppose I might not give a whit about their rights, either.
ET>        But I don't have quite that level of contempt.
You don't? Then what do you mean by bringing up "parental
responsibility" and the fact that YOUR parents, at least, discharged
their parental obligations in this regard?
ET>        And I don't accept the easy excuse that we can blame the
ET>        violence in our society on TV and movies.  It's a symptom, not a
ET>        cause, if it's anything.
There can be a lot of factors, but the failure to provide proper role
models via the media is the major one.
ET>GC>How are you going to find the time to research the wealth of material
ET>GC>that comes in every day on the set in order to decide whether or not y
ET>GC>want your kids to watch it? It is the flood of stuff coming in that
ET>GC>makes parents throw up their hands, not lack of parentile
ET>GC>responsibility.
ET>ET> My parents did, and they both worked jobs.  If I or my
ET>ET> brother weren't allowed to watch a show, we couldn't.
See above.
ET>GC>So what? That some people managed to do this says nothing about the
ET>GC>majority out there.
ET>        It says that if they genuinely tried to, they could do it.  And
ET>        I fundamentally refuse to help anyone with something who isn't
ET>        trying.
Well, that is nice. I assume then, any steps to help the people who
aren't "genuinely" committed should just be shelved because of personal
bias against them?
ET>        However, even in this media-saturated age, all the evidence
ET>        shows that children get most of that conditioning from the
ET>        people around them, not from the people on TV.
Little or "most," one needs to get only ONE bad habit from the media.
ET>        And, frankly, if a parent can't exercise some control over that,
ET>        they shouldn't have custody of their child.
ET>GC>Wait a minute! What's the difference from the V-chip - except that it
ET>GC>isn't as easy to use.
ET>        Wait a minute - when have you used a device with a V-chip?
I haven't. But I still know how to read about it.
ET>GC>If you are going out for the evening, maybe
ET>GC>something exists in a blocked channel worth watching by the kids.
ET>        Or on a rating level you've blocked.  Except that while you can
ET>        selectively un-block a channel (or even just one show on
ET>        that channel!) with one of the current systems, you can't
ET>        selectively un-block a show or channel with the V-chip.
Now who's used a V-Chip?  In any case, the problem of missing a
good program buried among bad ones was originally mentioned by you. I
could care less about an occassionally missed goodie, what with the
power the V-chip gives the parent.
I certainly wouldn't suggest that the network raters are going to be
100% free of mistakes or bias when it comes to slapping on these codes -
but that is soemthing we can take up with them when it occurs. It in no
way invalidates the V-chip. (Okay, the IDEA of the V-chip).
___
 X SLMR 2.1a X No! Monica want a real lollypop!
--- Maximus 3.01
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