(FYI - READERS COMING OVER FROM ALL THINGS DIGITAL SHOULD SCROLL DOWN TO THE PREVIOUS POST)
The FCC and Senator Jay Rockefeller (Democrat from West Virginia) have nothing better on their mind than to continue to try and figure out how to control what gets piped into your television set. I've wrote about this quite a few times including, The FCC Thinks Your Parenting Skills Suck and Really The FCC and Senator Jay Rockefeller Think Your Parenting Skills Suck. I just don't get why the Senate continues to try and waste their time with this cooked up scheme by the FCC's Kevin Martin.
What got me fired up on my train ride back from DC was when I read this article by Amy Schatz from the WSJ called Television Violence gains Focus in Congress. Amy wrote a good article, but what surprised me the most was that it was buried on page B4 in the bottom left almost like the Journal didn't think it was very important. What kills me the most about this crappy Kevin Martin idea is what they think should be censored or not. If this Rockefeller Censorship Bill would pass it would give new Censorship Czar Kevin Martin the ability to enforce rules on airing violent programming between 6 am and 10 PM when children could be watching. It would exempt sports, news, and documentaries.
- IF THE FCC WANTS TO PROTECT KIDS IT SHOULD NOT EXEMPT ANY PROGRAMS. I
wonder why they decided it? It couldn't have anything to with a lobbyist or two could it? - NEWS IS THE MOST VIOLENT SHOW ON TV. Check out this link and picture from Channel 7 in NY for tonight. What's there? Beatings, Iraq war, kids dead in a car crash, police dog kills another dog. All great headlines for your pre-schooler right?
- AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON DOCUMENTARIES. THEY ARE VIOLENT TOO. WHY DID YOU THINK DAVID CHASE USED THEM IN THE SOPRANOS?
That's the problem with bills like this. The Government should not be intervening and deciding what is violent or not. They should set guidelines and ratings that inform parents about what they can expect. When the Government decides that News and Sports are exempt it is their attempt to control what you should see. Let me repeat this. NEWS IS THE MOST VIOLENT SHOW ON TV BECAUSE IT IS REAL.
As the folks over at televisionwatch.org have written 92% of parents believe they should be the ones who control the TV not the Government. There is a ton of information on their site including polls and tools for parents. Get involved. Do something other than lay on the couch and let Rockefeller and Martin control your TV. How about something simple as write your Senator? You can find the list and contact information at the NRSC.org website.
PardonMyFrench,
Eric
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