I agree with you all the way about parents taking responsibility to protect their kids as best they can - with all their might short of jailing them.
But we also have to realize that with the adoption of an amoral culture where the most base adults are free do to and say whatever they choose in front of kids and all around kids, there comes a point where it is impossible protect one's kids.
It is popular today to shout at parents: If don't like it, keep your kids from seeing or hearing it! It is as if parents are the only adults responsible in America for having respect and care for children. It is as if we think parents can serve as absolute jailers for their kids, twenty four hours per day. Everyone else could care less if a kid is around or not when they do things publically that are not good for kids.
It is a no win situation for families so don't be quick to blame parents when our scummy society slimes children. Free people are supposed to have morals and honor to control their own behavior and actions in regard to themselves and others. We don't have that anymore.
I agree. Judeo-Christian society has been under attack for over forty years now and the effects are everywhere. Most parents today are products of this same issue and don't have a clue how to deal with it.
I'm waiting for Viacom to be taken to task for adult content on MTV. They claim that minors don't or shouldn't watch it.
Maybe there was some truth to Hillary's "It Takes a Village" title.
It's simple another bogeyman behind the tree in the cultural forest.
A parent's job is not longer just to raise children to behave and act responsibly and decently.
That has become almost secondary to constantly thwarting unbelievable cultural garbage that would have been unheard of 2-3 generations ago.
It's incredible when a 4 year old wants to know what "gay" really means and when nearly all TV cartoons instill backtalk and trashtalk.
It's very difficult.
Teen girls are told over and over to dress like trollops and to get multiple piercings and tattoos and that they must have 2-300 dollar jeans etc.
and drugs....
and sex...
abortion.
Raising children today tests one's mettle.
(and I love Murdoch btw)
While I agree with you to a degree, I still maintain that too many parents would rather be their kids' best friends than to be disciplinarians. Kids need limits as much as they need food and shelter--they're kids, fer cryin' out loud, not adults who happen to be under 18. They need to be watched when they're on the computer, and it wouldn't hurt to limit cell phone usage either.
Nevertheless, I also realize that for some kids, no amount of "best efforts" will change them--but that doesn't mean the parents shouldn't at least give it a try.