Old Age Day by Day January 2m 2013

We got the whole Christmas enchilada packed away in the basement.  It was hard work, but satisfying.  Today the refrigerator shopping commences.  Big whoop.  It is still crisp and clear and cold.  Our houses and wardrobes are not prepared for this weather, but we manage.  We're all wimps here. 

The local movie critic had an article in the paper this morning about gun violence and his part in not speaking up when he reviews films.  He regrets that he didn't say more specifically something about the violence in "Dark Knight Rises" and "Jack Reacher".  It was good to see him in print admit that his own taste for violent fare colors his reviews, and to see the connection between what kids see and play and what actions they contemplate.  I admire him for admitting we've crossed a line.  He loved "Django Unchained", but he says that could be NC17, because it's for an adult audience.  I'd already decided it was too violent for me to see, as is "Zero Dark Thirty".  I won't see something that glorifies hunting down and killing a man by our government.  Hunt him down and put him on trial.  That's what I used to believe was the American way.

What changed for me was seeing "Silence of the Lambs" way back when.  My husband and friends convinced me the acting was so great, yada yada, and then I had to pay a therapist after to talk about it.  There is no justification for anyone under 21 seeing it, and I felt corrupted and dirtied by paying for a ticket to see it.  I began seeing buying a ticket as a political act.  And when you do see violent films, the audience reaction is sometimes sickening and scary.  When I saw "Monster", to catch Charlise Theron's Oscar nominated performance, a very sick individual was overly excited about the subject matter.  It was disturbing on so many levels. 

So if not censorship, because that never works, at least using the rating system to keep this ugly trash out of the heads of children whose brains haven't even developed fully.  And maybe just maybe, monitor your kids about their games, computer time and activities.  I thought that is what we were supposed to do as parents.  Not buy them whatever gets them out of our hair.  Because they are getting into our hair in whole new, horrific ways.