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Should books have ratings like movies to warn parents about inappropriate content?

Results so far:

No
44% 823 votes Total: 1872 votes
Yes
56% 1049 votes

First and foremost, the day that we censor literature in any fashion is the day we literally destroy wester culture by being completely hypocritical and ignorant. Would the proponents of putting warning labels on books also be willing to put a rated R sticker on the Holy Bible? Incest, murder, genocide, and all manner of violence occur in that book and, despite it being declared truthful, it is essentially a book that would be caught under this type of censorship. So if we must put ratings on the spines of regular literature, it must apply to all literature, in any form. If such a compromise cannot be made, then the very fabric of our society is at risk.


Should books have ratings like movies and games? I think this is an incredibly subjective question. How would one determine what is considered rated-R? A movie is far different from a book. What would happen to books rated-R? Would we remove them from schools because they include content that would be deemed inappropriate for thirteen-year-olds? If so, then would we make exceptions to the rule to allow classics of literature through the web?
You can see where this is going. I think the biggest problem in our society is that we're so worried about censoring what our children see that in the end they become even more curious about it. Inevitably our children are going to hear the b-word, or the f-word, no matter how hard you try to keep them from it. They will see naked women, they will learn about sex, etc. You cannot avoid it unless you intend to keep them in a bubble.
But rather than ruining the surprise for the rest of us-who would rather not know what to expect in a book as far as content is concerned-perhaps apply yourself to the task of figuring out what is appropriate reading material. It is not difficult to find books that fit what you want. Book stores are staffed with people that, generally, read quite a lot, and with the vast world of the Internet at your fingertips it cannot be more than a few clicks away to find websites that feel the same as you do about content. Perhaps one should read reviews of certain works, or contact the publisher or author. The fact is, most of us don't care if there is a little sexual content in the book, and as soon as we allow the will of the few control the will of the many we also sacrifice what little is left of our democracy. It should be left to the parents who hold ideals such as those on the 'no' side of this debate to figure out what content is appropriate, not the other way around.

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Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:

Should books have ratings like movies to warn parents about inappropriate content?

No
  • 1 of 74

    by Bruce W. Coffman

    What is inappropriate and who will decide? If we allow a ratings system on books, we will be accepting yet another nail in

    read more

  • 2 of 74

    by J. Brown

    No, books should not have ratings applied to their content. In every form of media rating, systems will be different depending

    read more

Yes
  • 1 of 48

    by Tristan Taylor

    The question of whether or not we need ratings for books to protect kids from adult content is no simple one. I can remember

    read more

  • 2 of 48

    by C.D. Crowder

    Has anyone looked at books for children and teens lately? Parents and teachers are ecstatic when they see a child or teen

    read more

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