Fair enough. Parents need to do more for their kids. But, why is the government trying to regulate content that our kids are exposed to, when it is the parents that they are truly trying to limit? Really, the government is looking to force parents to not let them show kids violent content.
Why not go all the way, and regulate the parents directly?
If the government imposed limits on who could be parents and how many kids they could have, it seems like you would get the effect that you want. You could do this multiple ways:
Strictly limit the number of kids - This would limit the effect that one bad parent would have on any number of kids.
Limit the parents on the basis of money - For every kid that you want, you need to make X dollars/year. This would provide that your kids would "have the things that they need" to make a successful life.
Limit the parents on the basis of merit - If you want to have kids, you need to pass an IQ test or give X years of community service or be clinically emotional stable or some combination of the above.
Institutionalize the raising of kids - All kids are raised in a state sponsored creche where every kid gets the same treatment.
I am convinced that these alternatives are much better solutions to moral upraising than limiting the content and actions of parents. Many an utopian society are built around ideas like these. (Many a distopian society are built around ideas like these also.)
Personally, I am much more convinced that no limitation is a better answer, but if the government is going to propose limitations, they need to do it right.
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Why not go all the way, and regulate the parents directly?
If the government imposed limits on who could be parents and how many kids they could have, it seems like you would get the effect that you want. You could do this multiple ways:
I am convinced that these alternatives are much better solutions to moral upraising than limiting the content and actions of parents. Many an utopian society are built around ideas like these. (Many a distopian society are built around ideas like these also.)
Personally, I am much more convinced that no limitation is a better answer, but if the government is going to propose limitations, they need to do it right.
A good little place to keep up with the mergers and conglomerations in the media world is at Who Owns What.
The Columbia Journalism Review keeps good tabs on such things.