Children’s Confusion

Regarding Lynn Thompson’s Jan. 28 letter (in which she argued that unlimited free speech can result in contradictory communications that confuse children):

By the rationale Thompson uses, coverage of the Persian Gulf War should be available only to adults and certainly shouldn’t be shown on TV, where children could see it and become “confused.”

Thompson and others would have their children shielded from many of the issues facing society today, thus giving them the “chance to form their own identity.” Presumably later, by virtue of their simply being older, they would be prepared to make value choices in issues from which they had been “protected” earlier.

I submit that who these people are trying to protect are themselves, from the effort and embarrassment of answering their children’s questions about values.

I believe children have as much right as adults to be informed.

Parents should take on the responsibility of guiding their children in making value judgments, rather than seeking scapegoats in music lyrics and television.

EDWARD LUHN

Monrovia