On-Line Smut, Dole on Movies

* Re “Senate Votes to Ban Smut From On-Line Networks,” June 15:

The recent vote in the Senate should chill all of us who believe that the First Amendment protects forms of speech that some or most may find offensive. Under the guise of protecting our children (as a parent that is my job), the Senate would subject them to that which they need the most protection from, government censorship and the “Big Brother” that George Orwell warned us about.

ROBERT BETHUNE

Harbor City

* I suppose it was inevitable that the Internet would become visible enough to come to the attention of the more powerful among those who fear what they cannot control, but they might at least attempt to understand it first. Because the ignorance shown in this latest move of Congress is appalling.

Unfortunately, given the very nature of the net, the only way to achieve what they are asking would be to control the speech of everybody on the Internet, adults and children alike. And to control the content of every site on the net. Not only is this undesirable (not to mention unconstitutional), it is simply not possible. The Internet is international. You could remove every dirty word, every questionable picture, every scary topic from every site in the continental U.S. and it would make no difference at all because every site outside of our jurisdiction is quite as easily available to the user as those within it. You’d have to remove them from every site in the world. Just imagine what’ll happen if we start telling every other nation in the world what they may or may not say or display within their own borders.

Speaking as both computer programmer and mother, I submit that it’s a lot easier to let parents keep track of our own kids’ activities than to conquer the world to keep dirty words off the Internet.

KATHRYN E. SHAPERO

Los Angeles

* Re “Public Echoes Dole View on Sex, Violence,” June 14:

I could not agree more! My own theater attendance has fallen sharply the past couple of years. I do not mind paying the ticket price, averaging $7 per person, provided the film is entertaining. I must admit I find few films that good anymore. During the past decade I have found explicit sex and violence as “stop-gap” measures to hide poor screenwriting, acting, directing or plot design.

If a story is good, it does not need shocking sex or violence to sell it. For proof, one needs only to look at films like “Twelve O’Clock High,” “The African Queen,” “ET,” or “Star Wars.”

PAUL MARTIN

Long Beach

* It would be interesting to know how many of the 71% who agree with Sen. Bob Dole’s (R-Kan.) views or the 51% who have an unfavorable view of movies currently made by America’s film industry have paid to see some of the most violent films recently released. The runaway box office receipts would indicate that at least some of those agreeing with the senator are going to see this kind of fare again and again.

Hollywood is pandering to Americans’ taste, in order to rake in the bucks, in the same way that Dole is pandering to Americans’ love of shallow rhetoric, in order to rake in the votes.

HEIDI RECHTEGER

Santa Monica

* I want your readers to know that there are large numbers of liberals who support liberal economic and political policies of the federal government but who are opposed to the mindless casual sex and brutal violence in many films rated PG-13 and R.

Please don’t credit only the religious right, evangelical Christians or fundamental Christians. Does it occur to news writers that this eliminates Jews, mainstream Christians, atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims who have deep concerns about the negative effect of the entertainment industries’ statements of immorality and their obsession with cruelty, pain, torture and irresponsible sex?

Please count us in!

WANDA R. GRIFFITH

Granada Hills

* Dole, who wants to live in the White House, complains about how some Democrat-made movies he hasn’t seen are ruining our youth, resulting in crime and teen pregnancy. It goes on the front page of The Times, and fills the media for weeks. Mrs. Clinton, who does live in the White House, gives a remarkably intelligent speech on the many issues affecting youth, and why we have crime and teen pregnancy, and gets an article in “Life & Style” (June 15). Maybe you should have put them both on the editorial page. Right next to all the debate on whether America still gives too much preference to white males.

DOUGLAS GREEN

Los Angeles