Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCXIII

If you're a parent with kids at home, I've discovered an eye-opening television show that you need to watch. It's really a miracle that I found it, because I prefer to spend my evenings with my nose in a book rather than with my eyes glued to the TV. Just a couple nights ago, however, I was in a hotel room in Little Rock, AR, and I finished my book before bedtime, so I flipped on the television to see if I could find anything that would catch my attention. Before I tell you what I found, let me give you a little background.

I grew up in a very conservative Christian home, and though things have changed somewhat in recent years, in those days the majority of the people in our church, including us, did not own a television because of the influence it could have on our lives. As I look back, it seems a little odd that TV was prohibited in the days of "Leave it to Beaver" and "The Andy Griffith Show," and now it is much more accepted in the days of MTV and "Sex in the City." Upon further reflection, however, I have to wonder if maybe they had some insight back then that we have somehow lost down through the years.

Now, let's get back to the show that I'm recommending you watch. The trouble is I don't know the name of it. I can't even recall what it was that made me stop there. It was on MTV during the 9:00 o'clock hour (Central Time). The reason I think you should watch it is I believe parents need to see first hand what type material is being targeted toward their kids. It seemed like every third word had to be bleeped, although they would bleep out just a fraction of the word, and it left no doubt in anyone's mind what was being said. Then there were a couple of bedroom scenes where, even though they were under the sheets, it was obvious what was going on. I didn't watch long, but when I started flipping channels again, I found another show on the "Oxygen" channel that was almost the same thing I had seen on MTV.

When I was a teenager, I laughed at the "What's this world coming to?" rantings that I would hear from the older generation, and maybe that's the way I sound today, but I now know from observation down through the years that "what one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace." I'm not suggesting that we go back to the days of no television....we're beyond that point....but I do believe that as parents, if we don't monitor what our kids are watching, we'll live to regret it in future years. It worries me to look at European countries, such as the godless society of The Netherlands, and realize that that's what America could look like in just few short years if we don't reverse the direction we're heading.

I hope I'm not coming across as a know-it-all old guy who's trying to dictate to young parents how to raise their kids. As a matter of fact, I believe that the majority of the younger generation of parents that I know are doing a good job with their children and are doing all they can to train up their children in the way they should go so they will not depart from it when they are older. I'm just trying to sound an alarm in case there are some who haven't been checking to see what type of entertainment is being aimed at their kids. I hope I'm not too late.

Preston